War of the Wildcats (1943) aka — In Old Oklahoma

Martha Scott is Catherine Allen, a school teacher and pulp novelist destined for Kansas City, so she can experience some of the things she only writes about.

She winds up in the personal rail car of oil tycoon Jim Gardner (Albert Dekker), who’s in the middle of sweeping her off her feet when a cowpoke named Daniel Somers (John Wayne) climbs aboard.

Before you can say gusher, Catherine has two rugged men vying for her attention.

She seems to prefer Gardner, but Somers cons himself into a job as the oil tycoon’s bodyguard and keeps coming between the two.

Soon, the men are at odds for another reason. The oil fields run through Indian territory. Gardner is determined to get the rights to drill on that land.

But the small landowners would prefer Somers get those rights, to give them a chance to get rich and because he’ll give the Indians a better deal.

Somers lands the contract, but it comes with a hitch — a deadline for drilling a productive well and getting the oil to Tulsa.

Gardner will stop at nothing to keep Somers and his men from meeting that deadline.

John Wayne as Daniel Somers, realizing Catherine Allen write the book he’s been making fun of in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Martha Scott as Catherine Allen, the author who dreams of living the type of life she writes about in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Review:

One of those splendid Wayne Westerns from the 1940s, with just the right mixture of humor and action.

Gabby Hayes is around as Despirit Dean to help in the humor department, though Wayne and Scott do just fine in the scenes they’re in together, especially when he’s quoting a grandma who doesn’t exist and mocking her book before he realizes she’s the author.

For action, there’s a desperate race to Tulsa through a burning prairie.

This marked an early film outing for Martha Scott, who would go on to play Charlton Heston’s mother in “The Ten Commandments” (1956) and “Ben-Hur” (1959). The film also features an early appearance by Dale Evans as a dance hall girl who does a song and dance number.

Albert Dekker as Jim Gardner, laying eyes on Catherine Allen for the first time in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Gabby Hayes as stage driver Despirit Dean, an old friend of Daniel Somers in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Directed by:
Albert Rogell

Cast:
John Wayne … Daniel Somers
Martha Scott … Catherine Allen
Albert Dekker … Jim Gardner
Gabby Hayes … Despirit Dean
Marjorie Rambeau … Bessie Baxter
Dale Evans … Cuddles Walker
Grant Withers … Richardson
Sidney Blackmer … Teddy Roosevelt
Paul Fix … Cherokee Kid
Cecil Cunningham … Mrs. Ames
Irving Bacon … Ben
Byron Foulger … Wilkins
Anne O’Neal … Mrs. Peabody
Richard Graham … Walter Ames

aka: In Old Oklahoma

Runtime: 102 min.

Marjorie Rambeau as Bessie Baxter, the older woman who takes Catherine under her wings in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Byron Foulger as Wilkins, a man who figures he’s been cheated out of his oil rights in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Memorable lines:

Railroad employee: “But Mr. Gardner wanted to see me.”
Bodyguard at the door to Gardner’s train car: “Him in conference.”
Two giggling girls leave the train car.
Bodyguard: “Conference over.”

Catherine Allen: “I’m no Jezebel. I’m not even a good imitation of one. I’m a school teacher.”

Catherine Allen: “How could I know anything about life? I’ve never lived, except in books I’ve never been anywhere, except in books. All I’ve ever known is books, books, books.”
James Gardner: “But didn’t you write one?”
Catherine: “Yes, in self-defense.”

Daniel Somers to Catherine: “My granny always said that next to eating with a sharp knife, there’s nothing so risky as a pretty girl trying to look out for herself.”

Dale Evans as Cuddles Walker, dance hall queen belting out a song in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Sidney Blackmer as Teddy Roosevelt, hearing propositions from Jim Gardner and Daniel Somers in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Despirit Dean: “What are ya aimin’ to do ’round here, Daniel?”
Daniel Somers: “Remember that wild pinto I was chasin’ for a couple of years.”
Despirit: “Yep, but you caught him.”
Daniel, glancing in Katherine Allen’s direction: “It’s a sorrel I’m after this time.”

James Gardner: “I thought I told you to get out of town.”
Daniel Somers: “I couldn’t get out til I got in, could I?”

Katherine Allen, trying to convince Daniel to become an oil tycoon: “You could make everyone look up at you.”
Daniel Somers, staring down at her: “Can now. Pretty near. Less I’m sittin’ down.”

Despirit Dean: “If I’m going to stretch the truth, I gotta be paid for it. I’ve got a very delicate conscience.”

John Wayne as Daniel Somers, a man who finds a sorrel he wants and a man he despises in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Robert Warwick as Chief Big Tree with Gabby Hayes as Despirit Dean in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Albert Dekker as Jim Gardner with his foreman Richardson (Grant Withers) in War of the Wildcats (1943)

Martha Scott as Catherine Allen with John Wayne as Daniel Somers, arriving in Oklahoma in War of the Wildcats (1943)