It is the late-1800s and the US government is buying land from Indians in an area known as the Cherokee Strip, in the Oklahoma Territory. Gold intended for the Indians is hijacked by the gang of Whip McCord (played by Humphrey Bogart). The gang is in turn ambushed and robbed by Jim "The Oklahoma Kid" Kincaid (James Cagney). This leads to a deadly feud between McCord and Kincaid.A good old-fashioned good guys vs bad guys western. Plot is fairly basic, but works. Similarly the acting is a bit over-the-top, but works. It is basically the swagger of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart that propels the movie, and makes it work. Makes it quite amusing at times, too...On a side note, this might actually be the first movie to include both Cagney and Bogart, so the movie is of historical significance too.

This is an example of a film being better than its casting errors. The bar fight scene has some very interesting floor level camera angles (although these do help make the stunt doubles more obvious). I liked the positioning of the jail cell on the second floor of the courthouse. That seems to buck the standard Western trend of the combination Jail/Sheriff's office. I think this may be unique. As to Joe Pesci's reference in "Goodfellas", perhaps he finds this film so memorable because of the character named Indian Joe Pasco. Maybe his childhood pals nicknamed him Indian Joe Pesci. But, the scene his character in "Goodfellas" refers to (a cowboy shooting and saying "Dance") does not appear in this film. Also,in this films closing credits, the character is billed as "Indian Jack Pasco". Maybe the Title's Department didn't even take this film seriously.

While I am a die-hard Humphrey Bogart fan, I will be the first to admit that he could NOT play every role. After all, who can? Well, some studio dunderhead apparently though that he'd be perfect to play in a Western as some sort of heavy--complete with cheesy mustache and silly accent! Now it's nice to see an actor try to broaden his appeal, but this is ridiculous! And the sight of him looking kind of like Snidely Whiplash and a cowboy combined is amazing! Because of his poor performance (and who can blame him?), this movie sinks to mediocrity despite decent writing and direction. In fact, unless you are a fan or want a good laugh, it is a very forgettable movie that is eminently skip-able.

If you can't picture James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart as gun totin' Western outlaws, then give yourself a treat and try "The Oklahoma Kid". Granted, neither actor appears as comfortable in their cowboy persona as they do as gangsters, but they manage to pull off a fairly credible and interesting story, with a rather talented cast around them.The setting is the 1883 land rush that civilizes the six million acre Oklahoma Territory known as the Cherokee Strip, and future site of the city of Tulsa. Cagney's entrance as the Oklahoma Kid is heralded by his hijacking of Whip McCord's (Bogart) plunder of a stagecoach carrying money in payment for Indian land. The Kid is the "good" outlaw, who for the remainder of the film plays out his secret identity of Jim Kincaid, who's businessman father (Hugh Sothern) and sheriff brother (Harvey Stephens) attempt to bring McCord and his gang to justice following their illegal land grab.Adding an element of romance to the story is the presence of Jane Hardwick (Rosemary Lane), daughter of Judge Hardwick (Donald Crisp), who's involved with sheriff Ned, but is immediately smitten with The Kid; Oklahoma endears himself to newcomers by asking them to "feel the air".When bully McCord frames John Kincaid for murder, he sends a phony letter to Judge Hardwick to get him out of town, so his own hand picked replacement can push through a guilty verdict. With time running out, The Kid is too late to stop the mob hanging of his father, and sets out to administer his own brand of justice on McCord's henchmen - Indian Joe, Curley, Handley (Ward Bond), and Doolin. The finale finds the Oklahoma Kid and McCord in a rather well staged barroom brawl that ends with the "good" bad guy on the winning end.OK, high drama it's not; for a truly memorable film of classic status in a Western setting with either of these stars, you'll have to turn to Bogart's "Treasure of the Sierra Madre". But if it's offbeat Cagney and Bogey you're after, this is a good place to start. You'll have a better time too if you go for the enjoyment factor and not for critical viewing, there's enough fun stuff here to take the edge off a rainy afternoon.