"There's a bright golden haze on the meadow. There's a bright golden haze on the meadow. The corn is as high as an elephant's eye. And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky. Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!"

Those lyrics kick off a magical journey into the heart of Oklahoma territory set in 1901 before the territory became a state. The tension and drama that existed between the cattlemen and the farmers plays out in spectacular musical fashion both on beautifully filmed locations (in Arizona no less) and on sets built to look like an Oklahoma farmstead.

Everything turns our alright except for Jud. He's kind of a bad dude, but Casey isn't a squeaky clean hero either. And wouldn't the whole thing be resolved peacefully if Laurey and Curly decided to go to the dance together in that first scene. Oh, but wait, then there wouldn't be a movie! Oh, the singing! The dancing! The ballerinas! Where did all these professional dancers/singers/ranchers/farmers come from! Don't ask too many questions just sit back and let the scenery and the music wash over you.

"Oh what a beautiful morning!"

Here's a link to the IMDB page for Oklahoma!

Next week, we head deep into enemy territory with a rag tag bunch of convicted murders on a mission to wipe out the Nazi high command. Really! It will be a wild ride with "The Dirty Dozen".