By James Finck, Ph.D.
I made a great discovery last weekend as my family and I spent the day in Tulsa.
In the morning my son had a baseball game and that evening Tulsa’s own Ben Rector gave an awesome concert at the Tulsa Theater. The venue was perfect for a Rector concert as he was able to get intimate with the audience, some of whom knew him growing up. It was between the two events that I found a real gem: The Outsiders Museum.
The Outsiders is a 1983 coming of age movie adapted from the novel of the same name written by S. E.
Hinton who set the novel in her hometown of Tulsa.
The movie which deals with two rival high school gangs, the rich Socs and the Greasers from the other side of the tracks, became a huge hit as the story resonated with youths. The movie also ushered in a cast of future A-listers who would comprise most of the Brat Pack — actors like C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio and Diane Lane.
While the film is a classic for my generation, surprisingly it has remained relevant more than most films from the 1980s as middle school students across the nation continue to read it for class and want to see the movie.
The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was mostly shot in and around Tulsa.
One of the most important locations, the Curtis house, served as the central gathering place for the Greasers and was the home of Ponyboy and his older brothers.
Over time the house fell into disrepair but in 2016 hip hop artist Danny Boy O’Connor recognized its cultural significance and purchased the home with the idea of restoration and a museum.
Today you can visit the home, see memorabilia from the movie, hear stories of the shoot as well as possibly meet some of the extras who still work for the museum.
Walking through the home and feeling all nostalgic I also started wondering about other important novels set in Oklahoma and what impact they have on American culture. As I started to rank the most significant, I came up with two others. Not only are these excellent novels but all have been turned into movies with at least one being bigger than the novel.
For me personally the highest ranked Oklahoma novel is “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls. I would rank this book very close to the top of children’s books overall. Rawls was born in the eastern Oklahoma Ozark Mountains and set his novel around the Tahlequah area.
The protagonist of the story is 10-year-old Billy who lived the life I dreamt of as a kid, spending much of his time playing in the woods.
The story revolved around Billy and his two coon hounds he raised as pups, Old Dan and Little Ann. The three of them spent many a night having adventures chasing racoons and sleeping outdoors. He had so much freedom for a boy his age.
At its heart, “Where the Red Fern Grows” is a love story. Billy loved his dogs and knew he could trust them no matter how difficult the situation. I would say the book is more significant than the movie, but it has been made into movies a couple different times. The 1974 version staring Stewart Petersen is the classic. And watching it was the first time, I truly remember crying. I was very young and home from school sick. When it ended, I crawled up on my mother’s bed, laid in her lap and just bawled.
Second for me is the book above, “The Outsiders.” It’s the story of two sensitive teen Greasers struggling to grow up in the tough side of town. While part of the story is about class struggles, its themes fit kids living in different places and times.
It’s about fitting in and finding your place. It’s about the difficulties of being teens with family struggles.
It’s about brotherhood and loyalty. Finally, it’s about finding what beauty we can, where we can. At one-point the main character, Ponyboy, asks Cherry, ““Can you see the sunset real good from the west side? You can see it good from the east side, too.” I think the significance of the movie and the novel are pretty close. While more people have seen the movie than read the book, as long as it continues to be read by middle school students, it will be an important aspect of our culture and Oklahoma history.
The third book is definitely overshadowed by the movie, “True Grit.” The 1968 novel by Charles Portis occurred before Oklahoma statehood back when we were Indian Territory. Like the above books, the principal protagonists is a teenager, except this time a girl named Mattie Ross from Dardanelle in Yell County, Arkansas. Just writing this I can hear her voice as she references it several times in the movie with her piecing expression.
Ross, a girl very mature for her age, hires the hard drinking one-eyed Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn to find the man who killed her father. The novel has similar themes of growing up but also focuses on justice and determination. In the end, like the others, there is love and understanding. While the book was popular, it’s the 1969 movie starring John Wayne that has cultural significance. Wayne’s portrayal of Cogburn won him his only Academy Award. The Coen Brothers made a remake in 2010, but while good, did not garner the same popularity as the original.
I should quickly mention two other novels I did not include, even though some may include them as Oklahoma novels. The first is John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” While I consider this novel one of the greatest of all time, I don’t consider it an Oklahoma novel, but a California one. “The Grapes of Wrath” does deal with Oklahoma and has had its share of controversy in the Sooner State. At one time it was even banned because of the negative way it portrayed Okies, almost making the term an insult. However, I disagree. I feel it’s the Californians who were seen in a bad light. Okies, while people of the land, were also the salt of the earth and good hardworking stock. They were looking for work and the Joad family was the best of us. I should note, excellent book and movie, both are iconic and should be both seen and read.
The last book is “Ready Player One.” While I am not a huge sci-fi guy, I really enjoyed this book. Note that I am talking about the book, not the movie. I only found the movie so-so. But if you are a gen-Xer like me, I loved the nostalgia of this. The book takes place in Oklahoma City. The only problem is it’s the Oklahoma City of the future, so it really does not count. Also, almost the entire book takes place in an online world. So while the protagonist, another teenage boy trying to find his way in the world, is physically in Oklahoma, very little happens here. Even if you did not like the movie — trust me on this one — the book is very well written and creative.
Some may disagree or have other novels they think are better. That’s what’s fun about lists; they give us something to discuss. While the novels set in Oklahoma may be limited, I think the quality of these three make up for the quantity that our state is lacking. If you have any Oklahoma- based book recommendations, please let me know. I’d love to check them out. And finally, the most importantly, always remember, Stay Gold.
James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
He may be reached at Historically-Speaking1776@gmail.com.