Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Tulsa (1949) movie poster

Timeline

Tulsa (1949) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1949 · 90 mins · English
Directed by
Stuart Heisler
Starring
Roger Moore, Robert Preston, Chill Wills, Ed Begley, Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Shannon

Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the start of the oil boom, Cherokee Lansing's rancher father is killed by the Tanner Oil Company. Seeking revenge, she teams with oil specialist Brad Brady and childhood friend Jim Redbird to drill her own wells. As oil and money flood in, Brad and Jim try to protect the land, while Cherokee's vengeance turns into a quest for wealth and power.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (11)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Tulsa
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Tulsa (1949)

Where can you watch Tulsa? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Artiflix and FlixFling: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

11 events in order · contains spoilers

Tulsa Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Tulsa (1949) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Nelse Lansing's death and pollution report

    Rancher Nelse Lansing dies in an oil well blowout during a visit to Tanner Petroleum to report that their production has polluted land and killed cattle. The fatal accident highlights the human and environmental costs of the Tulsa oil boom. The incident sparks a conflict between Lansing's family and the oil interests.

    When
    1920s
    Where
    Near Tanner Petroleum, Tulsa
  2. Cherokee acquires drilling rights to punish Tanner

    Seeking retribution for her father's death, Cherokee uses her land to acquire drilling rights and enter the oil business. Her move marks the beginning of a power struggle in the region's oil economy. The decision brings her into direct contact with Tanner and other powerful players.

    When
    early 1920s
    Where
    Cherokee's land, Oklahoma
  3. Cherokee meets Brad Brady, the conservation-minded geologist

    Cherokee meets Brad Brady, a geologist who argues for restraint to avoid field depletion and to protect the grasslands. He represents a counterpoint to unbridled drilling and foreshadows future tensions within the venture.

    When
    early 1920s
    Where
    Oil fields around Cherokee's land
  4. Jim Redbird joins Cherokee's venture

    Jim Redbird, a Native American, is drawn to Cherokee and buys into her oil operation. He quickly becomes wealthy as the venture expands.

    When
    early 1920s
    Where
    Cherokee's oil business / local oil fields
  5. Cherokee's rise to power with Tanner

    As Cherokee succumbs to power and greed, she becomes a partner of the ruthless Tanner. Her transformation signals a shift away from conservation toward dominance in the oil world.

    When
    mid-1920s
    Where
    Tanner's operations
  6. Jim renounces his holdings after a humiliating meeting

    Jim renounces his holdings following a humiliating meeting with Tanner, signaling a rift within the partnership. The confrontation exposes the arrogance and ambition fueling the oil boom.

    When
    mid-1920s
    Where
    Tanner's offices
  7. The anger sparks a devastating act

    Overcome with anger after the humiliating meeting, Cherokee and her associates witness Jim's eruption as he accidentally starts a fire in a derrick trailing pool. The blaze becomes a symbol of the costs of unchecked ambition.

    When
    mid-1920s
    Where
    derrick trailing pool site
  8. Fire rages and destroys drilling sites

    The derrick fire rages across the oil field, destroying equipment and threatening the landscape. The disaster dramatizes the destructive potential of improper drilling practices and the fragility of the land.

    When
    mid-1920s
    Where
    derrick trailing pool area
  9. Aftermath prompts a reconsideration of drilling practices

    In the aftermath, the community acknowledges the damage caused by reckless drilling and money-driven decisions. The event becomes a catalyst for a rethinking of how oil should be extracted and who should benefit.

    When
    mid-1920s
    Where
    Tulsa oil fields
  10. Oil workers and Brady vow to prioritize conservation

    The drillers and Brad Brady resolve to start over with conservation as a top priority, pledging to balance wealth with land stewardship. This vow signals a shift toward sustainable practices in the story.

    When
    mid-1920s
    Where
    Tulsa oil fields
  11. Oscar-nominated flames

    The film's climactic rampage of flames is highlighted by critics and earns an Oscar nomination for its impressive fire sequences. The nomination underscores the visual impact of the disaster within the story.

    Where
    Hollywood

Last updated: February 24, 2026 at 09:53

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

Tulsa Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Tulsa (1949): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Cherokee Lansing decide to get into the oil drilling business?

Cherokee Lansing entered the oil business after her father, Nelse Lansing, died in a blowout at Tanner Petroleum while trying to report that the company's pollution had killed their cattle. Seeking retribution for his death, she used her land's drilling rights to enter the oil industry and hold Tanner accountable.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with the tragic death that sets Cherokee on her path of vengeance.

  • cherokee lansing
  • revenge
  • oil business
  • tanner petroleum
  • father death
Q2

What was Brad Brady's stance on oil drilling and why did he advocate for it?

Brad Brady was a geologist who argued for measured, conservation-minded drilling to prevent field depletion and protect the grasslands. He believed cooperation between cattlemen and oil men was possible and tried to steer Cherokee away from reckless extraction, representing a counterpoint to unbridled oil boom exploitation.

Foreshadowing: Brady's introduction early in the film establishes him as the voice of environmental restraint.

  • brad brady
  • geologist
  • conservation
  • field depletion
  • grasslands
Q3

Why did Jim Redbird join Cherokee's oil venture and what caused him to renounce his shares?

Jim Redbird, a Native American who had long admired Cherokee, was persuaded by Brady that cooperation between cattlemen and oil men was possible, so he bought into her operation and became wealthy. However, after experiencing a humiliating confrontation with Bruce Tanner, Jim renounced his shares and withdrew from the venture, disillusioned by the corruption and arrogance he encountered.

Foreshadowing: Jim's initial optimism about cooperation sets up his later disappointment.

  • jim redbird
  • cherokee
  • humble confrontation
  • tanner
  • renounces shares
Q4

How did the massive fire at the derrick trailing pool start?

The fire erupted during a tense meeting between Cherokee, Tanner, and their associates. Overcome with anger after the humiliating confrontation, Jim accidentally started a fire in a derrick trailing pool while in a state of emotional eruption. The flames then raged across the oil field, destroying equipment and dramatizing the destructive potential of unchecked ambition.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension between Jim and the oil interests builds to this explosive moment.

  • derrick fire
  • oil field blaze
  • accident
  • trailing pool
  • catsastrophe
Q5

Why did Cherokee become a business partner with the ruthless Bruce Tanner?

As Cherokee's power grew in the oil industry, she became seduced by wealth and power, eventually partnering with the ruthless Bruce Tanner. This marked her transformation from a vengeful daughter seeking justice into a greedy operator willing to compromise her conservation-minded values for dominance in the oil world.

Foreshadowing: Cherokee's early partnership with Brady hints at her initial values before she shifts toward Tanner.

  • bruce tanner
  • partnership
  • corruption
  • power
  • greed
Q6

What happened to Nelse Lansing and how did his death affect the story?

Nelse Lansing, Cherokee's father, died in an oil well blowout at Tanner Petroleum while attempting to alert others that the company's pollution had ruined grazing land and killed cattle. His fatal accident highlights the human cost of the Tulsa oil boom and directly motivates Cherokee's quest for revenge against the oil company.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with this tragedy to establish the central conflict.

  • nelse lansing death
  • blowout
  • pollution
  • cattle
  • tanner petroleum
Q7

How did Cherokee's motivation change from revenge to pursuing wealth and power?

Cherokee initially sought to punish Tanner Petroleum for her father's death, but as she gained power and wealth in the oil business, her motivation shifted toward greed and dominance. She became a partner with the ruthless Tanner, abandoning her conservation-minded values in pursuit of oil empire building.

Foreshadowing: Her early alliance with Brad Brady represents the values she later abandons.

  • cherokee motivation
  • revenge to greed
  • power corruption
  • oil wealth
Q8

What vow did the oil workers and Brad Brady make after the disaster?

After the devastating derrick fire destroyed drilling sites, the community faced the consequences of reckless drilling. In the aftermath, the oil drillers and Brad Brady vowed to start over with conservation as their top priority, pledging to balance wealth generation with land stewardship and sustainable practices.

Foreshadowing: Brady's earlier conservation advocacy finds fulfillment in this post-disaster commitment.

  • conservation vow
  • oil workers
  • brady
  • new beginning
  • sustainable drilling
Q9

Why is the derrick fire sequence so significant in the film?

The derrick fire is the climactic disaster of the film, raging across the oil field and destroying equipment while symbolizing the fragile line between progress and catastrophe. The sequence was critically acclaimed and earned an Oscar nomination for its dramatic portrayal of the consequences of unchecked drilling and ambition.

Foreshadowing: Tension builds throughout as reckless practices threaten environmental disaster.

  • derrick fire
  • oscars nomination
  • climax
  • oil field disaster
  • visual impact
Q10

What is the role of Chill Wills as the narrator in the film?

The story is framed by the narration of Chill Wills, who provides context and commentary on the events unfolding in Tulsa during the 1920s oil boom. His narration helps paint the portrait of a town transformed by sudden wealth and the moral tensions that emerge.

Foreshadowing: The narrator establishes the thematic framework from the opening.

  • chill wills
  • narrator
  • framing
  • context
  • tulsa oil boom

Movie threads

More Movies Like Tulsa, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Tulsa tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about obsessive greed and corruption like Tulsa

Character-driven stories of moral decay fueled by revenge and ambition. If you liked the story of vengeance turning into a destructive obsession in Tulsa, explore these movies. They feature similar character arcs where greed and corruption lead to moral decay and a heavy emotional toll.

  • obsessive
  • vengeful
  • greedy
  • destructive
  • moral decay
  • tense
  • Tone: tense, somber, moralistic
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a protagonist's single-minded pursuit of a goal—starting from a place of personal loss or injustice. As they gain power or wealth, their ambition consumes them, blurring moral lines and damaging relationships, often culminating in a disastrous event that forces a moment of painful clarity.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a focus on a compelling character arc from determined purpose to morally corrupted obsession. They create a tense, heavy atmosphere through steady pacing and high emotional stakes, exploring themes of vengeance, greed, and the high cost of power.

Movies about industry and conservation like Tulsa

Stories where the drive for progress brings environmental and moral costs. Fans of Tulsa's conflict between oil wealth and environmental disaster will find similar themes here. Discover films exploring the moral costs of industrialization and the struggle to protect the land.

  • destructive
  • moralistic
  • somber
  • greed
  • conservation
  • conflict
  • Tone: tense, moralistic, somber
  • Pacing: steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot often pits ambitious individuals or companies against the natural world or a traditional way of life. The pursuit of progress or profit leads to ecological damage or social upheaval, forcing characters to confront the consequences of their actions and potentially seek redemption through conservation.

Why they belong together: These films are united by a central dramatic conflict between human ambition and the environment. They typically carry a heavy emotional weight, a tense atmosphere, and a bittersweet ending that acknowledges the damage done while offering a path toward restoration or a costly lesson learned.

If you liked this

Movies Like Tulsa

Similar movies to Tulsa: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Tulsa (1949) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Tulsa in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app