Jud Fry: Love Him or Hate him?

By: Tabitha Garnica

"Folks are feeling sad cuz they used to treat him bad"

“Poor Jud, Poor Jud.” ~ Oklahoma!

I have always felt that Jud Fry is one of the most fascinating villains in musical theatre.  Depending on how he is portrayed, my feelings about him fluctuate. 

After all, he is supposed to be a scary guy, and he is meant to creep out almost every female who sees this show.  He stays cooped up in this small dark room wallowing in his perverted fantasies about Laurey.  He surrounds himself with guns and inappropriate pictures.  It is completely understandable why Laurey is nervous to be around him.  He sneaks up to the window of her bedroom and watches her as she changes and as she sleeps.  His obsessive nature makes us wonder whether or not he is capable of having a “normal” loving relationship. 

I have always wondered whether or not his “love” for Laurey was purely physical.  His song, “Lonely Room,” always gave me the impression that he wanted her in a purely sexual way.  He speaks about her long flowing hair and her soft arms, and mentions nothing about her personality.  Maybe she is just the prettiest girl around and he does not know how to handle himself.  However, in Act 2, we learn that she cared for him when he was ill.  It is possible that she might have been the only person who was kind to him.  Most likely all of the other women were afraid of him and Laurey showed him kindness during his time of need.  He could have been so lonely that one simple act of kindness could account for all of his emotion.  It could be that she symbolized protection, love, and care; all of which were probably foreign to him. 

Whenever I do feel bad for Jud Fry, it is because I think that Laurey gives him mixed signals.  Think about it.  She told him she would go to the box social with him just to get back at Curly.  It seems she merely uses Jud’s feelings towards her when it suits her.  She gets upset when he obsesses about her, yet she agrees to go with him. 

"You brought it on yourself!"

In the movie, during Laurey and Jud’s confrontation, Rod Steiger played him very angrily and aggressively; therefore I felt no pity when Laurey fired him.  However, in the 1998 London production, Shuler Hensley portrayed him as emotional and miserable.  He cried when Laurey screamed at him, and you could somewhat understand his misery.  He is a character who is desperate and alone and everyone can relate to that to some extent.

It is also easy to feel sorry for him because of the way his death is treated.  People seem to care more about Curly’s reputation and no one actually mourns Jud.  Additionally, right after Curly is proven guilty, everyone rides off into the sunset as if Jud’s death meant nothing. 

Jud Fry is interesting to analyze as a character because he can have so many levels.  Additionally, so much depends on the actor who plays him.  He can be the heartless and aggressive pervert, who is every girl’s nightmare, or he can be a lonely and slightly dysfunctional man who you feel sorry for.  In the end, I believe he is one of the most complex characters in musical theatre, and he deserves to be examined before he is written off as a monster.
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Copyright (c) 2013 Tabitha Garnica All Rights Reserved

Photo Credits:

• Jud and Curly
• http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/
• Jud and Laurey
• http://www.shulerhensley.com/tmania.htm