A cross between "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Harvey Girls" (both of which were made later, the directors having presumably learned not to mix genres) this musical with its David and Goliath message clearly sets out to expose the kind of greed that made America grate time and again, grinding the honest working man to pulverized shreds for the sake of company profits. Told through the courtship and marriage of a farmer and the star in a traveling entertainment troupe, the film is set against the historical backdrop of the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania in 1859 and the ruthlessness of the railroad barons who tried to prevent the poor landowners from building a pipeline. With music by two of the greatest American composers, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, this movie should have been greater than it is--not for want of trying, perhaps too hard, causing a confusing split between drama, romance, and musical. Only two songs really stand out, sung by the inimitable Irene Dunne: "Can I Forget You?" and the classic "The Folks on the Hill." The supporting cast is outstanding, with character actress Elizabeth Patterson as Grandma and Dorothy Lamour as the sultry woman of ill repute. Check out William Frawley (Fred Mertz on television's "I Love Lucy") singing "Will You Marry Me Tomorrow, Maria?"
Review of High, Wide and Handsome
