The Harvey Girls (1946)

the leading man is my tpye

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Really Surprised!

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

"The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" is not only a very entertaining song, but also the "trademark" for this 1945 MGM musical about a young girl from Chillicothe, Ohio who goes to the wild west, to the town of Sandrock (most likely in Arizona),having no idea what surprises she'll encounter. She meets an uncouth cowboy (at which Chill Wills performs well) who, allegedly, has written her sweet letters. So she meets this future husband of hers, and she is definitely disillusioned; they do not marry. It is then that she joins the Harvey Girls who, for all practical purposes, are a group of classy waitresses in a restaurant there. The local cold and mean judge (Preston Foster) wants them out of there, and the saloon girls are ugly toward them; Angela Lansbury is the cold saloon girl who comes into competition with Judy Garland, since they both are taken by and with the saloon owner, played by John Hodiak. After a tragedy takes place, thanks to the judge, the saloon girls leave town, and on the train Lansbury does one good deed in her life, and it is for Garland. In addition to Garland, Foster, Hodiak, and Lansbury, Cyd Charisse does a beautiful dance number, the small and nutty Ray Bolger is, of all people, a blacksmith. The Technicolor is beautiful, and so are all the songs. The aesthetic effects are beautiful. It is, to me, one of MGM's best musicals.

Judy Garland is the female Destry of this movie, a glossy musical western less about settling the range, but bringing hospitality out to the plains. The Harvey Girls are waitresses, brought in to work at the old restaurant chain in major stops for passenger trains after the western plains were settled a bit. Of course, these pretty girls are threats for the saloon girls for the attentions (or pocket books) of the local men, so that's gonna mean trouble.Judy is a demure mail order bride who ends up a waitress when she finds out that her husband to be is Chill Wills, who willingly lets her go. She has an instant rival in the bitchy Angela Lansbury who isn't afraid to ruin a few feathered boas to keep the waitresses from getting in her way. But Lansbury doesn't count on milquetoast Judy in gaining the affections of saloon owner John Hodiak from her. This means war! In the first film where Judy truly got to be a grown-up (at the age of 23!), she shows off more than her vocal talents, but her knack for comedy as well. The catfight scene between Lansbury's saloon girls and the Harvey Girls is especially funny with the sight of Judy standing around in the middle of the ruckus, being practically invisible as everybody but her gets smacked, kicked or thrown across the room. She's also feisty, dealing with stolen steaks so bravely you'd think she was John Wayne protecting the stagecoach as he road across the range.There's a great supporting cast of musical talent, including rubber-legged Ray Bolger, dead-panned Virginia O'Brien and sweet Cyd Charisse. Even raspy voiced Marjorie Main (as the head cook) gets into the singing act, participating in the Oscar Winning number "On the Antison Topeka and the Santa Fe" and being a comical dancer in the "Round and Round" production number. She is hysterical showing the waitresses how to set the table during the title song. Unfortunately, Lansbury (who later showed her singing chops in Broadway musicals) was obviously dubbed, so those who have seen her on stage or heard the cast albums are sure to ask, "Huh?" when her character performs a saloon number.As musicals go, none were more lavish than MGM's, especially those from the Arthur Freed unit. Having proved his metal with Garland the year earlier with "Meet Me in St. Louis", he confirmed it here, although it is George Sidney in the director's chair, not Vincent Minnelli. There would be many more classics from Freed (a few with Garland). and "The Harvey Girls" remains as fresh and entertaining today as it did when it thrilled audiences in 1946.

Harvey Girls, The (1946) *** (out of 4) Good girl Susan Bradley (Judy Garland) is on her way out West to marry a man she met by mail but has never seen. On the train she is introduced to the Harvey Girls, a group of waitresses traveling out West to open a chain of restaurants. Once in the town Susan doesn't go into the fixed marriage but instead joins the Harvey Girls but they have their own battles. This here is another charming, if predictable, MGM Musical that features nice songs, good performances and a decent story. The biggest key here to me were the performances with Garland once again delivering fine work with some great songs as well as some good acting work. John Hodiak also turns in a fine performance as the love interest and Ray Bolger (THE WIZARD OF OZ) nearly steals the film with his wonderful comic timing and dancing. Angela Lansbury and Preston Foster are also very good in their supporting roles. The musical numbers aren't anything overly big but they are nice on the smaller scale, which sits well with the settings. In the Valley, Wait and See and Swing Your Partner Round and Round are the highlights. Sidney handles everything quite well and delivers a nice, fast paced film that fans of the genre should really eat up.

Susan Bradley( Judy garland) goes out on an adventure with hope that her new husband is and wonderful and gorgeous as his letters. On the train going to Sandrock a little mining town, she meets the "Harvey Girls", girls who leave home to be waitresses at "The Harvey House". And how they meet is when they see Susan has nothing to eat except literally a couple of crumbs. They offer her a sandwich, which she accepts and while she's eating it, they all ask her why she's going to Sandrock. She tells them all about her new husband Mr H.H. Hartsey "esquire" (Chill Wills) She reads them the letters which she finds out soon that are fake. When the get off the train Mr. Hartsey mistakes the Harvey House cook for Susan. He kisses her and she gives him a beating while the whole train station laughs. But Before this happens they all sing for literally I think about half an hour. (I fast-forwarded it. Warning: never watch this with someone who remembers this when it came out! I watched it with my grandma who thought the singing was good and wouldn't let me skip it!) After they leave the train station and Susan finds out Who's letters they are actually written by, She confronts Mr. Ned Trent about it. She tells him "Oh I'm just someone who doesn't like you Mr.Trent. I don't know if you're a thief or a murderer but I know one thing,you're worse! You're a yellow dog Mr.Trent, Good-day!" And when he goes after her out side she says "You mean I've come 2 thousand miles for a joke?! wouldn't you just love it if I went back home?! Me and all the other nice girls that came out here today! If I have anything to say about it you're going to have to eat all those pretty letters you wrote and yes I hope you choke on them too!" Thus the western romance begins. So Watch this movie girls! you'll adore it!