Loretta Younger Simply Positive as ‘The Farmer’s Daughter’ 1947

As “The Farmer’s Daughter,” Loretta Younger leads a tremendous solid on this 1947
romantic comedy: Joseph Cotten, Charles Bickford, and Ethel Barrymore.

In my sixth decade, I lastly acquired round to watching the
1947 movie The Farmer’s Daughter. I
prevented this romantic comedy my whole film watching life, pondering it foolish
and sappy.

Whereas The Farmer’s Daughter
is a complete fairy story, it’s offered as such. The RKO comedy tweaks the
premise, providing a wink at its “farmer’s daughter” references, since
Katie Holstrom is a Swedish Cinderella who makes good. The conditions are
completely unrealistic, however the dialogue and attitudes are surprisingly sensible and
forward-thinking for the period.

Loretta Younger is “The Farmer’s Daughter,” who leaves her large household for the massive metropolis!

Younger’s Katie leaves her farm house for the “capitol metropolis” to
grow to be a nurse. The small city lady doesn’t even make it from the bus cease
earlier than getting conned out of her financial savings, by a boozy businessman. Katie finds
work on the capital as a maid for the political Morley household. Her refreshing
no-nonsense vitality finally ends up charming your entire household, particularly the
politician son. By way of a sequence of fanciful conditions, Katie finally ends up working
for congress! However there are a number of bumps alongside the political stump earlier than Katie Holstrom
finally ends up a winner in each manner.

A bump within the highway for “The Farmer’s Daughter” is when she takes a experience from this bum!

There is a Frank Capra really feel to this film, with populist
political attitudes spoon-fed with a little bit of cinematic sugar. Message moviemaker
Dore Schary produced this movie, which would be the motive. It raises the fashionable
eyebrow {that a} film revamped 75 years in the past brings up the problems of a dwelling
wage, politicians paying extra consideration to their donors than constituents,
mudslinging, and so forth. Some issues by no means change!

Don’t be concerned, this “Farmer’s Daughter” does not costume in hand-me-downs for lengthy!

The subject that at all times takes over The Farmer’s Daughter was Loretta Younger’s shock Oscar win
within the title function. The consensus was that Rosalind Russell would win, additionally for
RKO, with Mourning Turns into Electra.
This was again within the day, when studios swayed their votes towards their very own
nominees. So, it was a shock that the studio did not win for his or her favored
nominee. As for the remaining noms, Joan Crawford waited 20 years since
arriving in Hollywood to win an Oscar for Mildred
Pierce two years earlier than, so she wasn’t gonna get a second one two years
later for Possessed. Dorothy McGuire,
a tremendous actress, wasn’t even nominated for such latest roles in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Enchanted Cottage, or The Spiral Staircase. Frankly, she solely
acquired nominated for her main girl sort function in Gentleman’s Settlement as a result of it was a “status” image.
That leaves Susan Hayward in Smash-Up: The
Story of a Girl. Hayward acquired raves for her first nominated function, however
maybe the insider rumors that the movie was a take-off on “beloved” Bing
Crosby’s sad marriage to alcoholic Dixie Lee harm her possibilities. Additionally, Susan
waited so long as Joan to get her
first Oscar.

Loretta Younger’s shock Oscar win overshadowed the charms of “The Farmer’s Daughter.”

That left Loretta Younger, within the uncommon comedy efficiency that
wins an Academy Award. Was The Farmer’s Daughter an Oscar-winning
efficiency? The quick reply isn’t any. However Younger is in excellent kind right here, enjoying
with power, spirit, and good humor as Katie. Her character isn’t the butt
of jokes, and he or she perseveres and speaks her thoughts. A scene the place Katie practices
with a speech from the Morley household’s late senator to apply her English and
public talking is splendidly completed by a refined Younger.

A beautiful scene in “The Farmer’s Daughter,” when Katie reads the late senator’s speech.

Although this not being a practical fashion movie, I want somebody
would have requested Loretta to tone down her glamour masks a bit. Ingrid Bergman, the unique selection as Katie,
definitely would have, as she typically did when enjoying non-glamour roles. When she’s requested about her life on
the farm, Younger’s farm lady describes her indoor and outside chores in
close-up, which is amusing to consider her harvesting crops and livestock in
full make-up! Loretta
Younger may have definitely dialed it again a bit with out dropping her attract.
Loretta had the pure seems which can be so coveted and created by beauty
procedures at the moment: enormous cat eyes, full lips, and excessive, rounded cheekbones. Additionally, her modest wardrobe is shortly
changed with trendy, form-fitting Edith Head maid frocks and later political
outfits.

“The Farmer’s Daughter” is the best-dressed maid within the capitol metropolis!

However Loretta Younger’s comedic efficiency is performed straight
with no winks to the viewers. Which makes her character much more endearing,
and you’ll be rooting for her as she goes from farm lady to deal with maid to
political candidate.

Joseph Cotten was underrated throughout his period as an actor.
Typically solid for his heat allure, he often acquired his greatest notices when solid because the
villain, like Shadow of a Doubt. However
his fashion was very pure in an period when main males had been hyper-masculine,
particularly post-war when stars like Heston, Lancaster, and Douglas had been intense
and sometimes anti-heroes. In fact, as Glenn Morley, the politician son from a
political household, he’s immediately taken by maiden Loretta, which is a bit icky
by at the moment’s requirements. However Cotten pulls it off. Cotten performs the romantic comedy
facet easily and is empathetic within the extra critical moments.

Joseph Cotten makes a really interesting main man in “The Farmer’s Daughter.”

Ethel Barrymore as Cotton’s political matriarch Agatha
brings fashion and droll humor to her function. And Charles Bickford is solid in
curmudgeonly mode because the household butler Joseph, who immediately takes to Katie,
regardless of her excessive spirited methods. Cotton, Barrymore, and Bickford play off every
different effectively because the political family. And they’re all charmed in their very own
manner by Katie, who has labored her manner into their hearts.

Katie wins the day and election in 1947’s “The Farmer’s Daughter.” Loretta Younger
with Joseph Cotten and Charles Bickford.

As Katie’s brawny brothers, James Arness, Lex Barker, and
Keith Andes provide the muscle. Throughout the large brawl on the finale, James Arness
was certainly an enormous of a hero, stacking up the dangerous guys like fireplace wooden.

As for Loretta’s accent, the voice coach who taught Ingrid
Bergman to lose her Swedish accent
taught Younger hers. As for Younger’s accent, whereas I am no knowledgeable, it sounded tremendous
with out being distracting. Be aware that Katie’s brothers are accent-free besides
for a number of “yahs.”

These are the brawny brothers of “The Farmer’s Daughter”:
James Arness, Lex Barker, and Keith Andes.

The naysayers of The
Farmer’s Daughter will choose away on the fairytale plot, Loretta’s accent,
or the politics not being to their liking. Watched with an open thoughts, it is a
charming, shiny film.