Small Town Girl

An interesting film with a playful seduction, which it does everything to avoid throughout, between a rich, young Boston doctor (Robert Taylor) from an old money family who's out carousing around in his convertible roadster after the "Big" Harvard-Yale game and by chance picks up a dissatisfied "small town girl" (Janet Gaynor) who's out aimlessly walking the streets in her little town. The socio-economic strata between old money wealth and idyllic small town middle class America (Andy Devine and James Stewart) is bridged by a love (you can't help but think it's his position and money she's after, though the film tries in just about every scene to make you believe it's real). After a few drinks at a nearby roadhouse, they stumble upon a justice of the peace in the middle of the night and (from Taylor's perspective) just for the heck of it, get married, a marriage that he must maintain for six months in light of his position in Boston society, which we see snippets of, the best one being a gala dance in Boston after they've been married for five months or so, and Taylor's original fiancé (Binnie Barnes), makes her move to reclaim him . Taylor is probably the best part in the film, though the story could have been sharper.

Janet Gaynor is best remembered for being the star of three silent classics, SEVENTH HEAVEN, SUNRISE, and STREET ANGEL, for which the then 22-year-old actress won the first Best Actress Academy Award and became the last superstar of the silent era. She was wildly popular in the 1930's as well, right up to her self-imposed retirement in 1938. In the early 1930's she was in fact the most popular young actress on the screen. Alas, because most of her films were made by Fox and have had little circulation since initial release (with the very notable exception of the classic A STAR IS BORN), she tends to be overlooked among the thirties stars today. SMALL TOWN GIRL, however, is better known than most of her films mainly because the MGM film airs quite often on TCM.

SMALL TOWN GIRL is an excellent light romantic drama with an utterly endearing and empathic performance by Janet. She stars as a twenty-something girl who has become bored out of her mind by the daily routine of her life - working at her brother-in-law's "mom and pop" grocery, customers buying the same things every week, eating the same meals every specific day of the week, having to listen to mindless small talk of customers as well as the repetitive comments of friends and relatives. Perhaps worst of all is her utterly unromantic and unambitious semi-boyfriend James Stewart. Janet appears to be the only person in town who knows there's a better way of life out there but she's powerless to find it. When the kids of a nearby college and young football fans cause a slight traffic jam passing through town going to a game, Janet looks on with wistfulness at their carefree, fun, and promising lives. After almost being run down by handsome (make that gorgeous) Robert Taylor, he stops and they talk a bit. He asks is she knows a short cut to the tavern he's headed to and with his warm personality and obvious breeding has little difficulty persuading her to join him. They have a wonderful evening and Taylor gets quite plastered (apparently a frequent occurrence for him) and Janet herself imbibes in champagne for the first time but remains sober. Driving her home, Taylor impulsively decides to propose to her and drives to the justice of the peace where some of his friends were just married. Janet protests mildly but finds herself unable to turn away from this prince charming that dropped in her lap from out of nowhere and finally agrees to marry him.

Driving away after becoming man and wife, the ever intoxicated Taylor runs off the road in a slight crash in a ditch and falls asleep. The next morning, he sobers up and doesn't remember anything but learns he is now a married man. When he learns Janet wasn't drunk at the time they married he suspects her of being a fortune hunter, meanwhile she learns he was already engaged to socialite Binnie Barnes and he's the son of a wealthy man and is a promising young doctor. Taylor decides to avoid scandal they will live as man and wife in-name-only for six months and then divorce. He is quite cool now to Gaynor whom he sees as an opportunist and his hostile demeanor has Janet now disliking him as well. But as time passes Janet recaptures the attraction and affection she initially felt for him whereas he is still waiting for the day the marriage will end and he can openly see Binnie Barnes.

Janet Gaynor gives a wonderful performance in this movie, the viewer is completely with her at all stages. Her sincerity shines through every scene and shows you why 30's audiences loved her so much. She is very fine in the early scenes fully capturing small town discontentment as well as her impetuous first night with Taylor and she never makes a false move throughout the film. Robert Taylor is so dashing it's hard to imagine any woman who could resist his charms. He is excellent and like Janet, you can't help but being drawn to him even when he is unsympathetic because you know he is better than his actions. The supporting cast generally has insignificant roles but James Stewart (in one of his first films) is so credible as the bland boy next door it's a wonder he didn't end up typecast for good as the Ralph Bellamy of rural films, the perennial second placer. Elizabeth Patterson as Janet's mother and Lewis Stone as Robert's father do what they can with their small roles and it was fun to see a toddler on screen (Janet's sister Isabell Jewell's daughter) being a picky-eating little brat unlike most films of the era with perfectly mannered children. SMALL TOWN GIRL is a small gem in MGM's crown and most definitely worth seeing.

Traffic sends the rich crowd attending the Yale-Harvard football game to drive through a small town. Local guy Elmer Clampett (James Stewart) likes small town girl Kay Brannan (Janet Gaynor) but she doesn't feel the same. She encounters rich Boston doctor Bob Dakin (Robert Taylor) asking for directions. A drunken Dakin marries Kay who only wants to leave her small town. He's supposed to marry girlfriend Priscilla Hyde in two weeks. He wants an annulment but his father refuses to give him the easy way out for many reasons.

This is very early in Jimmy Stewart's career so it's reasonable that he's not the leading man. It doesn't stop me from wondering if he would be the better one to lead in this movie. That's not to say that Robert Taylor is a nobody. He's definitely a leading man of his era and he fits a little better as the rich playboy. It's to his credit that he is able to maintain some sympathies despite what the character could have been. As it stands, the rooting interest is still for Kay to go with Elmer. Jimmy is quite a catch.

Small Town Girl (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Charming Cinderella type story about a poor farm girl (Janet Gaynor) who goes out with a rich playboy (Robert Taylor) and after getting drunk the two are married. When they sober up they realize the mistake they've made but agree to stay married for six months so that the scandal won't ruin his career. Director Wellman handles the rather sappy story very well and the two stars really shine, which is the main reason this film works. Gaynor is very charming here and quite believable as the poor girl who gets caught up in something she didn't expect. Taylor is equally impressive and is able to be charming yet a jerk at the same time. The strong supporting cast includes Lewis Stone, Binnie Barnes, Andy Devine and James Stewart. The film runs a tad bit too long and is quite predictable but there's no denying the charm between the cast.

For most of her career Janet Gaynor did nothing, but play small town girls, the best known being Esther Blodgett. But I've seen her in films like State Fair and Three Loves Has Nancy and it's the same part, the girl from the tiny hamlet who conquers the big city and the men in it. With a title like this, there was only one casting possibility.

Janet's a girl who's thoroughly stuck in a rut in her New England hamlet and yearns for a little adventure. She finds it in the person of Robert Taylor, a young doctor who comes from a wealthy Boston family. After a night's carousing Gaynor and Taylor are married, to the chagrin of his fiancé, Binnie Barnes and her boyfriend James Stewart.

Remember this is Boston so Taylor's father Lewis Stone prevails on Taylor to give the marriage a few months trial. Of course this is where the balance of the story comes in. In many ways this plot seems like a harbinger of The Way We Were.

Taylor's career was now in full swing as Small Town Girl was the next film after his breakout performance in Magnificent Obsession. Remember in that film he was a playboy who became a doctor. Here's he's a doctor who doubles as a playboy. Never mind though, feminine hearts all over the English speaking world were fluttering over MGM's latest heartthrob. My mother who was a juvenile at this time told me that Taylor's appeal back in these days was just about the same as Elvis's.

James Stewart was at the beginning of his career as well as MGM had him in about seven features in 1936, mostly in support. Interesting though with worse career management, he could have gone on playing hick roles like Elmer the boyfriend. But it was also obvious there was a spark of stardom with him as well.

Gaynor would leave the screen a few years later, Taylor was at the beginning of his career. He'd have better acting roles in his future, but for now Small Town Girl is a great example of the screen heartthrob he was at the beginning of his stardom. Fans of both stars will like what they see in Small Town Girl.