Cross-Country Romance

Gene Raymond as Lawrence Smith (The Bride Walks Out, Smartest Girl in Town, also married to Jeannette MacDonald in real life) made a whole bunch of these love story mixup capers in the 30's & 40's. Wendy Barrie ( from the Falcon movies, a couple of war movies, even made "Love on a Bet" with our Gene Raymond in 36) plays Diane North, and isn't sure if she wants to get married, and the chase is on. Hedda Hopper (The Women, Sunset Boulevard) is Mrs. North, the mother of the bride, and is offering a reward for the safe return of her daughter when Diane goes missing. Astute viewers will also see Alan Ladd (made war movies, westerns, noirs) and Bill Gilbert, who made a living stuttering, muttering, and sneezing in a whole lot of movies. This movie is surprisingly tight and clever, in spite of the number of writers listed. Lots of light fun.

To escape an arranged marriage, wealthy New York heiress Wendy Barrie (as Diane North) stows away in a long trailer belonging to impoverished doctor Gene Raymond (as Lawrence "Larry" Smith). Interestingly, she does this wearing her slip - so, we could say she slips away… There isn't as much wit in the script. You should expect, of course, the leading players to fall in love. Then, her true identity could threaten their future happiness. This might have been a big hit with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in the leads. As Mr. and Mrs. McGuillicuddy, a re-make might have starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The old formula includes Hedda Hopper (as a mother) and veteran comic Billy Gilbert

***** Cross-Country Romance (7/12/40) Frank Woodruff ~ Gene Raymond, Wendy Barrie, Hedda Hopper, Billy Gilbert

If there was one thing Hollywood had a bumper crop of it was movies about runaway heiresses. I think someone figured out that after It Happened One Night it was the wish of the American male to find some runaway heiress and romance and wed them so they could escape the grind of the Depression. I'm sure off the top of any reader's head they could think of at least ten films with runaway heiresses from A pictures right down to this one from RKO, Cross-Country Romance.

The heiress is Wendy Barrie who is feeling trapped by a marriage her mother Hedda Hopper has arranged with G.P. Huntley, Jr., one gigantic drip of a human being. Doctor Gene Raymond is on his way to San Francisco to catch a boat to China, but as his last official act for the hospital he's working he agrees to drop off a scroll thanking Hopper for her charitable contributions. Coincidentally on the day of Barrie's wedding.

Barrie takes the opportunity to sneak out and hitch a ride in the trailer that Raymond has. If you've seen It Happened One Night and a few dozen other films you know exactly where this is going.

Although this has all really been done before, I wouldn't be surprised if there were two or three other heiress pictures in release when Cross- Country Romance was in first run. The leads are easy to take and RKO did get them a nice supporting cast which also included Billy Gilbert in a part as a hash house cook, something he seems to be repeating from On The Avenue, Berton Churchill and Tom Dugan as a pair of conmen, and of course Hopper who was really hitting her stride as Hollywood's favorite gossip columnist as her movie career became more of a sideline.

Look quickly toward the end and you'll see Alan Ladd as the first mate of a China bound ship. Cross-Country Romance is not bad for the genre of heiress pictures.

"It Happened One Night" is a classic film from Columbia Pictures and it won a ton of awards on Oscar night. Six years later, RKO remade the film...and changed a few details so they could CLAIM it wasn't a copy of the other studio's work. But in most ways, if not every way, this reworking of the classic film is inferior...but still a lot of fun.

In "It Happened One Night", a rich heiress runs away from a marriage and hooks up with a 'nice guy' who helps her during her cross-country escape...though he's a reporter and he hopes to get the inside story on her disappearance. And, predictably, in the end they fall apart.

In "Cross-Country Romance", rich heiress Diane North (Wendy Barrie) runs away on her wedding day. She hooks up with a nice doctor (Gene Raymond) who agrees to help her on her cross-country escape, though in reality he has no idea who this woman really is. And, predictably, by the end they fall in love!!

As I said, the films are VERY similar...though at least this reworking is fun and enjoyable. However, if you only see one of the two films, DEFINITELY make it "It Happened One Night"...it's a true classic...whereas this B-movie isn't.

By the way, I loved the line Barrie blurted out..."I'm an American citizen...I know my rights!". As of 1940, Ms. Barrie was NOT a US citizen and only earned her citizenship a few years later.

Also, if you care, at the very end of the film, on the ship is a handsome officer played by Alan Ladd...who was, at the time, completely unknown.

Gene Raymond, bright and adventurous young doctor, is leaving for San Francisco pulling a camper-trailer behind his car. He stops on the way out of town to present a thank you gift to rich Hedda Hopper, who can't see him at the moment because it's her daughter's wedding day. About that same time…

Would-be bride Wendy Barrie changes her mind, rips off her wedding dress, sneaks out of the house – and hides out in Raymond's camper.

When Raymond discovers the stowaway, the story proper kicks into gear and they hit the road, with Barrie determined to tag along and Raymond just as determined to get rid of her. It's pretty obvious from this point where it's all headed, but it's a fun ride and the pair encounter some lively characters along the way:

Billy Gilbert has a funny bit as a diner owner who desperately wants customers to try his blue plate special. Berton Churchill and Joe Dugan are hilarious as a couple of threadbare crooks who have dastardly plans but limited brains. "We must proceed with finesse," Churchill pronounces with great seriousness, "Always remember that. Finesse. The secret of my success." –He certainly doesn't look especially successful, but he does manage to make a small score off of poor Gilbert with the old "Give me two tens for a five" trick.

Raymond and Barrie are fine leads and the whole thing moves at a pretty good clip. Overall it's fun if silly.