La jolie batelière

Fate plays a big factor in people's lives, especially if the profession is acting. Henry Fonda, at 30, was happy with his five years so far acting on the stage, especially in New York City. In Hollywood, Fox Films was winding down its productions with its pending consolidation with 20th Century Pictures when the studio began casting for its August 1935 "A Farmer Takes A Wife." First Gary Cooper, then Joel McCrae were approached to play Dan Harrow, an Erie Canal boat driver in the mid-1800s who sees farming as his future. Both actors were unavailable. Studio scouts then pointed to the young actor, Henry Fonda, on the Broadway stage as befitting the character's personality. It was a huge gamble to take such a neophyte unfamiliar with studio lights and filmmaking methods and hand him the lead in a major Hollywood production. Director Victor Fleming was willing to take the chance on Fonda and commit the extra work to familiarize him with Hollywood's ways.

"With this first movie, Fonda established himself as an earnest screen presence - a young man of ideals and integrity," described film reviewer Paddy Lee. Fleming gave Fonda the film presence that reflected the humbleness the actor showed off camera. "The debut of that soon-to-be-iconic screen persona is immediately engaging," wrote reviewer Paul Mavis. "The tentative glances, the long, slow gait, the stillness and inner resolve, and the romanticized plaintiveness of his speech as he quietly rhapsodizes about simple rural pleasures. No wonder he was a big hit right out of the gate with this turn." Henry Fonda was a shy six-foot tall Omaha, Nebraskan native when his mother's friend recommended that he try out for a part in a local community theatre's play. The 20-year-old credit bank clerk got the part. Soon after he received the lead in another play, where he realized acting was something he enjoyed. He joined the University Players in Cape Cod, meeting his future wife actress Margaret Sullivan. Before long, Fonda journeyed to New York City, reconnecting with fellow University Players alumni Jimmy Stewart, where the two became roommates honing their acting skills on Broadway for the next several years. Fate took over after two major Hollywood stars were unavailable to play the canal driver. Fonda assumed the lead in the movie version of the Frank Elser/Marc Connelly play 'The Farmer Takes a Wife.'

Janet Gaynor's character Molly Larkins was the love interest to Fonda's Dan Harrow in "The Farmer Takes a Wife." As one of the main stars for Fox Films, Gaynor's luster with the newly merged 20th Century-Fox dropped from number one to 24th. Her frustration in the two roles she played the following year caused her to seriously think about retiring. That's when producer David O. Selznick offered her a part of a rising actress in his 1937 "A Star Is Born."

The framework of "The Farmer Takes a Wife" illustrates the transformation from canal transportation to the railways. Molly Larkins is a cook who works for Jotham Klore (Charles Bickford), a rough, rowdy canal driver who locks horns with Dan, who believes there's no future working on the canals. Ironically, although Bickford played a major role alongside Fonda in his movie debut, the two never acted in the same film again until Bickford's final motion picture, 1966's 'A Big Hand for the Little Lady.' Two other character actors, Andy Devine and Margaret Hamilton, also contributed largely to "The Farmer Takes a Wife." Devine's distinctive voice set him apart from other actors. The Arizonian performer claimed a curtain rod he was holding between his teeth as a child while running jammed into his mouth when he fell. One reporter later asked about his anodes causing his raspy voice. Devine replied, "I've got the same nodes as Bing Crosby, but his are in tune." The actor began his entertainment career in a comedy act called 'Three Fat Guys' with David Arvedon and Jackie Gleason, the well-known comic entertainer with his long-running TV show. Devine left for Hollywood, where he appeared in over 400 movies, mostly Westerns.

Margaret Hamilton, known famously for her role in the Wicked Witch of the West in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz," initially loved teaching, earning a college degree at Wheelock College in Boston as a kindergarten instructor. But Hamilton gravitated towards the theater, and made her film debut in 1933's 'Another Language.' "A Farmer Takes a Wife" was Hamilton's sixth feature film appearance and was consistently active in movies and television well into the early 1980s.

"The Farmer Takes a Wife" was remade into the Technicolor 1953 musical with Betty Grable and Dale Robertson. But the original film version is more known today as the movie that introduced the public to the unique talents of Henry Fonda.

In 1934, a new actor named Henry Fonda was receiving glowing reviews on Broadway for his performance in the play The Farmer Takes a Wife. Based on the 1929 novel Rome Haul by Walter D. Edmunds, Farmer was the tale of love and conflict along the Eerie Canal during the mid 19th century. Fonda, under contract to Walter Wanger, was called to Hollywood to reprise his role when Fox Film Corp. decided not to use Gary Cooper or Joel McCrea in the role of farmer Dan Harrow for their upcoming film version. Fonda's engaging naturalism and classically humble style in the film version would pave the way for his quick meteoric rise as the great "All-American" star. Declared the top box-office attraction in 1934, Janet Gaynor was wisely as the female lead. The Character Molly Larkins would allow Gaynor to stray a bit from her diminutively wholesome reputation into a meatier role with forthright spunkiness. Character actress Margaret Hamilton reprised her Broadway role as the character Lucy Gurget.

The film's Producer, Winfield Sheehan, had a very successful career producing and supervising such Fox hits as CALVALCADE, STATE FAIR, and CHANGE OF HEART. In 1935 alone, Sheehan would produce a total of five films for Fox. Before the shooting date arrived, the crew completed the one set that was to be used on the film with fastidious period detail. Sheehan would repeat this technique the same year with WAY DOWN EAST, also with Fonda.

Although he never received the great successes or recognition of other directors, Victor Fleming consistently and successfully delivered solid, well-crafted films. His work on FARMER and throughout the 1930's reflected his professionalism and ability to get sensible and honest performances from his actors. He would finish the decade overseeing two of the most memorable motion pictures in Hollywood history, GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ.

I wasn't intending to watch this film when I turned on TCM early this morning to see what was on, but as a classic film buff found it interesting enough to sit down and see. What grabbed my interest was not the hokey, homespun, highly predictable story. It was that unlike most films of it's day, much of the film was shot outdoors with highly mobile and fluid camera-work. The outdoor back lot sets were fairly elaborate, and the scenes at the hero's farm were shot on location in a beautiful rural area (I'm pretty sure the same area was used by Fox several years later for Drums Along The Mohawk).

I strongly suspect that the large supporting role played by Slim Summerville was intended for Fox star Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash in 1935.

In the 1930's a high percentage of Fox films were aimed at rural and small town audiences, unlike most of the films of the other major studios. I've read that this was because a large percentage of the theaters that Fox owned were in those areas, rather than urban ones.

Bucolic and slow-moving in the '30s Fox tradition, this comedy-drama from a mild Broadway hit preserves what was probably best about it--Henry Fonda, in his film debut--and adds some beautiful photography that may be back-lot but sure looks like the real Erie Canal in the 1850s, complete with morning haze, small-town unpaved streets, and modest canal skiffs. Not a lot happens as would-be farmer Fonda romances a proud Canal gal (Janet Gaynor, feistier and less goody-goody than usual), but it gets by on mood and a gallery of vivid supporting roles, ably handled by Charles Bickford, Slim Summerville, Andy Devine, Margaret Hamilton, and the appealingly un-cute child actress Jane Withers. Victor Fleming brought a lot of feeling to this, and Alfred Newman's scoring, for a change, isn't overemphatic. It's a lazy, outdoorsy movie that builds nicely to an unsurprising, satisfying conclusion.

Sure, Henry Fonda is amazing in his first film role, Janet Gaynor displays spunky charm, and the supporting cast is six-deep with favourites from John Qualen and Slim Summerville to Sig Rumen and Margaret Hamilton, plus Vince Barnett as a crystal ball gazing "Hindu Prophet" ... but there is no movie to compare with this for the sheer glory of the horses assembled by Yakima Canutt . He outdid himself for this film.

The all-out star is the star-spangled grey Percheron. WHAT A HORSE. I cannot say enough about this calm, perfectly mannered draft animal. You will never see another like him, i guarantee.

Then we have Canutt's usual "stage coach stunt" wagon team -- and a cool stunt where they hear a loud noise and take off running. Play it back and see if you can figure where Canutt is hiding, driving them on long reins.

There are some other great draft horses too -- a white one pulling a plow is out standing in his field.

As if that weren't enough. There is entire herd of lithe ponies being ridden by genuine Native Americans, just in from a wild west show -- and their horses are all glossy and alert.

Slim Summerville drives a buggy horse who steps out lightly, and there are dozens more horses towing barges pulling wagons, getting shod, and being led through the streets.

And amazingly, while all of these these magnificent animals are in action, not a one is shown being stressed, other than the bolting wagon team -- but they knew that routine from a hundred Westerns.

The Erie canal scenes are gorgeous set pieces, filmed with perfect lighting and a true eye for artistic compositition. The costumes are period-perfect. The male chorus is manly, and it is a pleasure to hear Janet Gaynor whistling "Oh, Don't You Remember Sweet Alice, Ben Bolt?," and then to hear it played on a genuine old music box. Such attention to detail!!

And as if all of this were not enough, Yak also stunts for Henry Fonda! My gosh, it can't get any better than that.

Oh, there's a plot. Folks fall in love. Complications ensue. A resolution may or may not be achieved. But who cares -- THAT BEAUTIFUL HORSE steals the entire show.