La belle écuyère

Henry Fonda plays an "aw shucks" country boy who falls in love with Albany Yates (Dorothy Lamour) in the circus... before later marrying Caroline (Linda Darnell), who has also joined the circus.

The movie was okay, not great. I've enjoyed Fonda more in other roles (e.g. 12 Angry Men), and I've been appreciating Linda Darnell more as I see more movies that feature her, but here her role was weaker (or it was just a poorly written script). I liked the Technicolor and got a kick out of Jane Darwell's role as a feisty fat lady. In one scene she stands holding a rifle, making a man promise that he won't bother the circus team again. He does. She then hits him over the head with the rifle, knocking him out, then says, "Now I believe him!"

This is basically the price Henry Fonda had to pay to star in "Grapes of Wrath". He had to agree to be a contract player at Fox and he occasionally got stuck with this kind of role in this kind of film. But he did make the most of it like the trooper he was.

Boring story about a country bumpkin (Henry Fonda) and the girl (Linda Darnell) who loves him running off with a circus. Fonda's infatuated with bareback rider Dorothy Lamour but eventually realizes he was meant for the country girl. Darnell and Lamour look beautiful, especially in Technicolor. Really, the whole picture looks good. The problem is the story is dull and some of the acting is sub-par. Considering this cast, I expected better. Darnell's often spotty so I wasn't phased by her weak performance. But I was disappointed in Henry Fonda, whose rube routine was annoying. He reunites with his Grapes of Wrath costars John Carradine and Jane Darwell, both of whom are fine in this. Dorothy Lamour stands out the most. I wish I could recommend it but unless you're a Fonda, Lamour, or Darnell completist I wouldn't waste my time on it. Watchable but dull.

Henry Fonda is adequate but really nothing more in this story of a 19th century love triangle. He is a young and naive erstwhile stable-lad who joins the travelling circus community and pretty immediately falls for "Albany" (Dorothy Lamour). She is feisty and determined - she is the fearless horseback rider after all. Things become more complicated for him, though, when he takes a shine to an elephant and hops big tops. That's when he encounters "Caroline" (Linda Darnell) - a familiar face from his youth and from here on in this film slips, effortlessly, into the realms of romantic melodrama - and becomes really all rather predictable. There are a few characterful contributions from John Carradine's rabble-rousing ("Bisbee") and Jane Darwell as his long suffering wife, but after a lively start that demonstrates some of the considerable skills on display for a very appreciative public, this all just drifts into mediocrity and though kills ninety minutes without difficulty, is all pretty wordy and unremarkable. The photography captures something of the excitement of the arena when it is given a chance by Henry King, Otherwise - Hmmm!

1940's "Chad Hanna" was a colorful feast for the eyes, but far stronger on atmosphere than incident. We open in New York state, 1841, and the circus is coming to town. B. D. Bisbee (John Carradine) works as the advance agent for the Huguenine Circus, garnering attention wherever he goes, building up the audience to a fever pitch by emphasizing both male AND female acrobats...in tights! In the title role, Henry Fonda performs another expert character study, playing a Canastota stable boy who literally runs away to join the circus to escape a vengeful slave catcher whose daughter Caroline (Linda Darnell) later joins him, also a victim of her father's rage. Chad instantly falls for equestrienne Albany Yates (Dorothy Lamour), the star attraction for this one ring circus, but she soon spurns Huguenine for a rival circus that has an elephant. It's a shame that the filmmakers chose to showcase the dramatically anemic, predictably absurd romantic triangle over the more interesting circus life rarely depicted at that time. Fonda and Carradine are teamed for the fifth and last time, from "Jesse James," "Drums Along the Mohawk," "The Grapes of Wrath," and "The Return of Frank James." Carradine was no stranger to lovely Linda Darnell- "Brigham Young," "Blood and Sand," "Fallen Angel," and the 1958 WAGON TRAIN, "The Dora Gray Story." After such a powerful introduction, Carradine instantly fades into the background, disappearing completely after Chad and Caroline marry 54 minutes in. Sharp eyed viewers can catch canvasman Rondo Hatton at the 34 minute mark, looking quite menacing on the far right, one line of dialogue spoken in his own voice: "all right men, up to the next street!"

Attracted by the wonderful cast and early technicolor (apparently restored), I tuned into this vintage movie with great expectations. I was disappointed by the dull screenplay, slow and poorly connected scenes and general direction. But if you want to see the beautiful Dorothy Lamour and Linda Darnell, stappingly handsome Henry Fonda, all doing as much as they can with deficient direction and scripts, this is a film for you. The technicolor and visual clarity are excellent. But the story, despite its great potential, is told ploddingly and will probably let you down.

Refer to previous reviews for summaries of the plot itself.