Movie 17 - "The Harvey Girls"

Well let's just start with the fact that this movie contains one of the catchiest songs known to man.  "The Atchison-Topeka-and the Santa Fe" will stay in your head for days!!  I love it.  This is a Judy Garland musical from 1946 costarring Angela Lansbury, Ray Bolger, Selena Royale (who looks a lot like Glenn Close), the hilarious Marjorie Main, and a very handsome John Hodiak.  It is loosely based on the actual "Harvey Girls, " who were waitresses of good moral values that worked at railroad stops in the West before food was offered on trains.
Judy Garland plays Susan Bradley, a single woman riding the train to New Mexico in answer to a marriage advertisement.  On the way, she meets a group of waitresses called "The Harvey Girls" going to open a new Harvey Restaurant.  Once in Sand Rock, New Mexico, Susan finds that her "handsome" husband-to-be is actually a roughneck cowboy who had all their correspondence written by saloon-owning Ned Trent.  Terrified that she is going to have to honor her committment, Susan is humorously let off the hook by the goofy H.H. Hartsey.  Angered by Trent's treachery, Susan confronts him, making his singer, Em, jealous and intriguing Trent.  So begins the battle between the "evil" gambling saloon where women of lesser values work and the goody two shoes Harvey Girls and their restaurant.  Trent and his men do everything possible to shut the Harvey Girls down, but the ladies fight back.  When Trent finally starts to come around, as well as fall for Susan, the rest of his cohorts refuse to back down, and actually increase their attacks, causing a rift between the pair.  Soon the whole town begins to fight for "clean fun" and the Harvey establishment which leads to a showdown between good and bad on the night of a Harvey party (where the Waltz is introduced).  The Harvey Girls have a small victory, while Susan is hurt by Trent's dismissal of her.  As a slight detour, the waltz between Marjorie Main and Ray Bolger is fantastic!!!  Sorry.  After the win, the Harvey establishment is set on fire by Trent's "business partners" without his knowledge.  He catches them in the act and tries to stop it.  If you haven't noticed, we are watching the classic bad boy turns good for good girl plot.  It's Grease in reverse and a century earlier.  Anyway, the restaurant is destroyed even though the bad guys were stopped.  Next thing you know, the saloon is moving along.  Trent stays, hoping to be with Susan.  Susan is on the train, hoping to be with Trent.  Em, previously jealous, breaks the news to Susan and sends her back to Trent after the two make peace.  Trent comes riding along on horseback to get his girl and the two tumble clumsily together, happily ever after!

I love musicals from the forties.  They are some of my favorite movies.  They are colorful, cheesy, and wonderful!  There are some marvelous scenes, including a dance number by Cyd Charisse and a funny musical number from Virginia O'Brien about shoeing horses.  The supporting actors in this film are outstanding.  Angela Lansbury as a singing saloon girl is great!  She is feisty in this.  All in all, a fun, yet seldom talked about, MGM musical.