The Erie Canal is the setting for this delightful slice-of-life drama that involves the romance between the cook on a barge (Janet Gaynor) and the farmer (Henry Fonda) she falls in love with. She's the target of the volatile Charles Bickford's unwanted affections and suffers a ton in order to realize it's Fonda she is meant to be with. Bickford is one of the most despicable bullies in film history, a character so vile you might find yourself hissing at him. In addition to Fonda (his film debut here), a ton of character performers also appeared in that year's "Way Down East" which takes melodrama to an entirely different level. Margaret Hamilton plays a much nicer character here than she did in "Way Down East", the type you'd later expect Marjorie Main to be playing, sort of a thinner Tugboat Annie. Andy Devine and Slim Summerville also would go on to appear in that film as well. Not as bratty as her recent "Bright Eyes" terror, Jane Withers is still pretty feisty.
Under Victor Fleming's tough direction, this is memorable for its boat race towards the end of the film and certainly a manly man's film. Fonda's character (which he originated on stage) is the archetype for practically every role he'd play, the quiet everyman who must step up to the plate and show that underneath his seemingly docile nature is a force of nature ready to explode when the bully pushes him too far. It is a far cry from its musical remake which almost seems like an entirely different story.
Under Victor Fleming's tough direction, this is memorable for its boat race towards the end of the film and certainly a manly man's film. Fonda's character (which he originated on stage) is the archetype for practically every role he'd play, the quiet everyman who must step up to the plate and show that underneath his seemingly docile nature is a force of nature ready to explode when the bully pushes him too far. It is a far cry from its musical remake which almost seems like an entirely different story.