Movie review - "Come and Get It" (1936) ***

Howard Hawks didn't always collaborate peacefully with Sam Goldwyn (to put it bluntly) but there's a lot of fun to be had in this adaptation of Edna Ferber's novel, especially in the first third, with spectacular photography of the logging industry (trees crashing down, things being blown up, snow capped mountains, etc), fun and games with Edward Arnold and Walter Brennan palling around in a saloon with Frances Farmer. But then Arnold goes off to marry a rich man's daughter, we jump forward twenty or so years and the action slows down. You can see what's going to happen (Farmer's daughter will fall for Arnold's son Joel McCrea) so you're just watching it all play out.

Arnold wasn't a typical movie hero, being very large and imposing - indeed, he only enjoyed a few years as a leading man before being shunted off to character parts - but he's effective here. He has drive and passion - you can buy that sassy Farmer would be interested in him. Farmer is great in the double role, especially as the singer - tough, sexy, lonesome, longing, etc. Joel McCrea impresses as Arnold's son - I aways remembered the "hey dad I've invented this thing it's called a paper cup" scene. There are nice scenes between Arnold and his daughter, Andrea Leeds (who reminded me of Olivia de Havilland). She marries some handsome lunk, Frank Shields, who they might have been experimenting as a star in waiting - I googled him, he was a tennis player. He acts like one. Walter Brennan is effective in his role as a very dim friend (he never seems to realise Arnold wants to bang his daughter).

William Wyler reshot lots of this after Sam Goldwyn expressed disapproval with the cut. There are some "Hawksian bits" e.g. early banter between Joel McCrea and Frances Farmer over making candy - which might have been directed by Wyler. Some of the soft lighting close ups of Farmer towards the end feel very Wyler.