The Harvey Girls

***The Harvey Girls*** is a 1946 Technicolor American musical film produced by Arthur Freed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Samuel Hopkins Adams, about Fred Harvey's Harvey House waitresses. Directed by George Sidney, the film stars Judy Garland and features John Hodiak, Ray Bolger, and Angela Lansbury, as well as Preston Foster, Virginia O'Brien, Kenny Baker, Marjorie Main, and Chill Wills. Future star Cyd Charisse appears in her first speaking role on film.

*The Harvey Girls* won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe", written by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer.

## Plot

In the 1890s, a group of "Harvey Girls" – new waitresses for Fred Harvey's pioneering chain of Harvey House restaurants – travels on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to the American Southwest town of Sandrock. On the trip, they meet Susan Bradley, who is traveling to the same town to marry the man whose beautiful letters she received when she answered a "lonely-hearts" ad.

Unfortunately, when she arrives, her husband-to-be turns out to be an "old coot" who does not at all meet her expectations. They start to argue and list each other's personal faults, both claiming none was mentioned in each other's letters. With their mutual disinclination to continue with the marital union clear, they jointly decide to call off the wedding.

With the marriage safely canceled, he reveals to Susan that his letters were actually ghost-written as a joke by Ned Trent, the local saloon owner. Susan, rightly furious, confronts Ned to tell him off, in the process endearing herself to him.

Susan joins the Harvey Girls and she soon becomes their leader in fighting against the attempts by Trent's business associate, Judge Sam Purvis, to scare them away to maintain his own thriving business running the large saloon in town. The Harvey Girls also face the animosity of the so-called "dance-hall girls," led by Em, who is in love with Trent and sees Susan as a rival.

Trent visits the Harvey House, sees its value along with the other trappings of civilization, and then tells Purvis to leave them alone. Purvis continues with his campaign of intimidation, finally burning down the restaurant. Trent offers his saloon as a replacement and Em and the dance-hall girls leave town. Susan, thinking that Trent too is leaving, gets on the train, but Em, seeing that Susan loves Trent so much that she is willing to give up everything for him, stops the train and points out Trent, riding toward them on his horse. Ultimately, they wed in the desert, surrounded by the Harvey Girls.

## Cast

* Judy Garland as Susan Bradley
* John Hodiak as Ned Trent
* Ray Bolger as Chris Maule
* Angela Lansbury as Em
* Preston Foster as Judge Sam Purvis
* Virginia O'Brien as Alma
* Kenny Baker as Terry O'Hara
* Marjorie Main as Sonora Cassidy
* Chill Wills as H.H. Hartsey
* Selena Royle as Miss Bliss
* Cyd Charisse as Deborah Andrews
* Ruth Brady as Ethel
* Jack Lambert as Marty Peters
* Edward Earle as Jed Adams
* Morris Ankrum as Reverend Claggett
* Stephen McNally as "Goldust" McClean
* Ben Carter as John Henry
* Virginia Rees as the singing voice for Angela Lansbury
* Mary Moder as a special performer
* Marion Doenges as the singing voice for Cyd Charisse

**Cast notes:**

* Byron Harvey Jr., the grandson of Fred Harvey of the Fred Harvey Company, has an uncredited role as a train conductor.
* *The Harvey Girls* was the first reunion on film with Ray Bolger and Judy Garland since *The Wizard of Oz* (1939).

## Production

*The Harvey Girls* was conceived by MGM as a dramatic vehicle for Lana Turner, but Roger Edens, of the Arthur Freed unit, decided after seeing the musical *Oklahoma!* that the story should be reworked as MGM's western musical with Judy Garland as its star. Unfortunately, Garland wanted to work with Fred Astaire on *Yolanda and the Thief*, which was directed by fiancé Vincente Minnelli. Edens convinced her that the part in *Yolanda* was not large enough for her, and he promised that *The Harvey Girls* would be specifically created to showcase her talents. Ann Sothern and Lucille Ball were slated to have roles in the film, and Edward Arnold was scheduled to play the role of Judge Purvis. Sothern was originally intended for the role of "Em", but because of personal problems, Lansbury was cast in what became her fourth film role.

Principal photography on *The Harvey Girls* lasted from January 12 through June 4, 1945, a long production period. Studio filming was at MGM's Culver City studios, and the locations were in Victorville, California; at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth (near Los Angeles); and in Monument Valley.

Although Angela Lansbury was a fine singer, her voice was considered unsuitable for her character, a low-class saloon singer. Virginia Rees provided Lansbury's singing voice. Cyd Charisse, who had her first speaking role in the film, also had her singing dubbed by Marion Doenges.

Virginia O'Brien, a comic actress known for her deadpan style of singing, was pregnant while *The Harvey Girls* was filmed. Several scenes with Ray Bolger were never filmed due to the difficulty in hiding her pregnancy. This accounts for O'Brien's character disappearing after she sings "Wild Wild West".

*The Harvey Girls* was released in the United States on January 18, 1946.

## Songs

The songs in *The Harvey Girls* were all written by Harry Warren (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics):

* "In the Valley (Where the Evening Sun Goes Down)" – Judy Garland
* "Wait and See" – Angela Lansbury (voice: Virginia Rees)
* "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" – Ben Carter, Marjorie Main, Ray Bolger, Judy Garland and chorus
* "The Train Must Be Fed" – Edward Earle, Selena Royle, Marjorie Main, Judy Garland and chorus
* "Oh, You Kid" – Angela Lansbury (voice: Virginia Rees)
* "Wait and See (reprise) – Kenny Baker
* "It's a Great Big World" – Judy Garland, Virginia O'Brien, Cyd Charisse (voice: Marion Doenges)
* "The Wild, Wild West" – Virginia O'Brien
* "Wait and See (second reprise) – Kenny Baker, Cyd Charisse (voice: Marion Doenges)
* "Swing Your Partner Round and Round" – Ray Bolger, Judy Garland, Marjorie Main, Cyd Charisse and chorus
* "In the Valley (Where the Evening Sun Goes Down) (reprise)" – Kenny Baker, Judy Garland

## Critical response

Howard Barnes wrote in the *New York Herald Tribune* that the film was "A great big animated picture postcard. Judy Garland is the film's bright ... star. Miss Garland is effectively glamorized in get-ups of the (18)90's and sings her songs pleasantly. *The Harvey Girls* is a perfect demonstration of what Hollywood can do with its vast resources when it wants to be really showy ... pretty girls – period sets and costumes – lilting tunes – super-speedy dance shuffles."

The *New York Daily News* said it was "A nostalgic whiff of the old west. Judy sings several sentimental ballads, as well as *On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe* number. Her chief support in the way of real entertainment comes from Ray Bolger." *Time* wrote "A technicolored musical celebrating the coming of chastity, clean silverware, and crumbless tablecloths to the pioneer Southwest. The bearers of this culture, according to evidence presented here, were waitresses. *The Harvey Girls* is good fun in spots. Miss Garland doesn't seem as recklessly happy as she was in *St. Louis* but she still appears to be having a pretty fine time."

## References

**Notes**

1. ↑ Zaballos, Nausica (2014) *Mythes et Gastronomie de l'Ouest américain: sur la route* Paris: Le Square. pp.101-110.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Osborne, Robert. Outro to the Turner Classic Movies showing of the film on January 29, 2014
3. ↑ Miller, Frank "The Harvey Girls" (article) TCM.com
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 TCM "Notes" TCM.com
5. ↑ "Business data" IMDb.com
6. ↑ "Filming locations" IMDb.com
7. ↑ TCM "Trivia" TCM.com
8. ↑ Morella, Joe and Epstein, Edward Z.(1969) *Judy: The Films and Career of Judy Garland* Cadillac Publishing. p.130

**Further reading**

* Monder, Eric (1994). *George Sidney:a Bio-Bibliography*. Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313284571.

## External links

* The Judy Garland Online Discography "The Harvey Girls" pages.