Andrew Schoneberg I wasn't intending to watch this film when I turned on TCM early this morning to see what was on, but as a classic film buff found it interesting enough to sit down and see. What grabbed my interest was not the hokey, homespun, highly predictable story. It was that unlike most films of it's day, much of the film was shot outdoors with highly mobile and fluid camera-work. The outdoor back lot sets were fairly elaborate, and the scenes at the hero's farm were shot on location in a beautiful rural area (I'm pretty sure the same area was used by Fox several years later for Drums Along The Mohawk).I strongly suspect that the large supporting role played by Slim Summerville was intended for Fox star Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash in 1935.In the 1930's a high percentage of Fox films were aimed at rural and small town audiences, unlike most of the films of the other major studios. I've read that this was because a large percentage of the theaters that Fox owned were in those areas, rather than urban ones.

MartinHafer This film is set along the Erie Canal in New York in the mid-19th century. Henry Fonda (in his first film) plays a gentle man who is spending time on the river but who is only doing this until he can buy a farm and settle down. Janet Gaynor plays a lady who was raised on the canal and cannot imagine living anywhere else. So, in a coincidence that only Hollywood could love, they naturally fall in love. However, a bully of a man (Charles Bickford) loves Gaynor and has vowed to whip any man who takes her. When Fonda seems unwilling to fight Bickford, the shallow Gaynor is upset--she wants a man who loves a good scrap. Eventually, it's inevitable and Fonda proves he's neither a wimp nor is he about to become another one of Bickford's victories. Then, and only then, Gaynor is willing to marry Fonda and move to the farm.If you think about it, this plot is an awful lot like a Popeye Cartoon--with Gaynor playing the Olive Oyl role and Bickford as Bluto! However, an even closer parallel is if you've ever seen "The Quiet Man". In fact, although the films occur in different countries and at different times, the main plot points are just about identical and must have inspired this John Ford classic. Unfortunately, while this seems true, THE FARMER TAKES A WIFE is far from a classic. It is very watchable and worth seeing (especially so that you can see Fonda in his first role), but the film just doesn't have the wonderful supporting characters and feel like "The Quiet Man". Good--especially for Fonda who carries the film almost single-handedly.

toddflicks In 1934, a new actor named Henry Fonda was receiving glowing reviews on Broadway for his performance in the play The Farmer Takes a Wife. Based on the 1929 novel Rome Haul by Walter D. Edmunds, Farmer was the tale of love and conflict along the Eerie Canal during the mid 19th century. Fonda, under contract to Walter Wanger, was called to Hollywood to reprise his role when Fox Film Corp. decided not to use Gary Cooper or Joel McCrea in the role of farmer Dan Harrow for their upcoming film version. Fonda's engaging naturalism and classically humble style in the film version would pave the way for his quick meteoric rise as the great "All-American" star. Declared the top box-office attraction in 1934, Janet Gaynor was wisely as the female lead. The Character Molly Larkins would allow Gaynor to stray a bit from her diminutively wholesome reputation into a meatier role with forthright spunkiness. Character actress Margaret Hamilton reprised her Broadway role as the character Lucy Gurget.The film's Producer, Winfield Sheehan, had a very successful career producing and supervising such Fox hits as CALVALCADE, STATE FAIR, and CHANGE OF HEART. In 1935 alone, Sheehan would produce a total of five films for Fox. Before the shooting date arrived, the crew completed the one set that was to be used on the film with fastidious period detail. Sheehan would repeat this technique the same year with WAY DOWN EAST, also with Fonda.Although he never received the great successes or recognition of other directors, Victor Fleming consistently and successfully delivered solid, well-crafted films. His work on FARMER and throughout the 1930's reflected his professionalism and ability to get sensible and honest performances from his actors. He would finish the decade overseeing two of the most memorable motion pictures in Hollywood history, GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ.

Single-Black-Male The 30 year old Henry Fonda made his screen debut in this film where he delivers a fairly mediocre performance. His voice is always the same and he's still as stiff and one dimensional as he went on to become as an old man on the screen, but there is activity in his face which redeems him as a screen actor.