Howard Hawks is, of course, one of the two or three Hollywood directors (with Hitchcock and Ford) to be relied on for top entertainment. Who can argue that? From "Scarface" to "Hatari!" by way of -- just to name a few -- "Only Angels Have Wings," "His Girl Friday," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "Red River," "The Thing from Another World" -- great pictures all. And "Come and Get It" is as good as the best of them. (Parenthetical note: Despite William Wyler's co-directing credit, the film was clearly developed and designed by Hawks -- there is nothing in it that really suggests Wyler's work.) Surprising indeed, in that the leading role is played by one of my top ten un-favorite actors, Edward Arnold. But for once I bought him, hook, line and sinker. He's no good when he's supposed to be "comic" ("Easy Living"), he overplays when he's supposed to be unpleasant ("You Can't Take It With You") but for once he's a character -- not really unpleasant, but on the verge -- who needs our sympathy and -- not to give away the ending -- he gains it totally with a simple but powerful reaction to the worst insult this man can experience: "Leave him alone -- he's an old man." Frances Farmer, in a well-differentiated dual role (she even goes so far as to sing as a contralto as one and a soprano as the other!), is excellent and astonishingly beautiful: she looks a great deal like Kim Novak, but brighter and livelier. And the supporting performances -- from Mary Nash and Mady Christians (here sympathetic but teamed the following year as two meanies in Allan Dwan's "Heidi"), to Walter Brennan (here winning his first and THE first supporting actor Oscar) to Joel McCrea (second-billed but in a quite subsidiary role) to lovely Andrea Leeds, hunk Frank Shields and sardonic secretary Cecil Cunningham -- are filled with delightful detail. Even the near-ten-minute semi-documentary (beautifully scored by Alfred Newman) on the process of delivering lumber from the forest to the mill is exciting! The best thing in the film: the McCrea-Farmer slapping scene (followed by a taffy pull). Delightful. Aside from this plethora of incidental pleasures, the film's structure is deeply satisfying: well-developed scenes, lasting from five to ten minutes, each leading to a significant climax (often humorous) and blackout. The rhythm is perfect. A great picture!
Review of Come and Get It
