Moments of Movie Wisdom: A Good Time Over a Wild Time in ‘The Harvey Girls’ (1946)

A publicity still for the 1946 film "The Harvey Girls." MovieStillsDB

Commentary

Mae West, the voluptuous, wisecracking blonde actress of the early 1930s, is quoted as saying, “When women go bad, men go right after them.” This quip is similar to the theory promoted by Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychology that people are primarily driven by the carnal instincts of the flesh. However, neither the actress nor the psychiatrist gave human beings enough credit for their ability to rise above animalistic tendencies to a higher moral standard.

Today’s moment of movie wisdom is from “The Harvey Girls” (1946). This scene takes place 88 minutes into this 102-minute movie. In a rough Old West town, the Harvey House—which tries to bring some civilization through the service of respectable meals to train passengers and locals alike—hosts a dance. The men in town choose to dance with the wholesome waitresses instead of being enticed by the saloon girls to have a wild time at the bar.

In the film, a train on the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe line brings all the waitresses and supplies for a new Harvey House to the rustic Western town of Sandrock. One young lady on the train, however, is going to the town to marry a man she met through letters, H. H. Hartsey. This is Susan Bradley (Judy Garland), a hopeless romantic from Ohio. Little does she know that the poetic letters weren’t written by Hartsey (Chill Wills) but by Ned Trent (John Hodiak), a wily saloon owner. When the train arrives, Hartsey is as dismayed to see that his betrothed is a beautiful young woman as she is to see that he’s a “mangy old buzzard.” They amicably agree to break off the engagement, but she is furious when she learns that Ned deceived her by writing those letters. She gives him a piece of her mind and becomes a Harvey girl.

Sandrock is controlled by the corrupt Judge Sam Purvis (Preston Foster), who is in league with the Alhambra Saloon. Ned’s main performer at his saloon is Em (Angela Lansbury), a hard-bitten painted lady who is secretly in love with Ned. Sam and Em think Ned should take the threat which the Harvey House poses to their business more seriously, but he dismisses their significance. Em is concerned that Susan, one of the spunkiest Harvey girls, could give her competition for Ned. Despite their original antagonism, Susan gradually discovers that there is more to Mr. Trent than meets the eye.

Scene from the film "The Harvey Girls" (1946) picturing Judy Garland and John Hodiak. Public Domain

The Scene

The citizens of Sandrock are very curious about the Harvey House when it arrives. They are eager to sample vittles served by such pretty waitresses. They don’t even mind cleaning up a bit when it’s on account of charming young ladies.

The Harvey House gives a dance one evening, providing wholesome entertainment and charming hostesses. The men who used to frequent the Alhambra eagerly attend this event. They enjoy dancing with the Harvey girls and learning the new dance from back east, the waltz.

Before long, Ned Trent, Em, and the Alhambra saloon girls show up. Since they pay for tickets, they can’t be denied admission. The saloon girls try to entice the men to dance with them, but the fellows are no longer interested in the pushy women. Seeing that they can’t take over the event, Ned and his gang returns to the Alhambra, inviting others to join them. The only one who follows is Sam’s thuggish henchman (Jack Lambert).

Its Significance

The scene of the dance is a showdown between the Harvey girls and the Alhambra gang. When the saloon girls first hear about the Harvey House dance, they threaten them to stay out of their domain, which is entertainment. They end up in a rough and tumble fight, rolling around on the floor, pulling hair, and biting! That doesn’t scare the Harvey girls enough to make them quit, though.

A publicity still for the 1946 film "The Harvey Girls." MovieStillsDB

When the Alhambra gang shows up at the dance, everyone is afraid there’s going to be trouble. However, they decide to follow their competitors’ example by “dancing out” their differences instead of fighting them out. They realize their pushy tactics can’t hold the men any longer, since they’ve found something they like better than the raunchy fun the saloon offers: pure young ladies.

Sandrock’s minister, Reverend Claggett (Morris Ankrum), is inspired to renew his crusade to bring religion to the town by the arrival of the Harvey House. He’s a guest at the dance, of course, and he is delighted to see the men’s resistance to the loose women. He gratefully observes, “On this night, the male population of Sandrock, for the first time, turned down a wild time in favor of a good time.”

Taming the Wild West

“The Harvey Girls” is a charming MGM musical about a real chapter of American history. While the characters in this story are fictional, the Harvey Houses and the brave young women who worked at them were very real. Instead of being a grimmer portrait of the Old West, this movie is a joyful Technicolor extravaganza featuring an impressive collection of memorable tunes by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer. This is a Western which musical fans can enjoy, but there are a few barroom brawls to keep action-lovers interested.

Underneath its vibrant, fun surface, though, “The Harvey Girls” is a movie of real substance. It’s a very pertinent story about the importance of persevering despite all obstacles when you know that you’re fighting for an important cause. The Harvey House isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a step toward bringing civilization and decency to a community. As this story shows, a good influence can change a whole group of people for the better.