The Tenderfoot

Joe E. Brown stars as a cowboy duped into financing a Broadway show. Ginger Rogers is the city girl who tries to help him. How much you'll like this depends on how you feel about Joe E. Brown. His comedy is basically all rubberfacing and a silly voice. I'm not big on Brown and this did little to change my opinion of him. However, it's one of his less obnoxious movies. When he's playing straight instead of doing shtick, he's affable and pleasant to watch. I am a fan of Ginger Rogers and it's always good to see a movie of hers I haven't seen before. This is early Ginger but she's still the best part of the movie. It's a pretty forgettable film but if you're a fan of Brown's you will probably enjoy it a little more.

One of many comedies made by Joe E. Brown for Warner Brothers/First National during the thirties, The Tenderfoot lacks much of the physical stunt work that features in many of the athletic Brown's films but compensates with a cleverer than usual plot that apparently originated in a Kaufman play, The Butter and Egg Man. The idea of producing a play so bad that it's taken as satirical and becomes an unexpected hit would reach fruition in The Producers. The Tenderfoot is not quite up to that deliriously brilliant work, however.

One problem is that, while the best scene in the whole picture is Brown explaining to a prospective investor, i.e., the latest sucker, the plot of this 'masterpiece', which turns out to be a rural melodrama old hat by 1914 or so, we never actually see it presented on the stage. I guess the budget wouldn't allow for it. An early and hilarious musical number is obviously lifted from some other film which may be a hint as to the constraints under which director Ray Enright was working.

Simple comedies such as this live or die on their performers. Brown is in fine form as the unlikely Texas cowboy come to the city to make his fortune. He's supported nicely by Ray Cody as a sleazy producer looking for funds and by the young Ginger Rogers playing Cody's secretary and Brown's love interest in an unusually fiery role for those functions. Ginger is also the recipient of a couple of the nicest closeups that she would ever receive courtesy of cinematographer Greg Toland no less, famous for his later work on Citizen Kane among other masterpieces. The Tenderfoot is no masterpiece, but it does have its moments.

Comedian Brown gets a showcase here. As a swaggering wealthy Texan, he visits New York where he gets involved with con men using a Broadway show to fleece him. Good thing Rogers is on hand to help him out. Generally, the movie gets better as it goes along, even though Brown's style of humor is mainly a matter of taste. The first part has him practically yelling his lines and mugging it up mercilessly as he establishes his rustic character. Frankly, I found much of this annoying. But as the plot takes over, his character settles down some, but without losing his comedic shtick. Sorry to say, Rogers is largely wasted as the assertive secretary, but it's still early in her illustrious career. There's one scene that's a real grabber, coming near the end. Brown's on a horse chasing the baddies in a car down a city street. But it's a real city street not a backlot set. There's a lot of weaving back and forth, the car even going down a city sidewalk. I'm surprised any LA jurisdiction would let them take liberties like that. Still, it's a grabber in what's otherwise a fairly static story. All in all, the movie should please fans of the big-mouth funny man; for others, it's mainly a matter of taste.

Joe E. Brown plays the main character, Calvin Jones. Jones is in New York City straight from the middle of no where in Texas. Now this is a severe problem, as Jones is very naive about big city ways. So, it's not at all surprising when some producers of a play without backing convince Jones to buy half the show. The problem is that the show is a bomb and Jones is just too ignorant to know it. He's also too ignorant to know that his co-producer, Mr. Lehman, is a crook and his secretary (Ginger Rogers) film-flammed him into investing in the cursed project.

While the idea for the film isn't bad, one thing is very bad--Brown's performance. Subtle he ain't. In fact, he walks about like he's a 6 year-old trying to PRETEND to be a cowboy and his dialog is pretty cheesy. While I've seen quite a few of Brown's other films, this one is among the very worst--all due to his awful character.

Now this isn't to say the film is all bad. It does have some nice moments--such as when Calvin tells a prospective backer the plot (the reactions are pretty funny) as well as the opening dance number (it's one of the strangest in history...complete with robots!). Overall, I'd say that the bad does outweigh the good just a bit.

Texas cowboy Calvin Jones (Joe E. Brown) is fresh off the train. He is a fish out of water in NYC. He's looking to invest in a Broadway play. Crooked producer Joe Lehman (Lew Cody) is robbing him blind and he falls for Joe's secretary Ruth Weston (Ginger Rogers).

This is a pre-Code comedy. I like him reconnecting with his old horse. I like a lot of the first half. I see his character as a Crocodile Dundee. I don't like him being too dumb. I also don't see much chemistry between him and Ginger Rogers. It's generally fine as a screwball comedy. At least, he closes riding a horse in a car chase.