The Farmer's Daughter

Brilliantly written social comedy drama about a farmer's daughter who ends up in the employ of a congressman, and then ends up running for office herself. Loretta Young was at the height of her powers as the country girl and Joseph Cotten is the congressman. As I have never cottoned to Cotten, I will say nothing about his performance other than I wish someone else -- anyone else -- had been given the role. I never bought Cotton as an actor, especially as a leading man. Ethel Barrymore is Cotten's politically savvy mother, and the supporting cast is first-rate. The film could just as easily have been made in the 1930s, as it has that era's feel. While it takes a simplistic view of Ame4rican politics, it is still delightful to watch. The subsequent TV series with Inger Stevens was not nearly as interesting.

Loretta Young's Oscar-winning performance in "The Farmer's Daughter" was a major upset in 1947. All the so called experts had predicted that Rosalind Russell would win for "Mourning Becomes Electra." Ms. Young had some hefty competition besides Russell. We had Susan Hayward for "Smash-up: The Story of A Woman," and Dorothy McGuire, for the Oscar winning film, "Gentleman's Agreement"

Nonetheless, Loretta is to be congratulated for her authentic Swedish accent as a maid who works for a Congressman and by the end is elected to that high office herself.

We see corruption in politics;unfortunately, not something unusual even for these times. What makes it somewhat scary is the bigotry that is introduced along with the corruption.

With fine support by Ethel Barrymore, Joseph Cotten and Charles Bickford, "The Farmer's Daughter" is a wonderful movie.

When Loretta Young beat out Rosalind Russell in the Academy Award sweepstakes of 1947 it was considered one of the great upsets in the history of Oscar. Russell had gotten a lot of acclaim for her dramatic breakthrough performance in Mourning Becomes Electra which was RKO's prestige picture of the year. The O'Neill drama flopped at the box office. Young was nominated almost as an afterthought to round out the field in 1947. Of course RKO didn't care because The Farmer's Daughter was also one of their films.

Young worked hard to get her proper Swedish accent for the film and the results would have made Greta Garbo proud. I can't see Garbo appearing in a film like The Farmer's Daughter though.

Young plays Katie Holstrum who leaves the family farm to study nursing and in an almost Forrest Gump like set of circumstances winds up working as a maid in Congressman Joseph Cotten's home. She's not working for just Cotten. Presiding over the home and the state of Minnesota itself is Cotten's mother Ethel Barrymore. Ethel's not only queen of her own roost, but she's a Senator's widow and still one formidable power in her state of Minnesota. And there's Charles Bickford the family butler who got an Oscar nomination himself in this film for Best Supporting Actor as Young's gruff, but kindly mentor.

Although at the time this film was made Young was 34 years old she does manage to convey youth here. It worked in this case because in 1947 a lot of people were starting their careers late. It's pointed out in the story that she stayed on the family farm while her beefcake brothers, James Arness, Keith Andes, and Lex Barker were all in the service during World War II.

A long running television series was adapted from this film with the tragic Inger Stevens in the lead and William Windom in Cotten's role. Cathleen Nesbitt was the grande political dame. The butler's role was dropped and Windom was made a widower with two boys. Even with a genuine Swede like Stevens playing Katie, Young still comes out the better.

Too bad Rosalind Russell never got an Oscar, but Loretta Young was one of the great survivors of Hollywood and her award was as much an award for a lifetime as for the still fresh and funny, The Farmer's Daughter.

When a senator dies in office, Congressman Morley and his fellow party leaders have to come up with a candidate to run in the election to replace him. Everyone is agreement, accept for Morley's second maid. A Swedish-American farm girl who came to the city to become a nurse, she had to take temporary jobs when she was conned out of her tuition money. Not nearly as naive or helpless as she appeared, she was quickly given a permanent position at the Morley household. She isn't one to hold back on expressing her own political views, and by the end of the movie she's running against the Morley political machine even as she is finding romance with Congressman Morley.

The movie is a bit dated, but because of the excellent script and acting it still manages to be a fresh and amusing comedy. The political satire is much more restrained then what modern audiences are used to, but the topics haven't aged at all. You've got two parties with no obvious ideological differences engaged in partisan bickering and mudslinging while a small group of wealthy and powerful men decide who is going to run for office. Integrity takes a back seat to party politics and favors. Even an unnamed white supremacy group rears its ugly head. When asked what type of politician she would be, the farmer's daughter tells us exactly what she would not be - a typical politician who only represents the wealthy people who financed their campaign and the powerful elite who backed them. Has anything actually changed in the last 50 years?

Loretta Young with blonde hairdo and Swedish accent is a congressman's housekeeper with lots of common sense ideas herself of how things ought to be. Soon she herself is running for office--but not before romantic developments occur between Young and Joseph Cotten (as Congressman Morley). This is the sort of fresh comedy with warm appeal that made the most of Young's abilities--as did her roles in other such warmhearted comedies as "The Bishop's Wife" and "Come to the Stable". She surprised everyone (including herself) by winning an Oscar against stiff competition--Rosalind Russell, Susan Hayward, Joan Crawford among the nominees. It was quite a year for Loretta. Her other film, "The Bishop's Wife", was nominated in the Best Picture category.

Ethel Barrymore and Charles Bickford lend solid support (Bickford won a Supporting Actor nomination) and a young actor by the name of Lex Barker had a small role as one of Loretta's hunky brothers. Still a fresh and charming comedy.