Edna Ferber's best-selling novels were prime material for motion pictures, from So Big to Show Boat to Giant. Come and Get It published in 1935 was produced by Samuel Goldwyn in 1936. Howard Hawks began the production which was completed by William Wyler when Goldwyn found fault with the adaptation approved by Hawks.
Ferber is notable for her larger-than-life characters, her mix of generations and changing times, and her reporter's eye that highlights injustice. In Show Boat, it was miscegenation laws, in Giant the treatment of Mexican citizens, and of Natives in Cimarron. In Come and Get It she wanted people to think about the Earth itself and the debt we owe in terms of conservation. The film shifted the focus to the romantic angle, yet the underlying theme did manage to make itself heard.
Edward Arnold stars as Barney Glasgow. We meet him in the Wisconsin north woods in the 1880s where he is the energetic and ambitious boss of a lumber camp. Barney plans to be one of the richest men in the State within a decade. He will work the men hard and promises them they will play hard at the end. He will bend and twist laws and regulations to suit his purposes. And he will marry the boss' daughter. Barney has plans.
Walter Brennan, Edward Arnold, Frances Farmer
Barney's dearest friend is Swan Bostrom played by Walter Brennan. The Swedish lumberjack is devoted to Barney in return. The two very different men fall in love with the same girl. Lotta Morgan played by Frances Farmer sings in a saloon and will do what she must to get by, even drugging Barney for her boss. Nonetheless, Barney gets to her and she falls hard. Barney loves Lotta passionately, but she is not part of his plan for success. It doesn't occur to him that he could make Lotta a part of his life and still be a success. Barney marries Emma Louise Hewitt and becomes a big man. Lotta marries Swan, becomes a good wife and mother, and dies.
By the turn of the 20th century, the Glasgow business is prosperous enough for Barney to complain about government interference. The family is prosperous enough for daughter Evvie played by Andrea Leeds to make a suitable marriage. Evvie and her dad have an open and affectionate relationship. She calls her father by his first name which is something not even her mother does with ease.
The relationship between Emma played by Mary Nash and her son Richard played by Joel McCrea is only seen on screen in a breakfast scene, but the two actors are a delight. Richard is a thorn in his father's side as the young man speaks of replanting and of sanitary paper cups and the good of government regulations. More than these practical and philosophical differences will come between them.
The relationship between Emma played by Mary Nash and her son Richard played by Joel McCrea is only seen on screen in a breakfast scene, but the two actors are a delight. Richard is a thorn in his father's side as the young man speaks of replanting and of sanitary paper cups and the good of government regulations. More than these practical and philosophical differences will come between them.
Frances Farmer, Joel McCrea
Convinced by Evvie that he deserves and needs a vacation, Barney heads north to visit Swan and get in some hunting and fishing. Swan and Lotta's daughter, also called Lotta and also played by Frances Farmer immediately catches Barney's eye with the memories of his lost love all mixed up in the present. Young Lotta wants a life away from the logging camp town and plays, ever so innocently, upon Barney's attraction to get the family, including her Aunt played by Maddy Christians a trip to the city. Lotta sees her future as a career woman and gets Barney to send her to business school. Lotta acts like she knows what she is doing but is lying to herself. She is frightened of anything being asked of her in return by Barney Glasgow.
Gossip abounds about the relationship between Barney and his old friend's family at the same time that Richard and Lotta find they are naturally drawn to each other. Barney Glasgow has always gotten everything he wants out of life, or at least he thought so until now. Is he a man out of his time? Will his eyes be opened or will tragedy come to all?
Frances Farmer
Come and Get It boasts exciting logging sequences directed by Richard Rossen, a stirring score by Alfred Newman, glorious cinematography from masters Gregg Toland and Rudolph Mate, and grand costumes from Omar Kiam.
Frances Farmer is charismatic and moving in both roles. Miriam Hopkins and Andrea Leeds (Evvie) were under early consideration for the dual role. The next year Frances would again appear opposite Edward Arnold when he played Diamond Jim Fisk in The Toast of New York.
Frances Farmer is charismatic and moving in both roles. Miriam Hopkins and Andrea Leeds (Evvie) were under early consideration for the dual role. The next year Frances would again appear opposite Edward Arnold when he played Diamond Jim Fisk in The Toast of New York.
Plaques, in place of trophies, were awarded to the supporting actor winners from 1937-1944.
It's Summer Under the Stars and the TCM screening of Come and Get It is on the morning of Tuesday, August 27th when Walter Brennan is in the spotlight. Walter Brennan won the first of his three Best Supporting Actor Oscars for the role of Swan Bostrom in the introductory year of the Supporting Actor and Actress categories. Further wins were for the films Kentucky, 1938 and The Westerner, 1940. He was also nominated for Sergeant York, 1941.