Best movie of this year hands down!

The Worst Film Ever

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This film was later remade as "Pardners" with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. While I'm an avid Martin fan, I'm no fan of Jerry Lewis, and I very much like Bing Crosby and like Martha Raye. My suggestion is to watch "Pardners" instead; it doesn't drag as this film seems to. And, while aspects of both films are different, there are other parts that are surprisingly similar.The problem with this film is that, as much as I like Crosby in both musicals and dramas, I have a difficult time imagining him as a bronco riding steer wrestler. It just doesn't work.What does work are the songs, particularly an outstanding rendition of "Empty Saddles" (its debut). In terms of plot...pretty light.Aside from not being very believable as a rough and tumble cowboy, Crosby is still his pleasant self on screen, and this film was right at the beginning of what I think were Bing's best early years on film.I was not impressed with Frances Farmer here as the love interest. I know she had an "interesting" and tragic life, but I have yet to be impressed with any of her film roles.Bob Burns is sort of humorous as the side kick, as is Martha Raye as the Easterner who goes after the hick Westerner. Samuel S. Hinds, a great character actor is along for a few scenes, and Lucile Gleason in a rather truncated role that just seems to hang out there with little real connection to the rest of the film.Even as somewhat of a Crosby fan, this film had trouble holding my attention. It's not bad, nor great.

She's café society, He's the class act of "Hee Haw". When they meet, it's happening one night all over again as the cowboy and the lady end up finding romance in spite of each other. Actually, she's deceiving him all along, pretending to be a cook hopping a freight cross country and ending up sharing spaces with him and his prized bull. Bing Crosby and Frances Farmer don't necessarily have the greatest chemistry, but his easy going charm does bring out a twinkle in her eye.In second comic relief leads (besides the bull) are Bob Burns and a big mouthed clown named Martha Raye. She's made up to look rather dowdy but there is a striking woman under all the facial grimaces and self deprecating humor. Smaller roles are filled by Samuel S. Hinds as Farmer's wealthy dad and Lucille Gleason as her masculine aunt who came from the hills herself. Gleason is outrageous and steals every moment that she's in the film.Musically, this only features several songs, but the way Crosby sings them makes them stand out even more. I prefer Crosby's 1930 style which was much more intense and thus more sultry. It's easy to see why he was such a box office draw considering that he wasn't exactly great to look at. Raye jumps in with a bouncy Mr. Paganini" which became her signature. There's very little dancing, so this isn't up there with the big musicals that Warner Brothers was putting out at the time, but filled with romance and comedy, it ultimately ends up being a total crowd pleaser.

This is one of my absolute favorites of Bing Crosby movies. It not only has an amusing and romantic story line, it features some great songs, like "I'm an Old Cowhand", which went on to be a huge hit. The movie also introduces a very young Roy Rogers (with a spot in the song segment of "I'm an Old Cowhand"), as well as Martha Raye and Bill Burns.By today's standards, it may be considered outdated or corny. But for those who like decent movies with no violence, language, sexual or suggestive content, it is a great movie and I know they will enjoy it.

One of Frances Farmer's earliest movies; at 22, she is absolutely beautiful. Bing Crosby is in great voice, but the songs are not his best. Martha Raye and Bob Burns are interesting, but their comedy, probably great in its time, is really corny today. Roy Rogers also appears- in a singing role. In my view only worth watching if you are a Frances Farmer fan, and possibly a Bing Crosby fan.