Small Town Girl (1936) – full review!
Small Town Girl (1936) – full review!
Directed by William Wellman and featuring Janet Gaynor in the title role a year before the two would collaborate on the first screen version of A Star is Born (1937) this slightly above average comedy romance drama also stars Robert Taylor. Ben Ames Williams’s novel was scripted by John Lee Mahin and Edith Fitzgerald. The cast also includes Andy Devine as Gaynor’s insufferable brother-in-law Lewis Stone as Taylor’s understanding father and retired surgeon (Nella Walker plays his wife) Elizabeth Patterson and Frank Craven as Gaynor’s humble parents James Stewart as the "small town boy" named Elmer (his fifth credited role) who hopes one day to marry Gaynor’s character Isabell Jewell as Gaynor’s sister and Charley Grapewin as Taylor’s employer Dr. Ned Fabre.
In short order the film gives a terrific sense of the tedium of small town life or any life filled with the same predictable repartee. The story has Gaynor’s character – bored Carvel resident Kay Brannan – whisked away by "a knight in shining armor" Taylor’s overly charming and insistent Dr. Bob Dakin in a white convertible among black sedans passing through town in the traffic after the Harvard-Yale football game for an evening’s celebration at the town’s (Tait’s) Tavern. Their wild night results in both getting drunk she for the first time and later finding themselves in front of a justice of the peace whereupon Kay’s recollection of her humdrum existence allows her to somewhat consciously decide to marry the pleading bachelor unaware that he was already engaged to a debutante more in his class Priscilla Hyde (played by Binnie Barnes). When Bob "comes to" he learns of their "predicament" and insists his lawyer back in Boston can "fix" everything. She then learns (the full extent) of his wealth and stature and of his engagement to "Pris" when they then drive to his home his father’s large estate.
Bob thinks Kay deliberately hooked him and perhaps she did (to get out of Carvel) but both agree to make the best of it for 6 months until they can quietly divorce to avoid a scandal. Pris agrees too though somewhat reluctantly. Initially she goes abroad for a month or two but when she returns she expects to start seeing Bob discretely but regularly. Meanwhile to keep up appearances Bob and Kay had gone on a honeymoon cruise aboard the family yacht captained by Edgar Kennedy’s character and stewarded by Chinese mate So-So (played by Willie Fung). During their trip the married couple learned to stop fighting one another in private. But before it could develop into more something that Kay clearly wished for Bob cuts their voyage short to return to his medical practice in Boston. Bob’s family and boss – Dr. Fabre – notice a change in him; he’s matured (Bob seems to have finally noticed Kay as well) … that is until Priscilla returns from her trip and they resume their relationship. Under her influence he returns to his irresponsible behavior and later Kay returns home to Carvel. There’s a sentimental perhaps even tear-jerking moment at the film’s predictable ending.