Wild Harvest * (1947, Alan Ladd, Dorothy Lamour, Robert Preston, Lloyd Nolan, Will Wright) – Classic Movie Review 10,114

Director Tay Garnett’s 1947 black and white Paramount drama Wild Harvest is based on a story by Houston Branch, with a screenplay by John Monks Jr, and stars Alan Ladd, Dorothy Lamour, Robert Preston and Lloyd Nolan.

Lamour plays farmer’s niece Fay Rankin, who is the centre of attention as macho buddies Joe Madigan (Ladd) and Jim Davis (Preston) compete for her hand and heart while they are working out harvesting in the fields in an itinerant combine crew. Fay fancies Joe but marries Jim and gets him into a scam skimming off the grain.

The welcome players are struggling slightly in a star vehicle going nowhere fast, overstuffed with ponderous macho posturing.

Wild Harvest is under-cooked. More enthusiasm in the writing, acting and directing, and colour filming would have helped. Ladd and Lamour are fine separately, but are not a match made in heaven. Lloyd Nolan plays Kink, and Will Wright plays rival crew boss Mike Alperson.

Also in the cast are Richard Erdman, Allen Jenkins, Will Wright, Griff Barnett, Anthony Caruso, Walter Sande, Frank Sully, Edgar Dearing, Vernon Dent, Al Ferguson, Frank Hagney, Bob Kortman, Mike Lally, Pat Lane, Caren Marsh, William Meader, Frank Moran, Frances Morris, Al Murphy, Steve Pendelton, Constantin Romanoff, Chet Root, Tex Swan, Bill Wallace, Eddy Waller, Gloria Williams, Harry Wilson and Ian Wolfe.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,114

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