Come and Get It (1936)

Frances Farmer's greatest performance/s

Another typical Edna Ferber story, with it's multi-generation characters and large doses of romance and fate. COME AND GET IT is mainly notable for starring Frances Farmer in dual roles, plus fine turns from Edward Arnold and Joel McCrea.

The setting is the logging community in Wisconsin. Barney Glasgow (Edward Arnold) falls in love with gold-hearted saloon singer Lotta Morgan (Frances Farmer) but jilts her and instead marries into a rich and powerful family. Many years later, Barney returns to discover Lotta--long dead--has a daughter that looks exactly like her, Lotta Bostrum (also played by Farmer). Harbouring a strong infatuation for the younger Lotta, Barney's emotional turmoil is further compounded by his son Richard (Joel McCrea), who begins falling for her as well.

COME AND GET IT is a finely-crafted romantic drama, and Frances Farmer gives a splendid performance as both incarnations of Lotta (simply by changing wigs and voice pattern). Edward Arnold does a great job at conveying Barney's immense feelings of guilt at having left the only good thing in his life.

In her very brief screen career, Frances Farmer considered COME AND GET IT as her best movie performance. And her pride is justified. Without a strong Lotta at it's core, this would be just another forgettable "weepie" from the mid-1930s, but Farmer's performance turns COME AND GET IT into an event.

This film only earned two Academy Award nominations ('Best Supporting Actor' for Walter Brennan, and 'Best Film Editing' for Edward Curtiss). Farmer wasn't even nominated, despite the fact she plays two different characters--and almost two different movies. As a follow-up to her role here, Farmer was to have played Laurel in "Stella Dallas", but instead turned away from Hollywood to star on Broadway in "Golden Boy".

For fans of the tragic, under-appreciated Frances Farmer, COME AND GET IT deserves a special place on the shelf. The DVD includes the trailer. (Single-sided, single-layer disc). July 28, 2007

Gee, The Mother and Daughter Sure Look Alike

Based on Edna Ferber's generational tale about the Wisconsin logging industry, "Come and Get It" (1936) is an excellent pairing of Frances Farmer and Edward Arnold (best known for "Diamond Jim"). What I found most interesting is the incredible resemblance between Farmer and Jessica Lange, who played her in "Frances" (1982). That film was a somewhat distorted account of Farmer's troubled life and was quite a hit with the activist crowd at the time of its release.

In "Come and Get It" Farmer gets to play two roles, a bar girl and her grown daughter. Both portrayals are excellent, no small accomplishment given that the film was co-directed. Howard Hawks directed the first scenes. He was replaced in mid-production by William Wyler. Any stylistic differences are obscured because the film jumps ahead 20 years at about the point where Hawks left the production.

Wisconsin logger Barney Glasgow (Arnold) chooses to marry for money; leaving behind heart of gold bar girl Lotta (Farmer); with whom he is actually in love. 20 years later Barney meets Lotta's now grown-up daughter who is the spitting image of her decreased mother (not exactly unexpected since the same actress is playing both roles).

The now very rich Barney is used to getting pretty everything he wants and he takes a fancy to his former girlfriend's daughter. This might actually be Arnold's best performance as the film is really a showcase of his character's sudden realization that he has grown old. It's not exactly happy ending stuff. The title comes from Arnold's final scene as he summons his dinner guests to the table with the line: "Come and get it or we'll throw it to the dogs".

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. April 2, 2007

rural sprawl produces another lumbering adaptation of edna ferber

as usual, edna ferber books are just too damned spread out to work as fully effective films, but they adapt as pretty good almosts. the first part of the movie, set in a late 1800s logging camp, work much better for me, with frances farmer way more credible as the bar girl than a generation later playing her own daughter. edward arnold is as always great (pleeez, release "diamond jim brady" on dvd!), and walter brennan won one of his 3 oscars in a memorable supporting turn, tho the young joel mccrea (usually a favorite) comes off as a stiff here. yet the inherent problem in any ferber adaptation (see "giant", "show boat", "saratoga trunk", &c.) is theres just too much that needs to be left out. still tho, its fun.
June 4, 2006

I Came and Got It

I love this movie and was so thrilled Amazon.com had it online on DVD. Frances Farmer shone so brightly in this film as did Edward Arnold and Walter Brennen. For film buffs this is a keeper and a must. Thank you Amazon.com. March 8, 2006

Fabulous film of Unrequited Love

Seeing "Come and Get It" in the 21st century is every bit as sad and heart-wrenching as it was in 1936. That is the test of a classic. The fine directing by Billy Wilder and Hank Hawks still comes through and a cast of fabulous actors includes not only Frances Farmer but also the venerable Edward Arnold, the latterly-famous Walter Brennan and pretty boy Joel McCrea. They all deliver fine performances.

Burly lumberman Barney Glasgow (Arnold) is forced to make a heartbreaking choice. Should he marry Frances Farmer, the woman he madly loves, or marry the lumber company owner's daughter to get the partnership he has dreamed of and earned. He chooses the latter, gets all he has dreamed of, and spends the rest of his life miserable.

Meanwhile Barney's best chum, Svon Bostrom (Brennan) is a gentle and slightly simple fellow who marries Farmer instead. Barney stays away for decades and doesn't realize that his old friend and old flame have begat a daughter (also played by Farmer) who is mom's virtual clone, except more wholesome and angelic. Can and should Barney chuck it all and become a fool for love once he meets her or is he doomed to just be "an old man" and a sugar daddy?

A touching story, indeed, and full of great small performances (like the Pullman Porter and the Band Conductor). Great acting is complemented by a good sense of place and time, and a haunting sound track largely based on civil war romance tune Aura Lee. Yes, the one Elvis stole for 'Love Me Tender.'

In short, a truly great film and a must-see. You don't need to be a Frances Farmer obsessive to find this film delightful!
September 22, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...