BANJO ON MY KNEE

US, 1936, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Barbara Stanwyck, Joel Mc Rea, Water Brennan, Buddy Ebsen, Helen Westley, Walter Catlett, Tony Martin, Katherine De Mille, Minna Gombell, Hall Johnson Choir.
Directed by John Cromwell.

If for no other reason for seeing this film, think Barbara Stanwyck. She did not do this in any other film, but she sings (including a duet with Tony Martin) and dances some tap and shoe-shuffle (with Buddy Ebsen).

In fact, the film is something of a hybrid, a romantic melodrama of people who live on the sandbar on the Mississippi River and a musical. Some commentators have likened it to a Will Rogers film, with Walter Brennan, about to win his first Best Supporting Oscar for Come and Get It, as the old, folksy song and music man. And he is supported by Buddy Ebsen doing his comic songs and shoe-shuffle dance as he was to do in a number of films.

The supporting cast is interesting, although Joel Mc Rea has something of an unsympathetic role as the leading man, rather stolid, short fuse and erupting into fights. Walter Catlett has another comic role as a put upon photographer, Helen Westley is the old grandmother, Katherine De Mille is something of a vamp and there is choral work by the Hall Johnson Choir. While Brennan and Ebsen are very strong, it is still a Barbara Stanwyck film.

She plays a land girl who marries the island man only for him to push an intrusive client into the river and he is thought dead. Mc Rea disappears for six months, Stanwyck getting impatient, his eventually arriving home but planning to go off again, something which she does not want, and she goes off to New Orleans.

She works there to pay off the debt to conman Walter Catlett, befriends the owners of the bar, does some singing and dancing. Brennan, who is her father-in-law, and Ebsen turnup – but also eventually Mc Rea who misinterprets situations and flies off the handle.

The happy ending comes rather suddenly.

There are some songs from Stephen Foster, Tony Martin singing Something in the Air, some St Louis blues songs and Where the River Flows.

1. 1930s entertainment? Romance, melodrama, fights? The range of music and songs?

2. The atmosphere of the Mississippi, the river, New Orleans, the bars?

3. The musical score, the range of songs, the range of people singing them, the music, the instruments, the dancing?

4. The title and the title song?

5. The story of Pearl, a land girl, coming to the sandbar, the opening with the wedding, love for Ernie, the alcoholic judge, the jealous Leota, the happy father-in-law, Newt, Buddy and his friendship? Singing, dancing, Leota and her jealousy, Pearl challenging her, the cackling grandmother? The intrusive client, wanting to kiss Pearl, Ernie punching him, falling into the river, their trying to find him, not succeeding? His later turning up?

6. Ernie, going away, six months, Pearl getting upset, wanting to leave? His coming back, the story of all his travels in Europe and the Caribbean? His wanting to move to the Latin America to work? Pearl not wanting to go, their fight, her leaving with the shady photographer, going to New Orleans, his advances, her leaving and promising to pay, washing up at the bar?

7. Ernie, his disappearance, his first going to New Orleans, the friendship with Ruby?

8. Pearl, her work, Ruby liking her, the owner, Newt turning up, her grieving, Chick and his comfort, Newt and his contraption, playing the music, Pearl singing, and Chick? Chick and his proposal to Pearl? Chick and his singing, but feeling a failure?

9. The news from Ernie, Buddy coming to New Orleans, Scott and the money for Pearl, Ernie seeing them through the window, misjudging, starting the brawl, the fights, the damage, in prison, Leota bailing him out?

10. Pearl going off, back home, Ernie and Leota marrying, Leota wearing Pearl’s dress, Pearl’s arrival, the challenge and fight, Newt locking Pearl and Ernie in the room – and the reconciliation?