OK, Brooklyn born Barbara Stanwyck playing a backwoods country girl on paper does sound ridiculous, but it is actually really an entertaining musical drama. Yes, Barbara sings here, as the bride of Randolph Scott who abandons her to try and make good with the intention of sending for her later. It starts off on their wedding day with the title song (NOT "Oh, Susannah" where "Banjo on My Knee" is simply part of the lyrics), a rousing song and dance number with some fancy footwork from Buddy Ebsen, appropriately cast considering his future casting as Jethro on "The Beverly Hillbillies". (Lillian Lawrence, an extra with no lines, looks almost identical to Irene Ryan's Granny). The granny here, completely unrecognizable, is "Show Boat's" Helen Westley.
There isn't much in the way of plot, just Stanwyck trying to make it on her own while remaining faithful to Scott and comedy relief from Walter Brennan (as her pa) and some cat-like nastiness from Katherine DeMille as one of Scott's ex. Tony Martin comes on briefly as the singer who threatens to take Stanwyck away from Scott. Considering the time in which this is made, I can recommend this because if film goers managed to accept Shirley Temple as a Civil War era southern tot, why not Stanwyck as a hick? Her singing is rather husky ("Lazy River" is a sweet duet with Martin) but she does dance very well, recalling her time as a chorus girl in Broadway musicals of the 1920's.
There isn't much in the way of plot, just Stanwyck trying to make it on her own while remaining faithful to Scott and comedy relief from Walter Brennan (as her pa) and some cat-like nastiness from Katherine DeMille as one of Scott's ex. Tony Martin comes on briefly as the singer who threatens to take Stanwyck away from Scott. Considering the time in which this is made, I can recommend this because if film goers managed to accept Shirley Temple as a Civil War era southern tot, why not Stanwyck as a hick? Her singing is rather husky ("Lazy River" is a sweet duet with Martin) but she does dance very well, recalling her time as a chorus girl in Broadway musicals of the 1920's.