Without all the unnecessary singing, I'd score this on a 7 or possibly an 8...as I really did enjoy the plot. But the singing was a distraction...and what's worse is that it wasn't very good. I love Irene Dunne as an actress but as a singer...well, she was a fine actress.
The story is an unusual one because it's about the nation's first oil wells which were created in Western Pennsylvania in 1859. It begins just before this and a medicine show arrives in town. After a freak fire breaks out and leaves the show stranded, some of the locals take in the medicine show folk. One of them is Sally (Irene Dunne) and soon she is in love with the son of the old lady who took her into her home. As for Peter (Randolph Scott), he looks like a perfect catch for Sally...but little does she know that he's about to strike oil and the oil business would dominate their marrage and sour it as well.
In many ways, this reminded me of the later MGM film "Boom Town", as it's also about the oil business as well as its negative impact on a new marriage. Both are worth seeing, but I'd prefer "Boom Town" simply because it lacks the pointless songs of "High, Wide and Handsome"....none of which are memorable and just seem unnecessary.
Overall, worth seeing IF you don't mind the songs. The finale is pretty neat and the acting quite good.
The story is an unusual one because it's about the nation's first oil wells which were created in Western Pennsylvania in 1859. It begins just before this and a medicine show arrives in town. After a freak fire breaks out and leaves the show stranded, some of the locals take in the medicine show folk. One of them is Sally (Irene Dunne) and soon she is in love with the son of the old lady who took her into her home. As for Peter (Randolph Scott), he looks like a perfect catch for Sally...but little does she know that he's about to strike oil and the oil business would dominate their marrage and sour it as well.
In many ways, this reminded me of the later MGM film "Boom Town", as it's also about the oil business as well as its negative impact on a new marriage. Both are worth seeing, but I'd prefer "Boom Town" simply because it lacks the pointless songs of "High, Wide and Handsome"....none of which are memorable and just seem unnecessary.
Overall, worth seeing IF you don't mind the songs. The finale is pretty neat and the acting quite good.