Election Day Special - Let Freedom Ring

MGM, 1939
Starring Nelson Eddy, Victor McLaughlin, Virginia Bruce, and Lionel Barrymore
Directed by Jack Conway
Music and lyrics by various

While we wait for the election returns to come in, here's an unusual western tale from 1939. Nelson Eddy got his first and only vehicle without a female partner at MGM in this Zorro-esque western. Does it come off as a stirring action-packed adventure, or should it be run out of town? Let's head to the hills with the lovely Maggie Adams (Virginia Bruce) as she contemplates the arrival of the railroad and find out...

The Story: Lawyer Steve Logan (Eddy) returns home from college to discover that railroad baron Jim Knox (Edward Arnold) has been buying up more land than he needs for his tracks and driving out local farmers. His father, Tom Logan (Barrymore), expects him to the the champion for the farmers, but he claims it would be impossible to fight the railroads. Steve is friendly with Knox and his immigrant workers, including head foreman Chris Mulligan (McLaughlin), singing sentimental Irish songs for them. In reality, he poses as the Wasp to kidnap the town's newspaper editor (Raymond Walden) and force him to print the truth about Knox and his workers. When the immigrants read the paper, they start to question Knox and his business practices.

Matters come to a head at the local Election Day celebration. Steve has to convince the workers that they have the right to vote as they choose, convince Mulligan that his boss is a crook, and keep them from destroying his family's farm. It'll take help from the estranged Maggie and his goofy friend "The Mackerel" (Charles Butterworth) to finally prove to the town that the true meaning of liberty is defending our rights...including our right to vote.

The Song and Dance: I'd only heard about this in books on Eddy and his frequent partner Jeanette MacDonald before a few years ago. It's too bad. If you love pulp-y, Lone Ranger-style westerns or are a fan of Eddy, this is quite a bit of fun. Eddy does all of the singing, and he does get to throw his lush tenor into a range of sentimental and popular songs, from "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" to "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair." There's a nice supporting cast, too, including Arnold as the affably evil railroad man and Barrymore as the strong-willed farmer who is determined to keep his family's land.

Favorite Number: Eddy performs "Love Serenade" at Arnold's request. It had apparently been Steve and Maggie's love song, but the look on her face when he performs it after she believes he's become a coward is pure disgust and disappointment. "Pat, Sez He" becomes a fun dance number at the bar when Steve is trying to convince McLaughlin that he's on the side of the railroad. "Where Else But Here," Steve's rousing number at the Election Day rally, is the only song written directly for the film. Maggie finally gets the crowd's attention - and reminds them that we're all Americans, no matter where we come from - with "My Country 'Tis of Thee."

What I Don't Like: Eddy's not much better with the heavier dramatics than he is in his movies with MacDonald, and his fight scenes with the much larger McLaughlin are far from believable. Bruce is stiff in a dull "love interest" role; her so-so singing ability eliminates any duets.

While the movie has good intentions, all the talk about the rights of Americans to do what they please and the references to educating "foreigners" can come off as a tad condescending and way too preachy. A lot of it probably stems from many people's concerns about the war going on in Europe and Asia at the time.

The Big Finale: If you love Eddy, patriotic stories, or old-fashioned pulp westerns, you'll want to give this unusual operetta gem your vote.

Home Media: Available via the Warner Archives and on several streaming companies.

DVD
Amazon Prime