The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) User Reviews

Great cast, interesting story

[klg19 · 6/10 · 6 July 2005]

Another reviewer claims this is a romantic musical comedy, not a drama--I beg to differ. There are songs, to illustrate the folksy ways of the Missourians, and there are a few laughs, and there is a romance, but it's difficult to class anything that includes montages of barn-burnings committed by hooded men on horseback as a musical comedy.

It's a film worth watching, though, as a post-WW2 look at the post-Civil War era, and how difficult it can be to cool off the high-burning passions of wartime. Johnson plays a vet who wanders into a small Missouri town still smarting with North-South divisions. It's an interesting story, incorporating unusually pointed comments about racial equality; the screenwriter, Lester Cole, was later blacklisted as a member of the Hollywood Ten.

The cast is incredibly engaging, from the dewy new starlet Janet Leigh (who got this part after just three weeks in Hollywood!), to the indescribably adorable young Dean Stockwell, to the complex Thomas Mitchell, to the wonderful character actress Selena Royle, playing Leigh's mother with beautiful emotional range.

This definitely falls into the category of the sort of social-issue picture (like Gentleman's Agreement or Paths of Glory) that led to the blacklisting of so many screenwriters. That alone makes it worth the viewing; the cast will just ice the cake.

A delightful country tale

[robert-temple-1 · 8/10 · 8 October 2012]

This film, based on a story by the author MacKinlay Kantor (who was very popular in the 1930s-1950s period), is a delightful change from the urban tales usually emanating from Hollywood. It is possible that the film's title matches that of the original story, but I must point out that Rosy Ridge is never mentioned in the film itself, not that it matters (it is presumably the name of the location of the story). This film is set in the edge of the Ozarks in Missouri in 1865, amidst the seething tensions and hatreds of the locals who fought on the northern side of the Civil War and those who fought for the south. For those who don't know, there were two American states which were forced by the awkwardness of their geographical positions to remain officially neutral in the Civil War, and they were known as 'Border States'. One was Kentucky, whose sympathies were with the South but which did not dare declare for the South, and the other was Missouri, where sympathies were more evenly divided. This film was largely shot on location somewhere like Missouri, and it might even have been Missouri, who knows. There is a singular amount of authenticity to this film, especially in the flowery old-fashioned dialect used by the supporting actors. The script by Lester Cole (1904-1985, his last script being BORN FREE in 1966) therefore deserves a lot of praise, although that dialogue may have been lifted from Kantor's original. This was Janet Leigh's first film, and as the heroine, she makes a fresh-faced, smiling ingénue with doe eyes who leapt into everyone's hearts, and it made her a star. She would eventually appear in 86 films, the last one being released the year after her death in 2004. She was one of America's best-loved film actresses. Janet Leigh's father, somewhat too gruff and over-acted by Thomas Mitchell, is a fanatical Southern sympathiser who hates all Yankees. He and his wife and daughter and young son wait forlornly for the return of the older son, Ben, who may never be coming back from the War, and whose fate is unknown. They are poor arable farmers who live in a log cabin. Their next door neighbours supported the northern side, and they don't speak to one another. There is a lot of barn-burning going on, attributed whether rightly or wrongly to vicious Yankees, since all the barns which are burnt belong to Southern sympathisers. A different complexion is put on this towards the latter part of the film. A lot of Southern supporters are thus driven out and leave Missouri for good, going out West to what are called 'the Territories', which have not yet become the Western and Middle Western states. One evening a mysterious man, played by the ever-cheerful Van Johnson, walks down the lane near the log cabin playing the harmonica to himself and carrying a few belongings over his shoulder. He is clearly a former soldier, though of which army cannot be determined. He strikes up a conversation with Leigh's family the MacBeans and is given supper, then invited to stay the night, and he stays on and helps with the harvest. He and Leigh fall in love. But there are many complications and twists to the story, such as how and why did he happen to turn up at the MacBeans. I don't wish to spoil any of the mystery of this fine country tale, so I say no more. But this is a very wholesome and refreshing story of real country folk which is very ably directed by Roy Rowland (1910-1995), a New Yorker by origin and no countryman, who directed Margaret O'Brien the next year in TENTH AVENUE ANGEL (1948), directed Van Johnson the year after that in the film noir THE SCENE OF THE CRIME (1949), and is best known as the director of the later film noir WITNESS TO MURDER (1954) with Barbara Stanwyck.

Talent Scout Comes Up With a Winner

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 10 March 2007]

Former MGM queen Norma Shearer was vacationing in the Sierras in California and at a ski lodge took notice of the owner's beautiful daughter. She thought that she ought to be in pictures and got her old friends at MGM to give her a look over. They did and signed the girl to a contract and Janet Leigh made her debut in The Romance of Rosy Ridge.

During the Civil War both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis spent a lot of time worrying about the fate of those border states like Missouri where this story takes place. There was considerable public opinion for both sides and a lot of neighbors fought each other.

Into one Missouri town comes stranger Van Johnson and helps out a Confederate family which lost a son, Marshall Thompson, during the Civil War. Father Thomas Mitchell is suspicious, but his wife Selena Royle and children Dean Stockwell and Janet Leigh take to Johnson right off.

Of course Johnson takes to Leigh right off as well. The people of the area can't seem to reconcile because a whole lot of bad things keep happening and only to Confederate families. Someone has a vested interest in keeping the Civil War going long after Appomattox.

I won't say any more about the plot, but film fans will take one look at the cast and know who's responsible for all the bad things. But also a secret about son Marshall Thompson is revealed before all are reconciled.

The Romance of Rosy Ridge was an auspicious debut for Janet Leigh. You could easily tell what Norma Shearer saw when she served as talent scout for her former studio. Van Johnson gives Janet a lot of support here, very generously allowing her to gain maximum exposure, he seems to have made an effort not to steal any scenes. Van and Janet have a good cast of supporting players as well.

The film has a kind of nostalgic quality like some of John Ford's work. It might have really been a classic had Ford been the director. It's still pretty good as is.

Janet Leigh's First Film

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 6 March 2007]

Discovered this Classic Film from 1947 playing on TCM and was very curious about just what this story would present and who was starring in this picture. It was surprising to see Van Johnson in the starring role as Henry Carson and veteran character actor Thomas Mitchell,(Gill MacBean. Janet Leigh was so young looking I hardly recognized her playing the role as a daughter to Gill MacBean, named Lessy Anne MacBean. This was the very first picture that Janet Leigh appeared in and she was very polished and professional even in her first important role of her career. The story deals with the ending of the Civil-War between the North and South and there were strong feelings still among the people in the South and Northerner's who traveled in their communities. Gill MacBean was not very thrilled about having Henry Carson getting too close to his daughter in a romantic way of speaking. Henry Carson wanted to establish a school in the local community and finding acceptance was very difficult for him to establish. There was a very deep secret that Henry Carson kept to himself about their son who was killed in the Civil War. There is Comedy, Drama and Romance and plenty of outstanding acting in this great Classic Film, Enjoy.

The proverbial fork in the road... Liberty Road

[PudgyPandaMan · 7/10 · 13 January 2009]

I really enjoyed this film starring Van Johnson and featuring Janet Leigh in her film debut. It is set in the Ozarks of Missouri after the end of the Civil War. The Civil War is over, but being a border state, there are existing tensions between neighbors who fought on opposing sides. So the movie opens with the following words: "But peace is achieved by the goodwill of people, and not by the flourishing strokes of a pen... "

In this town, everyone is sized up by the color of their britches - blue (Yankee), or gray (Confederate). The war was fought over giving rights to all people, no matter the color of the skin. Now they're fighting over the color of their pants. The harvest has come in, but everyone risks losing their crop in the fields because neighbor won't help neighbor to bring it in.

I liked the cast chosen for the film. Janet Leigh has a fresh, young face in her very first film. She has such delicate features. It's amazing this is Leigh's first film. She seems quite relaxed and natural.The little boy, played by Dean Stockwell - you may recognize him as the crippled boy from "The Secret Garden". The father is played by Thomas Mitchell, who also played the dad in "Gone with the Wind", Gerald O'Hara. Van Johnson is charming as the stranger who wanders in one day - looking for work, shelter and a warm meal - but also has an ulterior motive. He's the right mix of rugged and muscular, mixed in with the boy-next-door approachability. His honest face helps him to pull off his character's purpose (I won't give it away). The mother, played by Selena Royle, is just the right mix of sadness and hope. She is bold to make the first move at the barn dance and asks one of the men from the "other side" to dance. The folk songs are infectious, toe-tapping melodies.

The movie is full of homespun sayings like my grandmother used to say: right as rain, tighter than a gopher hole, wipe the vinegar off your face, "my hunger's powerful enough to lift the lid off the pot",etc. I like the depiction of the sparse and harsh life shown in the film. The location shootings, combined with the sets, create the perfect atmosphere for recreating a bygone era.It's funny when they discuss having a "play" party (a dance where music is played). When it's mentioned to invite everyone from BOTH SIDES in the community, the father says "You can't go mixin' britches!". Hilarious!

My favorite part of the movie is the twist at the end- when there is a fork in the road (Liberty Road), and the truth is revealed. I won't give it away. Some will find it very cliché and a little too obvious. But I liked the use of the fork and what it ended up meaning in the movie.

This was very good story telling, matched with a more than capable cast and adequate cinematography. I don't think you will be disappointed!

Quite good, but had the potential to be great

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 6 March 2018]

It's interesting reading the reviews here. I don't quite agree with them because I think the film misses the mark by a bit. To me there are two problems here. First off, I just don't quite buy Van Johnson in this role. It would have been great for Jimmy Stewart, but then again, Jimmy occasionally did Westerns and such. But seeing Van Johnson in the one big fist fight here...well, it just didn't sync with me. And, at times, the film tried to be just a little folksy. To some degree that was called for, but I would have eliminated 90% of Van Johnson's singing because not only was it out of place (at least to the extent it was included), but he also didn't have that good a voice.

SPOILER ALERT!

However, those two issues aside, the plot was a good one. A stranger (Van Johnson) shows up at a homestead right after the Civil War. The homestead is owned by supporters of the Confederacy, headed by veteran character actor Thomas Mitchell. And there's his wife (Selena Royle), lovely daughter (Janet Leigh in her first film role), and young son (Dean Stockwell). The stranger doesn't let his sympathies with the North be known, but he begins working at the homestead of his own volition. To be honest, it was pretty clear right from the very start that this stranger knew the homesteader's son who died in the war, and that he would eventually wed the daughter. But, there's a lot of interesting story in between your realization that's what will happen and when it does actually happen. The Civil War may be over, but the animosity between Northern and Southern sympathizers in Missouri isn't, and that fuels terrorism and mistrust in the settlement.

Van Johnson is "satisfactory " here. He doesn't ruin the film by any means, but it's too far outside his typical casting for me to feel comfortable about him here. Thomas Mitchell is mostly pretty good here, although there were occasional scenes where I felt he sort of flubbed it. He seemed to old for the part, although he was actually only 55...just right for the role. He certainly needed his eyebrows trimmed!!!!! I actually found that quite distracting. Janet Leigh, not one of my favorites, was actually very good here in her first film role. We don't see Marshall Thompson as the son until a major flashback toward the end of the film; I usually liked him in his younger years. THe best acting here is actually done by Selena Royle, who plays the mother. Royle was once a real-life love interest of Spencer Tracy. She really very strong here. The young son is played by Dean Stockwell, who was one of the great child actors of the era, although he doesn't have a lot to do here, other than being present. There are a number of other famed character actors here that you'll recognize, including Guy Kibbee.

The worst part of the film was the fist fight, which was waaaaaaaaaaaaay over-choreographed. Nevertheless, I'm glad I watched this film...once...but I don't think I'd want to see it again. It does show a side of the post-Civil War era that is not often covered in film.

Recommended with reservations.

A marvelous film.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 25 October 2013]

"The Romance of Rosy Ridge" surprised me a bit. While I assumed it would be a pretty good film given its cast, it turned out to be even better. It's a wonderful little film and I strongly recommend you see it.

The film is set in Missouri 1965--just after the Civil War. Rosy Ridge is a sad community because it was a divided town in a border state and folks fought on both sides during the war. Because of this, there is still a lot of acrimony among the locals--with someone burning barns of the ex-Confederates. One guy, Gill MacBean (Thomas Mitchell) has vowed NEVER to have anything to do with anyone who fought for the Union.

One day, a stranger, Henry Carson (Van Johnson) wanders by the MacBean farm. While Gill isn't very friendly, the rest of the family invites the man in for dinner and soon he ends up staying for some time. Now this stranger isn't a freeloader--he works very hard around the place and he's also very likable. However, when it comes to politics, he says very little and Gill cannot figure out which side this young man might have fought for in the war. If he is a Yankee, this is a serious problem for Gill, as his daughter, Lissy (Janet Leigh--in her first film) is falling for Henry. There is MUCH more to the film than this--but frankly it's better if you just see it for yourself. Suffice to say, there isn't much not to like about this film. The acting is very nice (particular by Johnson), the script superb (offering lots of twists and a wonderful surprise ending) and it's a nice look at American history. Exceptional.

By the way, although it's not the same, you do wonder if the film was the inspiration for the "Andy Griffith Show" episode "A Stranger in Town" as there are some similarities.

"If you're gonna stand by me ,don't stand too close"

[rparisious · 7/10 · 6 July 2005]

The above line is from "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" but a few more like it would have considerably enlivened this sometimes slow but in fact worthy post Civil War drama. However,there are at least two other real winners in the genuine mean style,and even more of the same could have raised this movie to an eight rather than a faltering seven. For example:

Exultant Wife:You'll always remember this day!

Husband:As long as you live I will.

And:

Idealist Jonson:I joined this war because no man should be hated for the color of his skin.

Confederate:It isn't about the color of anyone's skin, I hate the color of the pants you wore when you came down here against us.

Jonson:This thing was really about the color of my pants?

Unfortunately,the overall mood of the film is continuously uncertain.At times it is genuinely reflective and well timed ,at others it verges on the maudlin.Eleanor Parker or young Katherine Hepburn would have made a lot more of a hullabaloo with the same unchallenging script;Janet Leigh is simply too sweet and wholesome for words.

Still despite a couple of ridiculous brief musical spurts,there are a whole troop of fine character actors,including Thomas Mitchel,Marshal Thompson(particularly good in the climatic scene) and my old acquaintance the inimitable O.Z. Whitehead. Moreover,Van Jonson,for once,is not studio typecast and does a fine job throughout,particularly with his barn musicale and in the final scene.

All told, not the gem that it could have been but deserving of a lot better than it has ever yet been credited with.Definitely worth a look for any post Civil war buff or a family looking for a good clean afternoon's entertainment that has something to say.

The director here is man of all work Roy Rowlands.And the reason that I am doing this review is that Rowlands previously directed "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes",one of the high points of American family drama. He apparently never remotely reached such heights again.

The script derives from a story by Pulitzer Prize winner McKinley Kantor,a writer who more than once received less than he deserved by Hollywood.

Worthy of a look

[kspell · 10/10 · 1 July 2008]

I found this movie very uplifting and I believe quite true. My grandmother married my grandfather in almost the same situation. He had come to TX and found her while attending a political rally. They fell in love and married almost right away. Her father, a confederate, disowned her an never saw her again, as my grandfather's dad had fought for the Union. As I was watching it was so well done I felt I was there. Van Johnson and Janet Leigh (even though very young and quite new) was real as it gets. Unfortunately the quality of the film is quite poor, but maybe it will be restored and offered for DVD sale. Dean Stockwell did a fantastic job and should have won an award. Also, Missouri being the state seemed almost real.

Something to say to us today

[danielj_old999 · 15 April 2006]

I loved the emphasis on community values in this film. The ideas that the main character pulls for are not a whit outdated and can certainly be applied to today's society. It seems that in life, as in this film, there is always an element who tries to pull apart the community spirit for their own ends. These ideas are presented here in a completely engaging manner and are there for all to see as simple common sense. Kudos to Thomas Mitchell for another grand performance. Too bad this is another forgotten film which should be resurrected for its ideas which are strangely hip and contemporary. And Janet Leigh does a wonderful job, as does the actress who plays her mother.

interesting post-war story

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 26 March 2022]

The Civil War is still burning in Missouri, months after the war. Gill MacBean (Thomas Mitchell), his wife Sairy (Selena Royle), his daughter Lissy Anne (Janet Leigh), and his youngest son Andrew (Dean Stockwell) are waiting for the oldest son Ben's return. He's still not home and hope is fading. As a southerner, Gill advocates against continuing the fight but still holds a grudge against his northern sympathizing neighbors, the Yearys. One night, a stranger named Henry Carson (Van Johnson) arrives in town. Gill reluctantly takes him on for the much-needed labor despite his refusal to claim a side.

This is a fascinating story especially with its post-war message. It may not be taken that well at the time. I don't know. The ending is very poetic but it doesn't hit with intensity. It needs some reworking. It is worth saving for the poetry.

Just saw it for the first time.

[bonnieallmine · 8/10 · 23 August 2006]

I had Turner Classic Movies on. Thought I had seen so many of the old movies, since I was born in 1941! Had not seen this one before, partly about post civil war carpet baggers. Nice story using some of the old fashioned songs and terms from the hills.

Has some commentary about the losses and evils of the Civil War. A very American movie about basic values that could speak to any culture where the people farm and live simple lives full of struggle and hardship, as well as kindness and support.

I did enjoy it, even though I am mostly a special effects fan. Last movie I loved was War of the Worlds.

Typical ending for the times, very upbeat. An interesting look at a much smaller part of the American past than is seen in Gone With the Wind. Janet Leigh was very young in her part!

Selena Royle IS the long-suffering Mom

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 31 October 2021]

I'm not even a Janet Leigh fan, but she was absolutely adorable in her first movie, Romance at Rosy Ridge. This is a small domestic drama set during the Civil War, with a very interesting storyline. The family of Rosy Ridge, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle, Janet Leigh, and Dean Stockwell, are working their land and waiting for the oldest son, Marshall Thompson, to return from the battlefield. Van Johnson comes across their farm, and they take him in for a few days in exchange for help around the house. It's pretty easy to guess Van and Janet are going to fall in love. After all, she's just discovering her hormones, and he's the first man she's seen in years. But he's hiding something.

Chances are you've never heard of this movie. But I recommend you try to find a copy of it or watch it the next time it's featured on television. Van Johnson will actually impress you with his conflicted performance, Janet Leigh is very young and sweet, and Selena Royle completely steals the show. Personifying the "long suffering mom" archetype, you can actually see the decades of hard work etched on her forehead. She's happy for Janet when she falls in love, but she knows what's in store for her becoming a wife and mother. It's not as rosy as it seems in the beginning. There are far more famous character actors than character actresses, but Selena Royle belongs on the list. Watch this movie to find out why.

the waltons do reconstruction

[mossgrymk · 4/10 · 31 January 2022]

20 random actors who woulda been better than Van Johnson:

20) Steve Cochran 19) Tim Holt 18) Alan Ladd 17) Jane Russell 16) Zachary Scott 15) John Ireland 14) Sterling Hayden 13) Glenn Ford 12) Jim Davis (who's already in the freakin movie!) 11) Ben Johnson 10) Van Heflin 9) Ronald Reagan 8) Joel McRae 7) William Holden 6) Lassie 5) Ronald Coleman 4) Dana Andrews 3) Gig Young 2) James Arness 1) Randolph Scott.

not bad

[kyle_furr · 7/10 · 3 April 2004]

This film is set right after the civil war and somebody is going around burning barns. The people are still loyal and hate the other side. Thomas Mitchell is the father who fought for the south and so did his son but the son hasn't come home yet. Janet Leigh is the daughter and Dean Stockwell is their youngest son. Van Johnson is passing by one day and he winds up staying with them. Johnson and Leigh are attracted to each other but the father wants to know what side Johnson fought on. Johnson used to be a schoolteacher before the war and he wants to open a schoolhouse. It turns out that Johnson knows something about their son and when the father finds out Johnson fought for the north, he wants to kill him. This was Janet Leigh's first film and she's only OK but i have never liked Van Johnson but he's OK here.

Beautiful Janet Leigh stars in this her first film, a Civil War era romance with a surprise twist ending.

[larry41onEbay · 9/10 · 2 June 2003]

I only learned of this film when Janet Leigh mentioned it once and I started my quest to see it. Eventually I was able to buy a 16mm print and see that this forgotten gem is a treasure! Van Johnson, as the wandering stranger and Thomas Mitchell as the suspecting father are at odds. Lovely Ms. Leigh radiates with charm and mystery, as she wants to accept the aid of this handsome young man. Events lead to test the hard felt feelings of this family trying to heal after the bitter War Between the States. In the end, truth, acceptance, forgiveness and love win out. I recommend it highly! THANKS JANET!

***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 11 November 2014]

Made 8 years later, you would swear at the film's beginning that Thomas Mitchell is spouting his words in a black and white version of the 1939 classic "Gone With the Wind."

Surprisingly, there is little violence in this film dealing with 4 months after the civil war ended in Missouri. In the latter state, northern fighters for the state in the war are accused of burning the homes of those who fought and sympathized with the south. That in itself would be enough for violence. Later on, we learn that the old movie rascal, Charles Dingle, has been stirring up trouble between the groups for land speculation purposes.

A drifter, well played by Van Johnson, drifts into the town and goes to work for a suspicious Mitchell, a true southerner during the war. Despite his hard work on the farm, Mitchell is suspicious of him as he doesn't know where his sympathies were during the conflict.

The Mitchell Family anxiously awaits the return of their son from the war. Johnson thinks of a way to unite the people, and the former teacher eventually comes to fight the Dingle people.

This was Janet Leigh's first film as Mitchell's daughter and she conveys quite well the young woman with aspirations of her home. Selena Royle is the determined mother.

Wonderful film set in post Civil War Arkansas

[jkisaacs · 9/10 · 30 August 2006]

I first saw this movie as part of a double bill about 1950. I loved it. The action takes place in the defeated state of Arkansas. Van Johnson is a soldier returning home after the war. He brings news of the death of a young soldier to a family awaiting the return of a son and brother. Darkness is falling as Johnson approaches the home and a bit of humor is evident as the father tries to determine the color of his trousers. Blue, of course, would indicate a Damn Yankee while grey would denote a true-blue son of the South. But the trousers are so old and faded one could not be sure as to what the original color had been. Night-riders are roaming the countryside burning barns and homes and murdering anyone in their way. Johnson stays and eventually falls in love and helps fight the night-riders. Johnson finally tells the family the story of his friend, how they met, and how he died.

I understand that no complete copy of this film exists at this time. I for one, would gladly pay top dollar for a decent version on DVD. jkisaacs

It takes a rainmaker to bring peace to this little town on a southern prairie.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 24 December 2023]

Standing by my original feelings about this pleasant but corny MGM "southern" dealing with conflicts over the finished war between the north and the south and how the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Van Johnson) brings at least temporary peace. Barn burning of confederate sympathizers pist-war has northerner locals suspected, and friends for years have stopped speaking. Staying with farmer Thomas Mitchell and his family, Johnson falls in love with his daughter, Janet Leigh, but Mitchell, a southerner, is suspicious of Johnson's politics, which there seems none of. His patient wife, Selena Royle, seems apolitical, and encourages the romance regardless of where he stands.

Then there's the townsfolk, lead by store owner Guy Kibbee and Elisabeth Risdon (who argue exactly like the Olsens from "Little House on the Prairie"), finally agreeing to get together for an attempt at a truce. This leads to a square dance that prompted me to hope that Royle would break out into a variation of "The Farmer and the Cowman" from "Oklahoma!" Indeed, there are several innocuous songs, adding to the corrniness. This was Leigh's first film, and she's lovely and subtle, but upstaged by Dean Stockwell as the younger brother, even though Mitchell and Royle look more like his grandparents. Mitchell is indeed very funny, mixing up words in confusion, a nice little quirk making him more than just another Tom O'Hara ripoff. Beautifully filmed and sweet, but Johnson's character is just too perfect and even tempered to be believable.

Wonderful ! Story, Cast, Content, Romance, Setting, Context, and Ending

[rpkpkp · 9/10 · 20 January 2018]

This is a Very good movie. Yes, it's formulaic but with surprises and treats to hold your interest. I laughed out loud several times and got misty eyed a couple of others. The Romance of Rosy Ridge is set in southern Missouri, one of the most evenly divided parts of the country, in the summer after the War Between the States, In this town, 23 families were on each side. The depiction of life in that era, with colloquialisms and period references is fun to observe. The battle of Pea Ridge is mentioned, although southerners call it Elkhorn Tavern. They talk of moving to "the territories", evidently Kansas and Nebraska. Home life, transportation, and farm tools are demonstrated in passing. Van Johnson's character arrives and sets about healing the violent and very partisan rift between the Yanks and Rebs. His breeziness is refreshing, yet he has quite serious moments, also sings. Janet Leigh in her screen debut is stunning; even her mother remarks, "that's a lot of woman trying to fit into that dress." Thomas Mitchell is accurate as a staunch Reb and an old-school head of household. He was Scarlett's father in Gone With the Wind. Also in the cast is Jim Davis, the one and only Jock Ewing. Several other recognizable actors perform well. One hilarious scene has Elisabeth Risdon wearing out her storekeeper husband, Guy Kibbee, about his idea of a dance to bring the townspeople together. She finally says, "this will be a terrible night and you'll be remembering it for the rest of your life." In true Fred Mertz style, he replies, "at least for the rest of Your life."

A Wonderful Folk Story With Plenty Of Humanity

[atlasmb · 9/10 · 26 August 2016]

Just two years after the end of WWII comes this film about the end of the American Civil War. The conflict pitted neighbors against neighbors and ill feelings persisted after the war, as the republic was trying to adapt to new laws and trying to forget old grudges. But some wanted to hang on to their prejudices and hatred.

In the Missouri Ozarks lived a farming family like most--a father, mother, daughter and son. The elder son disappeared on the battlefields up north. Like the aftermaths of all prolonged wars, there was a shortage of manpower, and the crops needed to be harvested. How fortunate then that a stranger--tooting on a mouth organ just as happily as you please--wandered down the backroad to their farm on his way to no place in particular.

Young Dean Stockwell plays the young son in his ninth film role, while daughter Lissy Anne is played by Janet Leigh in her film debut. She is perfect in her portrayal of the innocent farmer's daughter. In fact, the entire cast is just wonderful. Van Johnson is the stranger with a song on his lips, who brings an element of hope and happiness to the lives of those on the ridge.

The writing captures the vernacular and the feelings of the country folk. The music--both incidental and performed--lays a perfect foundation for understanding their simple way of life. And the story is bursting with heart and sweet as the summer rain. This is a film worth seeing for its uncommon humanity.

I don't read film reviews.

[jessepix-49547 · 10/10 · 29 August 2016]

I viewed this film without any knowledge of its plot, story line, but only that it starred Van Johnson and introduced Janet Leigh, one of my favorite actresses. Purposely, I have always refrained from reading critics reviews or viewers comments as I have always found them interfering with the filmmakers intent and manner of cinematic storytelling. When the plot, especially the film's ending, is revealed it's tantamount to someone yelling "The butler did it!!!" I prefer the thrill of the writer, director and producer to display a film that will provide the utmost in entertainment. And that's exactly what they did for this wonderful motion picture.

Lightweight romantic comedy, hick style, with airy songs

[m_finebesser · 8/10 · 22 August 2001]

IMDB reader, please note: The genre is wrong -- this is a romantic musical comedy -- definitely NOT a drama.

Janet Leigh's first lead role, opposite Van Johnson, is a nice showcase for her beauty and musical talents. The Romance of Rosy Ridge is sweetly old-fashioned with some strong small-town type veterans on hand. These are adorable people to spend time with and enjoy their bumpkin mannerism, especially O. Z. Whitehead. Van is resplendent as ever in the male lead.