Van Johnson (centre) and his newfangled technology. Image: IMDb
On the face of it, The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) is a film about Thomas Mitchell’s obsession with the colour of Van Johnson’s pants.
Seriously. In the first two acts of this film, Mitchell tries to discover whether Johnson has grey or blue pants.
The film is set in Missouri, just after the American Civil War. Missouri, being a “border state”, saw residents fight on both sides. This made things tricky when soldiers returned home to face neighbours against whom they may have fought only weeks before.
For example, Mitchell speaks with anger and sadness about everything the Yankees have taken from him, including his brother and, perhaps, his son. Others in the film say the same about the Confederates.
So, when Johnson, a stranger, shows up on the family’s farm one night, Mitchell wants to know on Which Side Johnson fought. He can’t see the colour of Johnson’s pants in the dark, and the next day, Johnson dons checkered pants to hide his military alliance.
Mitchell must know because he won’t judge Johnson by Who he is, but by his uniform. In response, Johnson rebuffs Mitchell’s intrusiveness because he believes folks should focus on the Future.
It creates palpable tension. We the audience can guess Johnson’s alliance, but there’s something else he’s hiding, and it’s more than just the colour of his pants.
Tempers soon to get Out of Hand. Image: IMDb
This movie stings a little.
The Romance of Rosy Ridge has all the things you’d expect from MGM, including beautiful clothes and hair, but it deals with very raw emotions.
Mitchell’s character anticipates a bounty crop in the fall, but there aren’t workers to hire for the harvest. He will not ask Yankee neighbours for help. “I’d rather have the crops rot in the ground than neighbor up with a Northerner,” he says.
This film feels uncomfortably relevant, because it mirrors the way our own society today is fracturing along political fault lines.
The script has a surprisingly cynical subtext about politics, i.e. how the politically corrupt use their wealth to buy our allegiance. A rash of barn burnings appear to be caused by the Yankees, but we discover the truth when we Follow the Money. (The oldest trick in the political handbook, no?)
There’s also a twist at the end of the film we DID NOT see coming, and it smacks Mitchell like a two-by-four up the back of the head.
As you’ve probably guessed, the somewhat disingenuous stranger, Johnson, has set in motion a Chain Of Events that begin to heal Mitchell and this bitterly divided community.
The truth at last. Image: Pinterest
The Romance of Rosy Ridge stars a 19-year-old Janet Leigh in her first feature film. She’s charming and winsome, but her luminescence is almost too much for her character as a hard-working farmer.
Mitchell and Johnson have wonderful chemistry in their scenes, while Selena Royle is heartbreaking as a mother struggling with the lack of news from her eldest son.
Yet, this magnificent cast couldn’t save the film financially. Despite an engaging story and a theme of post-war reconciliation, it lost over half a million dollars at the box office. However, the novel on which it was based, by Pulitzer Prize winner MacKinlay Kantor (who ought to have his own biopic by the looks of it) was a bestseller.
The Romance of Rosy Ridge is a societal critique disguised as a Western, as many Westerns are. If you ever cross paths with it, we hope you give it a Go.
The Romance of Rosy Ridge: Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell, Janet Leigh. Directed by Roy Rowland. Written by Lester Cole & MacKinlay Kantor. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1947, B&W, 105 mins.
This is one of my favorite “westerns” ( what category could it be put in? ) and yet it is not very well known, even among classic film fans. It’s a rare gem and I am so glad you did this wonderful write-up for The Intruder Blogathon, because Van Johnson’s presence really STIRS up this family, especially Thomas Mitchell, into rethinking their values. The photography was really good, too and if I remember, there was an exciting storm scene out on the hay field. Thanks for taking part, Ruth! BTW….I love your post’s title!
I’m not sure about the “Western” designation, either, but oh well… This is a rare gem, like you said, and I wouldn’t have heard of it had you not mentioned it when announcing the blogathon. So thank you for that.
Thanks also for organizing this blogathon. It’s a great idea!
I didn’t know what to expect from this film. I wondered if it would be a schmaltz-fest, but it’s not. It handles the themes of loss, betrayal, vengeance, and forgiveness in a thoughtful way. That’s a lot of territory to explore in 100 minutes, hey?
I checked it this one out a while back because I wanted to see Janet Leigh’s debut, but I didn’t get very far. I don’t remember what turned me off, though. I will have to give it another chance!
Janet Leigh is stunning here, isn’t she? Although it’s difficult to see how someone who works as hard as her character does never ends up with dirt on her clothes or on her hands…
What was that obsession with pants in classic films?! I mean this, Swing Time, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife… Anyway! It’s been a while since I’ve visited your blog but as always your article are a delight to read! It’s honest as you don’t try to embellish it too much but still find interesting points to make it worth watching. Anyway, I’m not a very difficult public I think.
Don’t forget to check my entry for the blogathon! 🙂
Haha! You’re right about the pants in classic film! I’ll be dropping by your site tonight, and am looking forward to it. I always learn so much from you. You’re like a classic film tutor!
I’ve never heard of this, but it sounds like a great idea, and an unusual one for MGM. It seemed like they usually left the message pictures to Warner Bros.
Aside from the audacity of Van Johnson wearing a checkered shirt AND pants, this does indeed sound like something to keep an eye out for! The term “classic” doesn’t always have to be about critical or audience reception, but can also apply to a film that has relevance decades after its initial release.
Silver Screenings 
This is one of my favorite “westerns” ( what category could it be put in? ) and yet it is not very well known, even among classic film fans. It’s a rare gem and I am so glad you did this wonderful write-up for The Intruder Blogathon, because Van Johnson’s presence really STIRS up this family, especially Thomas Mitchell, into rethinking their values. The photography was really good, too and if I remember, there was an exciting storm scene out on the hay field. Thanks for taking part, Ruth! BTW….I love your post’s title!
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I’m not sure about the “Western” designation, either, but oh well… This is a rare gem, like you said, and I wouldn’t have heard of it had you not mentioned it when announcing the blogathon. So thank you for that.
Thanks also for organizing this blogathon. It’s a great idea!
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Romance of RosyRidge is an often overlooked films in the Western genre, and it deals with some powerful themes as well. A great film.
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I didn’t know what to expect from this film. I wondered if it would be a schmaltz-fest, but it’s not. It handles the themes of loss, betrayal, vengeance, and forgiveness in a thoughtful way. That’s a lot of territory to explore in 100 minutes, hey?
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Sounds very interesting especially in the context of current politics as you say!
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Yeah, it’s surprisingly relevant today. And, of course, Van Johnson is ALWAYS relevant – haha.
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😊
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I checked it this one out a while back because I wanted to see Janet Leigh’s debut, but I didn’t get very far. I don’t remember what turned me off, though. I will have to give it another chance!
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Janet Leigh is stunning here, isn’t she? Although it’s difficult to see how someone who works as hard as her character does never ends up with dirt on her clothes or on her hands…
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Thank you! I found this on YouTube and watched it with hubby. Wow, not the ending I was expecting. We both loved it
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The ending is a bit of a surprise, isn’t it? So glad (and relieved) you liked it.
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Wow, sounds like something I’d be very interested in!
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I thought of you while watching it. I’d like to know your reactions, especially when compared to your research.
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I’ll have to see if I can get my hands on a copy!
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This sounds lovely, I really loved Janet Leigh in The Manchurian Candidate so this I gotta see.. thanks Ruth.
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Janet Leigh is lovely here – almost too lovely for her character. Yet, her performance is credible, and you’d never know this was her first film.
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What was that obsession with pants in classic films?! I mean this, Swing Time, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife… Anyway! It’s been a while since I’ve visited your blog but as always your article are a delight to read! It’s honest as you don’t try to embellish it too much but still find interesting points to make it worth watching. Anyway, I’m not a very difficult public I think.
Don’t forget to check my entry for the blogathon! 🙂
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Haha! You’re right about the pants in classic film! I’ll be dropping by your site tonight, and am looking forward to it. I always learn so much from you. You’re like a classic film tutor!
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It cracks me up about the color of the pants! I never heard about it before.
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I hadn’t heard about the colour-of-pants issue before, either. It brings a unique kind of tension to the film.
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Huh! I’ve never heard of this movie, but it sounds really terrific.
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There are a lot of thought-provoking themes in this film, as it grapples with healing a fractured community. I hope you get the chance to see it.
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I’ve never heard of this, but it sounds like a great idea, and an unusual one for MGM. It seemed like they usually left the message pictures to Warner Bros.
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True re: message pictures, but there’s plenty of MGM feel-good vibes here. I hope you get the chance to see it!
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Aside from the audacity of Van Johnson wearing a checkered shirt AND pants, this does indeed sound like something to keep an eye out for! The term “classic” doesn’t always have to be about critical or audience reception, but can also apply to a film that has relevance decades after its initial release.
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Haha! True! This is still a relevant film, and, as you pointed out, that makes it a Classic indeed.
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Oh, Ruth, this sounds sooo good! Thanks a bunch for the terrific review and putting this gem on my radar.
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I think you’d really like this one. It has a sweet romance, but casts a critical eye on society.
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