Louisiana Hayride (1944) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

In hopes of becoming a movie star, a country girl follows two con men to Hollywood.

Cast & Crew

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Charles Barton

Judy Canova

Ross Hunter

Richard Lane

J. Huntington McMasters

Lloyd Bridges

Matt Willis

Photos & Videos

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Louisiana Hayride -- (Movie Clip) Opening, Judy

Louisiana Hayride -- (Movie Clip) Where The Train Goes

Film Details

Genre

Comedy

Musical

Release Date

Jul 13, 1944

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Distribution Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 6m

Film Length

5,960ft

Synopsis

When an oil company takes options on her Glen Falls farm, suspecting that it houses a fortune in petroleum, hillbilly Judy Crocker comes into more money than she knows what to do with. After buying her aunt and uncle an autocamp in Cedarview, Judy boards a train back to Glen Falls to get more "chicken feed." Also onboard the train are confidence men J. Huntington McMasters and Canada Brown. At the Glen Falls station, Judy is met by her mother, Maw Crocker, her brother Jeb and their new Rolls Royce. Deciding that Judy is a choice prospect for fleecing, McMasters and Brown drive out to the Crocker farm and introduce themselves as owners of a shoe company that is hoping to interest Judy in investing in plastic shoes. Upon discovering that Judy hates wearing shoes, McMasters and Brown announce that they are producers at Acme Pictures and offer Judy the starring role in their new film, Louisiana Hayride . When Jeb insists that his sister be able to invest in the company, the con men eagerly agree and head back to Hollywood to spend Judy's money. McMasters and Brown have spent every penny of Judy's investment, living in high style at the Wilshire Hotel, when the desk clerk notifies them that the Crocker family is waiting to see them in the lobby. As the two swindlers make plans to flee, the trigger-happy Jeb, spying a moose head mounted on the lobby wall, practices his aim and brings down the head on Malcolm Cartwright, an eccentric millionaire who spends his money backing Broadway shows. Judy sees McMasters and Brown sneak out of the hotel and climb into a cab, and she and Jeb follow. When Jeb shoots at a stuffed gorilla standing on a street corner, the con men think that he is shooting at them and take refuge in a park. Judy catches them there, and the two are amazed when they find that Judy is so wrapped up in the phony film story that McMasters has outlined for her that she wants to invest more money in the company. Back at the hotel, Judy agrees to invest $3,000 weekly, and McMasters and Brown establish a fake company and engage Gordon Pearson, a bellboy who aspires to be a film director, to pose as Judy's director. Turning the tables on the swindlers, Pearson threatens to expose them unless they rent studio space and hire writer Montague Price to script the film. When the time comes for her screen test, Judy starts out in a taxi for the studio. She does not know the name of the place, however, and consequently, ends up at the Imperial Studios, where a guard mistakes her for a singer scheduled to dub the singing voice of a major star and passes her through to the stage. When the studio executives see the daily rushes of Judy's performance, they are so impressed that they begin to search for her. Meanwhile, Judy, enthusiastic about her first screen role, presses more money on McMasters, who finally arranges for production to begin. As the film nears completion, J. C. Forbes offers to buy the distribution rights for $150,000. When Price realizes that the film's story was plagiarized from a Broadway play, however, he resigns from the project and Forbes decides against distributing it. Soon after, a telegram arrives notifying Judy that the oil options have been canceled and that payments have stopped. McMasters and Brown plan to sneak out of the studio when executives from Imperial Films arrive and offer to buy Judy's contract. McMasters is about to collect the money when the police arrive and arrest him and Brown for previous swindles. Judy is heartbroken until Cartwright, who has been observing the proceedings, reveals that he owns the rights to the play and offers Judy the motion picture rights as a present.

Director

Charles Barton

Cast

Judy Canova

Ross Hunter

Richard Lane

J. Huntington McMasters

Lloyd Bridges

Matt Willis

George Mckay

Minerva Urecal

Hobart Cavanaugh

Malcolm Cartwright

Eddie Kane

Nelson Leigh

Arthur Loft

Robert Homans

Russell Hicks

Ernie Adams

Ben Taggart

Charles Sullivan

Jack Gardner

Brian O'hara

Jessie Arnold

Jack Rice

Walter Baldwin

Eddie Bartell

Earl Dewey

Bud Jamison

George Magrill

George Ford

Betty Jane Graham

Reba King

Teddy Mangean

Joe Palma

Constance Purdy

Mrs. Vanderguft

Danny Desmond

Charles Marsh

Charles Sherlock

Buddy Yarus

Assistant director

Gene Stutenroth

Police attendant

Christine Mcintyre

Frank Hagney

Lane Chandler

Plainclothesman

Eddie Chandler

Plainclothesman

Art Miles

Louis Mason

Edwin Stanley

Fred Graff

Casting director

Eddie Bruce

Syd Saylor

Pat West

Si Jenks

Crew

Rex Bailey

Assistant Director

M. R. Bakaleinikoff

Lionel Banks

Saul Chaplin

Philip Faulkner

Mel Ferrer

Dialogue Director

Kim Gannon

Walter Holscher

Walter Kent

Junie Mccree

Otto Meyer

L. W. O'connell

Director of Photography

John W. Pascoe

Jerry Seelen

Manny Seff

Albert Von Tilzer

Sam White

Jacques Wolfe

Paul Yawitz

Paul Yawitz

Videos

Louisiana Hayride -- (Movie Clip) Opening, Judy Opening credits from the Columbia Pictures Judy Canova vehicle Louisiana Hayride, 1944, followed by introduction of Judy (as Judy "Crocker") and her aunt and uncle (Walter Baldwin, Jessie Arnold).

Louisiana Hayride -- (Movie Clip) Where The Train Goes Judy "Crocker" (Judy Canova) is on the train to Glen Falls to buy chicken feed when she busts out with "You Gotta Go Where the Train Goes" by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent in Louisiana Hayride, 1944.

Film Details

Genre

Comedy

Musical

Release Date

Jul 13, 1944

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Distribution Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 6m

Film Length

5,960ft

Articles

Louisiana Hayride

January 7, 2009

In hopes of becoming a movie star, a country girl follows two con men to Hollywood.

Producers: Charles Barton, Sam White
Director: Charles Barton
Screenplay: Paul Yawitz (screenplay and story); Manuel Seff (story)
Cinematography: L.W. O'Connell
Art Direction: Lionel Banks, Walter Holscher
Music: Saul Chaplin
Film Editing: Otto Meyer
Cast: Judy Canova (Judy Crocker), Ross Hunter (Gordon Pearson), Richard Lane (J. Huntington McMasters), Lloyd Bridges (Montague Price), Matt Willis (Jeb Crocker), George McKay (Canada Brown), Minerva Urecal (Ma Crocker) Hobart Cavanaugh (Malcolm Cartwright).
BW-67m.

Louisiana Hayride

Louisiana Hayride

In hopes of becoming a movie star, a country girl follows two con men to Hollywood. Producers: Charles Barton, Sam White Director: Charles Barton Screenplay: Paul Yawitz (screenplay and story); Manuel Seff (story) Cinematography: L.W. O'Connell Art Direction: Lionel Banks, Walter Holscher Music: Saul Chaplin Film Editing: Otto Meyer Cast: Judy Canova (Judy Crocker), Ross Hunter (Gordon Pearson), Richard Lane (J. Huntington McMasters), Lloyd Bridges (Montague Price), Matt Willis (Jeb Crocker), George McKay (Canada Brown), Minerva Urecal (Ma Crocker) Hobart Cavanaugh (Malcolm Cartwright). BW-67m.

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Although a Hollywood Reporter production chart places Byron Foulger in the cast, his appearance in the released film has not been confirmed. The picture marked the screen debut of Ross Hunter, who later became a well-known film producer. The Hollywood Reporter review remarked about his debut, "Hunter has as much to offer the acting department as he has pleasing good looks."

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