Excellent, a Must See

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Unless you absolutely love Judy Garland, you can save yourself 100 minutes and just watch the famous song "On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" from The Harvey Girls. I like her, but I'm not in love with her; I haven't watched every one of her films I can get my hands on.If you do love her and decide to watch the full movie, you'll see lots of beautiful costumes by Irene and Helen Rose Valles as Judy travels by train to the Wild West to become a mail order bride. The female travelers on the train have a different goal once they arrive: they want to open a restaurant and boarding house for respectable girls. And by that, I mean they want to have lots of chorus numbers. Ray Bolger, Judy's gangly pal from The Wizard of Oz joins the cast, as does the pouting Angela Lansbury, crotchety Marjorie Main, and willowy Cyd Charisse. It's up to you if you want to sit through this mediocre musical, or if you want to get the gist by watching the three-minute song.

As long as you watch this film in context - and consider when it was set (Arizona in the 1890s) and where it was made (1946 Hollywood), you'll enjoy it for what it is: a simple and really sweet romance set in the Wild West.The costumes are wonderful, the songs catchy (catchy enough to pick up the Oscar for Best Song that year) and the dancing divine and, of course, Judy Garland shines, as does a 20-year-old Angela Lansbury.Garland plays Susan Bradley, a feisty lass on her way to Saltrock, Arizona to meet - and marry - the gent who has been courting her, most eloquently, via letter. On the fateful train trip from Ohio, aboard the storied Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, she meets and befriends a charming group of girls also heading to Saltrock. They're trainee waitresses on their way to set up the latest branch of the equally famous Harvey House chain of restaurants. Unfortunately for Susan, her betrothed turns out to be a little too fond of gamblin' and boozin' - and not so fond of marriage, and the pair agree to part ways, but not before he confesses to not being the author of the oh-so-sweet letters she received. Rather than heading back home, Susan decides to train as a 'Harvey Girls,' which pits her against the owners of the local saloon, which is owned by the dashing Ned Trent (John Hodiak) who, it turns out, is the actual author of the letters which tugged so deeply at Susan's heart. It really is a sweet story and you'll be singing the lead song, On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, weeks later...

As a lover of musicals and of Judy Garland, I watched The Harvey Girls and I really liked it on the whole. The plot though is cardboard especially in the second half and John Hodiak for my liking gives a rather lacklustre performance. Still it is worth seeing. The film with its beautiful costumes, scenery and photography does look gorgeous, the music is fantastic particularly the climatic set-piece On the Atchison, Topeka and The Santa Fe, the choreography is magnificent and the first half is great fun. The film is directed lovingly by George Sidney, and while Angela Lansbury and Ray Bolger are excellent, this is Judy Garland's film and she is absolutely wonderful. Overall, a lovely film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Even though the film starred Judy Garland, what I really enjoyed about The Harvey Girls is that it operates as an ensemble musical, giving features and spotlight numbers to just about everyone in the mammoth cast. This kind of thing is usually reserved for stage musicals only, but back in 1946 MGM's roster of talent was strong, if not yet infamous. Players like deadpan comic Virginia O'Brien and dancer Cyd Charisse were fairly new back then, but this film gives them individual spotlights: not only do they both sing with Garland in the nighttime ballad "It's A Great Big World," but O'Brien gets to sing "The Wild, Wild West" (while assisting blacksmith Ray Bolger in shoeing a horse) and Charisse gets to dance (briefly) opposite Kenny Baker singing "Wait And See." Marjorie Main leads the Harvey waitresses through "The Train Must Be Fed;" Angela Lansbury is featured in two saloon numbers, and Ray Bolger gets to do some of his rubber-legged clowning at the Harvey House party. And, of course, everyone on the planet is assembled for the big, eight minute production number "On The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe." There's literally something for everyone- even the oil-and-water romance between Garland and John Hodiak. And they shine as well, even if Hodiak wasn't the most well-known leading man. Check out this wonderfully scored, written, acted, and costumed tribute to old-fashioned Americana.