The Moviegoer

Hollywood has moved "The Farmer's Daughter" out of the bedroom into Congress, and while the improvement of her moral position may be questionable, her entertainment value is inestimably enhanced. The current offering at the RKO Keith provides two hours of completely relaxing entertainment.

The story revolves around a rural young lady who, because of urban finances, takes a job as a maid in the home of a young congressman and his politically wise mother. Some sixty minutes, a Swedish massage and numerous political shcunnanigans later, the former domestic finds herself running in a congressional race against the man supported by her former employers. To complicate matters further, an indiscretion committed by the aspiring congress-woman in the first reel and long since forgotten by everyone, including the audience, comes back to plague her campaign.

Although Loretta Young, in the title role, loses a split decision to a tough Swedish accent, she still manages to turn in a competent job. Joseph Cotten as the Hollywood style congressman no paunch and Charles Bickford as a highly fictional butler, contribute to the general rewarding effect. Honors for the evening, however, must go to Ethel Barrymore who, in the role of the political matriarch, gives the impression that she could clean up Boston polities or reform the Republican party without breaking into much of a sweat.

If you time your arrival carefully you can avoid the co-feature, something called "Banjo," involving dogs, children of various sizes and colors, and a Claghornian view of a shoddy but genteel Southland. It is as bad as it sounds.