Lawson It's taken me a while to finally appreciate the charms of Loretta Young, who has never stood out this much in any other movie I've seen her in. It's no wonder she picked up an Oscar for this role. Here she plays a Swedish immigrant - replete with a braided pigtail around her head - who, through a series of events, finds herself a maid in the household of a US congressman, and subsequently, as a nominee to be a congresswoman as well. It's a charming story in itself, but I also loved the performances. Besides Young, this movie also showcased Joseph Cotten as a romantic lead - a role I've never seen him in, and Ethel Barrymore - a grande dame of stage and screen - is perfection in her role as a kingmaker. It's remarkable that all three actors managed to stand out without overshadowing each other.

Michael_Elliott Farmer's Daughter, The (1947) *** (out of 4) Loretta Young won an Oscar for her performance of a Swedish maid who goes to work for a Senator (Joseph Cotten) but then ends up running against his party for a seat in Congress. This film really is two separate movies with the first half being a romantic comedy and the second half being a political drama. The first half is decent but nothing special, although Cotten really steals this half with his comic timing. The second half belongs to Young who really goes powerhouse with her political speeches and hopes for the country. I think the film should have paid more attention to the political side of things because it made for some nice drama while the love story is very predictable. Cotten and Young have wonderful chemistry together but the supporting cast is just as good. Ethyl Barrymore and Charles Bickford nearly steal the film Rhys Williams, Harry Davenport and Tom Powers adding nice support. The film has Frank Capra written all over it and I'm sure he would have made more out of the overall film but for what's here there's plenty to enjoy.

edwagreen Loretta Young's Oscar-winning performance in "The Farmer's Daughter" was a major upset in 1947. All the so called experts had predicted that Rosalind Russell would win for "Mourning Becomes Electra." Ms. Young had some hefty competition besides Russell. We had Susan Hayward for "Smash-up: The Story of A Woman," and Dorothy McGuire, for the Oscar winning film, "Gentleman's Agreement"Nonetheless, Loretta is to be congratulated for her authentic Swedish accent as a maid who works for a Congressman and by the end is elected to that high office herself.We see corruption in politics;unfortunately, not something unusual even for these times. What makes it somewhat scary is the bigotry that is introduced along with the corruption.With fine support by Ethel Barrymore, Joseph Cotten and Charles Bickford, "The Farmer's Daughter" is a wonderful movie.

james-warner-1 I have never forgotten one magnificent scene from "The Farmer's Daughter" which I saw many years ago when it was first released. Since then, I have never watched a political convention on TV without thinking about it. A very naive and innocent Loretta Young goes to a gigantic political convention with Charles Bickford, an old-timer in the political arena. She is overwhelmed by the crowd's enthusiasm and the confusion. But Bickford is disparaging and tells her to jump up in the midst of everything and simply shout, "Fresh fish!!" She doesn't understand why but does it anyway. Immediately the crowd yells and cheers wildly. It's a magnificent comment on how well convention goers listen to what's going on. I'm waiting for someone who has seen "The Farmer's Daughter" to do the same thing today. But no luck yet!!