mark.waltz When a problematic writer (Gary Cooper) moves back to his country home with his very city oriented wife (Helen Vinson), he falls in love with the innocent Polish girl (Anna Sten) who lives next door. But her father has already promised her hands in marriage to another farmer (Ralph Bellamy), and when problems erupt between Cooper and Vinson, he finds himself falling in love with Sten and she longs to get out of this arranged marriage. But an agreement in the old world is an agreement, and any chance of getting what they wish could lead to tragedy.This very sweet and simple tale has all the elements for great drama, but somehow it never really rises to the heights which it is trying to attain. The leads are young and attractive, and the plot moves briskly, but even with excellent production design and direction by the masterful King Vidor, it still lacks that magic that could have made it explode into something special. I think that occurs because there really is no chemistry between Cooper and Sten, and their unsympathetic partners (Vinson and Bellamy) are not really fleshed out as characters. It also gives the impression that poor European immigrants were lead by an uncompassionate papa and a quietly dignified mama who always suffered in silence. In these roles, Sig Ruman and Esther Dale seem more like stereotypes than real people. Walter Brennan adds some zest to a few scenes as another local, but the end result is a drama that seems like something Lillian Gish may have starred in during the silent era.

nomoons11 I wasn't really expecting too much from this one. Gary Cooper is not exactly the most versatile actor there ever was but surprisingly, he covers a range of emotion in this one. That being said, he's not the real star of this film...Anna Sten is.Words can't describe at how beautiful Anna Sten is in this. She plays her part so believable it'll make you wonder why she never hit it big in Hollywood. She never caught on after this film and she faded into obscurity but when you see this, you'll be blown away at how good she was. Such a wasted talent. She should have done so much more.A not-so-successful writer and his wife run out of money and he decides they should go back to his country home because it's paid for and they need no money to live there. She's not too enthused about it cause she loves NY city life but she acquiesces. They get there and she doesn't like it but she soldiers on. Not long after they arrive he gets a visit from neighbors, Anna Sten and her father, who want to buy a section of land from him. He agrees and comes into money. The wife is quite happy and decides she wants to go back to NY...where she likes it. He agrees and lets her go while he stays behind. After this, the neighbor comes back and she becomes inspiration for his next novel. From this he falls in love with her...as she does with him. Problem is, she's from a strict Polish family with deeply religious values.If I were to get too much further into this one it would ruin it but needless to say there's a lot more coming after the synopsis I just gave you. Hang on to your seat though, you won't wanna miss any minute of this mid 30's soap opera.Without a doubt a film that deserves a serious look. I think it gets no credibility because of Gary Cooper. He was never an actor who was gonna win Oscars. He's a one trick pony and most probably thought that when this one came out. That's OK though, those who missed this one....missed out.

andreaandy Tony is a writer and can't get his latest book published in NYC so he and his wife go to a farmhouse he inherited in Connecticut where it'll be cheaper to live. While in Connecticut, he meets his Polish neighbors and their daughter, Manja. While Tony's wife is away and his cook has left him in the dead of winter, Manja helps Tony around the house and provides inspiration for his latest book. An attraction grows stronger, but Manja's hand in marriage is promised to a local farmer. Can two people promised to others and from very different worlds be happy? How will the book end? Film focuses strongly on Tony and Manja, but could have rounded out the wife's character a bit more - overall an enjoyable film but the ending's a bit melodramatic as most were for the time.

andrewsarchus Interesting film, partly because Cooper is cast so completely against the type he is later to be best known for from his Capra films - that is of the rural innocent encountering the corruption of the city. This movie is much more in the transcendental tradition of Henry Hathaway's Peter Ibbetson, also starring Cooper and released the same year. I had never heard of Anna Sten but according to the posts she was a protégé of Samuel Goldwyn in one of her first Hollywood films. She does remind me of a fresh-faced Garbo. Overall the acting is fine and characters are complex, and the direction is up to King Vidor's high standards. A fine film. The ending in particular is bittersweet.