The Romance of Rosy Ridge *** (1947, Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell, Janet Leigh, Selena Royle, Marshall Thompson, Dean Stockwell, Charles Dingle, Guy Kibbee) – Classic Movie Review 13,922

Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell and Janet Leigh star in the 1947 American Western film The Romance of Rosy Ridge about a rural community bitterly divided after the American Civil War.

‘Rough! tough! terrific!’ ‘A LOVE — BORN OF VIOLENCE and a HATE that brought him face to face with his worst enemy — the father of his sweetheart!’

Director Roy Rowland’s 1947 MGM American Western film The Romance of Rosy Ridge is based on the 1937 novel by MacKinlay Kantor, and stars Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell and Janet Leigh, with Selena Royle, Marshall Thompson, Dean Stockwell, Charles Dingle, and Guy Kibbee.

As Lissy Anne MacBean, Janet Leigh is delightful in her first screen appearance (aged just 20) in this sweet, if slight, old-style tale of a romance in a small American rural community in Missouri still affected by divided US Civil War loyalties in the aftermath of the war.

MGM’s post-war romantic musical comedy Western is a typically slushy, sentimental stroll through familiar territory, with much starry-eyed blundering by the handsome leads on the way to true love. Cult director Roy Rowland (The 5,000 Fingers of Doctor T) manages to ease off on the saccharine level just enough to make this a surprisingly palatable and entertaining concoction.

Thomas Mitchell brings crusty authority to his role as the patriarch, Gill MacBean, and Van Johnson is charming as Henry Carson, while 11-year-old Dean Stockwell appears as Andrew MacBean, and there is the usual welcome support cast of MGM contract players. I wouldn’t say Van Johnson was ‘rough, tough and terrific’, but he was one of MGM’s most reliable and trusted stars for years and years.

Janet Leigh (Jeanette Helen Morrison) recalled that Van Johnson was responsible for her stage name. He suggested she shorten her first name Jeanette to Janet, and he thought that since the film they were doing was an American Civil War drama, Lee would go well. (Robert E Lee was the leading Confederate general who commanded the Army of Northern Virginia and became a central figure in the American Civil War.) Then he suggested she spell it Leigh but she was concerned there might be confusion with Vivien Leigh, but then Johnson reminded her of Van Heflin. He said “There’s two Vans and it hasn’t hurt either of us.”

Cast: Van Johnson as Henry Carson, Thomas Mitchell as Gill MacBean, Janet Leigh as Lissy Anne MacBean, Selena Royle as Sairy MacBean, Marshall Thompson as Ben MacBean, Dean Stockwell as Andrew MacBean, Charles Dingle as John Dessark, Guy Kibbee as Cal Baggett, Elisabeth Risdon as Emily Baggett, Jim Davis as Badge Dessark, Russell Simpson as Dan Yeary, O Z Whitehead [Oothout Zabriskie Whitehead] as Ninny Nat, James Bell as John Willhart, Joyce Arling as Mrs Willhart, William Bishop as Ad Buchanan, Paul Langton as Tom Veary, Gail Davis, Marie Windsor.

The Romance of Rosy Ridge is written by Roy Rowland, runs 106 minutes, is made by Loew’s Incorporated, released by MGM, is written by Lester Cole, based on a story by MacKinlay Kantor, is shot in black and white by Sidney Wagner, is produced by Jack Cummings, is scored by George Bassman, and is designed by Cedric Gibbons and Richard Duce.

After all the hard work, it took a total of $2,445,000 at the box office worldwide, little more than its budget of $2,117,000, resulting in MGM declaring a loss of $533,000.

Roy Rowland (December 31, 1910 – June 29, 1995) directed many films from the 1940s to the 1960s including Our Vines Have Tender Grapes, Meet Me in Las Vegas, Rogue Cop, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T, and The Girl Hunters. Rowland married Ruth Cummings, niece of MGM boss Louis B Mayer and sister of Jack Cummings, the MGM producer and director who produced The Romance of Rosy Ridge.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,922

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