Harvest Melody

A Hollywood publicity stunt goes astray in this song-filled salute to the homefront men and women contributing to World War II's "Farm Aid" movement.

It's 1943 and the boys at the front must be fed. California farmer Tommy Nelson and his girl Jane need farm workers to help them harvest the crops.

To get his celebrity clients publicity, a press agent arranges for them to work the Nelsons' "Shady Acres Farm." One of them is Gilda Parker, a fading movie star in such dire need of attention that she goes from pitching hay to pitching woo, feigning love for Tommy and announcing their engagement. When it becomes clear to Gilda that their farm work is helping the war effort and hastening victory, her attitude changes and she is beckoned to a higher calling.

Harvest Melody sends its patriotic "back to the land" message loud and clear amidst much vocalizing, comic banter and, best of all, the energetic antics of The Radio Rogues, a comic threesome with show-stopping imitations of Wallace Beery, W.C. Fields, Peter Lorre, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Lou Costello and many more.