The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Loretta Young is Annie Morgan, a young never-been-kissed Quaker woman who decides to head West and start a school after the death of her parents.

She winds up in Laraville, Wyoming, where she snags a key parcel of water-front land for $75 in an auction of town lots.

Business tycoon James Cork (Edward Arnold) isn’t happy to see that happen. With his own man — Robert Preston as Steve Lewis — running the auction, his agents were supposed to wind up with all the important parcels.

So he assigns Lewis the task of convincing Annie to sell the land.

Lewis begins his convincing by taking Annie to a square dance and kissing her in the moonlight, just as she requested.

It almost works.

But just as she’s about to sign over her land to Cork, newspaperman Hank Foreman reveals the motive: Her land will give Cork complete control of the riverfront land, allowing him to charge farmers for every drop of water they want.

When Annie backs out of the deal, Cork has her schoolhouse burned, then has his men ransack the newspaper office and beat Foreman to a pulp.

The men in town won’t stand up to Cork. The women want to, but couldn’t even serve on a jury if they got Cork arrested because they don’t have the right to vote.

So Annie Morgan heads off to Cheyenne, with a women’s suffrage bill in her hand.

Problem is, Steve Lewis is Cheyenne bound as well, as the new hand-picked assemblyman for the Laraville region.

Loretta Young as Annie Morgan, deciding to use the law to fight back against James Cork in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Robert Preston as Steve Lewis, trying to talk sense into Annie Morgan in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Review:

Loretta Young would later star in a pair of comedy Westerns — “Along Came Jones” (1945) and “Rachel and the Stranger” (1948) — that are a pure delight.

This film calls for a madcap performance — think Katherine Hepburn in “Bringing Up Baby” — and isn’t nearly as successful.

The Annie Morgan character is an eccentric who’s gotten her notions of romance from reading poetry. She talks so quickly and goes off on so many tangents that she leaves Steve Lewis’s head spinning.

Once in Cheyenne, she has dance hall girls deck her out for a governor’s ball, drinks tonic (alcohol) to soothe her nerves, then heads off to lobby for her suffrage bill.

It’s her Cinderella moment. She charms every man in sight, Steve Lewis included.

But the film’s ending has Annie, her immediate mission accomplished, quite willing to settle down and be a good little housewife, caring for her husband and helping him with his political ambitions while she sets at home and mends his socks.

Among the clever touches is Annie’s means of getting her bill passed, by pitting Republicans against Democrats and vice versa. When it comes to politics, some things never change.

Edward Arnold as James Cork, irritated that a key parcel of property wound up in the wrong hands in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Frank Craven as Hank Foreman, the newspaperman who opposes Jim Cork’s tyranical rule of Laraville in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Directed by:
Frank Lloyd

Cast:
Loretta Young … Annie Morgan
Robert Preston … Steve Lewis
Edward Arnold … James Cork
Frank Craven … Hank Foreman
Gladys George … Elsie
Jessie Ralph … Mrs. McGinness
Stanley Fields … Jerry Stover
Willie Best … George
Samuel S. Hinds … Gov. Howard
Spencer Charters … Dr. McGuinness
Clare Verdera … Mrs. Matthews
Al Bridge … Mr. Matthews
Charles Williams … Clerk
Erville Alderson … Ike Fairchild
Emmett Vogan … Stanton
Roger Imhof … Uncle Bill
William B. Davidson … Nye Dunbar

Runtime: 88 min.

Gladys George as Elsie, the dance hall girl who serves Annie tonic to calm her nerves before a governor’s ball in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Willie Best as George, the Wyoming assembly clerk who provides Annie Morgan political advice in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Memorable lines:

Newspaperman Hank Foreman: “So Jim Cork’s running the auction for the railroad?”
Townsman: “Yep.”
Foreman: “Wonder the tracks don’t curl up.”

James Cork, of Steve Lewis taking Annie square dancing: “How she blows?”
Lewis: “Like a 70-mile gale. She learned square dancing this afternoon. Now I’m clumsy.”

Annie: “They’re intoxicating aren’t they? The stars, I mean. And the moon. Do you think I ought to have two of them?”
Steve Lewis, confused around Annie as normal: “Two what?”
Annie: “Two stoves to heat my schoolhouse.”

Annie, after getting her first kiss ever, from Steve: “Oh, there’s something rushing around inside of me. I feel like giving presents to everyone.”

Annie, realizing why Steve’s been so kind to her and why Cork wants her land: “I guess I’ve been kind of childish and silly, haven’t I? But I think I’ve grown up. Just in this one minute.”

Annie, as she prepares to head off to Cheyenne: “There’s something boiling up inside of me. I think I’m just plain mad. I’d like to hit somebody.”

Annie, after the dance hall girls dress her to dazzle: “I feel naked.”
Elise: “You look naked. You look grand!”

Loretta Young as Annie Morgan, decided to take a stand against James Cork and Steve Lewis in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Samuel S. Hinds as Wyoming Gov. Howard, being charmed by Annie Morgan in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Gladys George as Else, persuading gentleman friend and assemblyman Jerry Stover (Stanley Fields) to introduce Annie’s bill in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Robert Preston as Steve Lewis, explaining to Annie why a female jury can’t possibly convict James Cork (Edward Arnold) in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Edward Arnold as James Cork, wondering why Annie Morgan (Loretta Young) is buying a key piece of property in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)

Loretta Young as Annie Morgan, reminding a lovestruck Steve Lewis who he works for in The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)