Montana Moon
About Montana Moon
Joan Prescott (Joan Crawford), a rancher's daughter, is on a train with her sister Elizabeth (Dorothy Sebastian) when Jeff (Ricardo Cortez) kisses her. She gets off at the next stop and meets the cowboy Larry Kerrigan (Johnny Mack Brown), who does not know she is John Prescott's daughter and names her Montana. They marry. Her father (Lloyd Ingraham) approves. At a party she dances and kisses Jeff. Larry fights him. She says the marriage was a mistake. On the train back toward New York, masked cowboys stop the cars and take her. The holdup is Larry's, and he means to keep her.
Cast & crew
More about Montana Moon
Malcolm St. Clair directed. William H. Daniels photographed it. Carl Pierson and Leslie F. Wilder edited. Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown wrote the songs. MGM released it on 20 March 1930. It runs 89 minutes. The books list a cost of $277,000 and receipts of $960,000. Benny Rubin plays Dr. Bloom, Cliff Edwards plays Froggy, and Karl Dane plays Hank.
Themes
Making
St. Clair sets the city party on the ranch and then puts the last scene back on a train, so the holdup can undo the trip to New York.
Look
William H. Daniels photographed the ranch party and the train holdup.
Music
Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown wrote the songs.
Preservation
The 89-minute MGM release survives.
Notes
- Larry refuses John Prescott's money and says a husband should support his wife himself.
- Crawford's character will not give Larry her name at the whistle stop. He picks Montana.
- The picture is an early talkie Western with songs, released the same spring MGM was still issuing some films silent as well as sound.
- Elizabeth tells Joan on the train that she loves Jeff. Jeff is more interested in Joan.
- It is an early picture built around a singing cowboy.
Scenes
- Joan steps off the train and lets Larry name her Montana.
- She kisses Jeff at the party and Larry fights him.
- Masked cowboys stop the New York train. They are Larry's men.
