Corset company owner and independent-thinking suffragette Rose Gillray has her wagon struck by a 'horseless carriage' in 1897 New York. This early automobile is driven by Charlie Masters, who tells her it is the transportation of the future.
At work, Rose is helping singer Molly Wade into a boldly designed new corset when she gets the idea that using it for Molly's costume on stage would help to promote sales, but instead the show is shut down by the police.
With her business failing, Rose owes money to Jim Carter, whose steel business manufactures the metal used for a corset's stays. Jim takes a shine to Rose and offers her a chance to sell his barbed wire, which is not selling well out west, where his salesmen get run out of town ... or worse.
She ends up in Kansas City, accompanied by Molly and followed by Charlie. A cattlemen's association convention seems a good place to try to sell the barbed wire. However, cattle rancher Joel Kingdon gives her the runaround, attracted to her personally but warning her against peddling wire. She tries his home state of Texas next, but once again, Joel interferes, putting the women out of business temporarily. Rose eventually disproves the claim that barbed wire injures cattle, but she demonstrates that the cattle are smart enough to avoid impaling themselves, and the sales start rolling in.
Joel and Jim both fall in love with Rose and propose marriage, but she rejects both. Charlie, though, comes along offering a ride to California, where he wants to explore another new notion: machines that fly.
The film was based on an original story by Stephen Longstreet. It was Ginger Rogers' first movie at RKO for a number of years.[5] "It's a very cute story", said Rogers. "It's for the whole family and I was delighted to make a family story."[6] The role was originally intended for Mae West and according to an article in the November 8, 1955 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, Betty Grable was set to play Miss Rose Gillray.
The movie marked the film debut for Carol Channing.[7] It was Barry Nelson's first film in five years. Clint Eastwood was under personal contract to producer-director Arthur Lubin, who used him in a number of films. James Arness was under contract to John Wayne and had just established himself in the CBS-TV western Gunsmoke.
RKO's head of production, William Dozier, signed Channing to a five-year contract at two films a year. It was to begin with a musical remake of Stage Door but RKO went out of business some time after the contract was signed.[9]
Reception
The film was not a financial success. According to a history of the studio. "the picture quickly faded into oblivion. RKO Teleradio needed a box-office rocket to blast off its first program of movies; instead, it tossed out a fizzling cherry bomb."[10]
^Hopper, H. (April 29, 1956). "FAMILY FILMS". Chicago Daily Tribune. ProQuest179756754.
^THOMAS M PRYOR Special to The New York Times. (January 10, 1956). "CAROL CHANNING TO BOW IN FILMS". New York Times. ProQuest113603332.
^"RKO sets up budget of $22,500,000 for films". Los Angeles Times. January 16, 1956. ProQuest166862956.
^Schallert, E. (March 13, 1956). "Drama". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest166936217.
^Jewell, Richard B.. Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures (Kindle Locations 4417-4418). University of California Press. Kindle Edition.
