Except for the beginning and end title sequences the song Feudin', Fussin', and A-Fightin' will not be heard at all in this western comedy with two musical numbers in it. The feud here involves a couple of western towns that have an annual footrace and one town has been running the pants off the other, so much so that with the money lost in bets, the town that Percy Kilbride and Marjorie Main reside in is practically in receivership to the other.
So what to do, but try to find a fast runner even if it means kidnapping him. Which is what they do with traveling salesman Donald O'Connor. Of course later on Penny Edwards who is Marjorie's niece provides a more subtle inducement for him to stay.
The film itself was created to take advantage of the hit song by Burton Lane and Al Dubin and popularized by Dorothy Shaye, billed as the Park Avenue hillbilly. She sings the song in the later Universal film with Abbott&Costello, Comin' Round the Mountain. It's a fun song and made Dorothy Shaye a one hit wonder in her time, but it was a big hit. I have a bootleg recording of it where she does a trio version with Bing Crosby and Groucho Marx on one of Crosby's radio broadcasts.
The premise quite frankly is rather dopey, the best comedy in the film is provided by future stooge Joe Besser as the sheriff who condones kidnapping in his town for a good cause. But Donald O'Connor is given a couple of fine numbers. He sings and dances to Me And My Shadow in a nice number staged in barn. Very intricate almost Busby Berkely like in creativity. And he sings and dances with Penny Edwards to the song Sposin'.
For those numbers which do show the ingenuity and talent of Donald O'Connor, I'd check out Feudin', Fussin', and A-Fightin'.
