This is a Will Rogers film directed by the great John Ford. However, despite this excellent pedigree, the film is a big misfire--particularly when seen with 21st century sensibilities. The biggest problem is that the film is also a Stepin Fetchit vehicle and this Black actor is at his worst in portraying the offensive and clichéd "stupid Negro" role. Fetchit is slow, shiftless and dumb--an image many White Americans at the time would laugh at or at least ignore. Now, his entire act just seems gross and insulting.
Now if you ignore Fetchit's rantings, what are you left with in this film? Well, even without it, you've got a comedy set in Kentucky that is not particularly interesting or compelling. While Rogers is good as the leading character and he did a funny imitation of Fetchit in one scene, the rest of the characters are either wooden and dull (such as the niece and nephew) or like characters from a Li'l Abner cartoon! This one-dimensionality and poor writing conspired to make this more of a historical curio than a film any sane person would want to see.
Now if you ignore Fetchit's rantings, what are you left with in this film? Well, even without it, you've got a comedy set in Kentucky that is not particularly interesting or compelling. While Rogers is good as the leading character and he did a funny imitation of Fetchit in one scene, the rest of the characters are either wooden and dull (such as the niece and nephew) or like characters from a Li'l Abner cartoon! This one-dimensionality and poor writing conspired to make this more of a historical curio than a film any sane person would want to see.