The Harvey Girls (MGM) is a Technicolored musical celebrating the coming of chastity, clean silverware and crumbless tablecloths to the pioneer Southwest. The bearers of this culture, according to evidence presented here, were waitresses brought out from the East and Midwest 50-odd years ago to staff the Fred Harvey system of depot lunchrooms. As history, this thesis might astonish even the late Mr. Harvey. As light-horse-opera, complete with cowboys, Indians, a rattlesnake, a railroad and Judy Garland in leg-of-mutton sleeves, it has its points.
The railroad involved is the one celebrated in the now-familiar...