The Harvey Girls - Plot

Plot

A group of "Harvey Girls", new waitresses for Fred Harvey's pioneering chain of Harvey House restaurants, travels on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to the western town of Sandrock. On the trip, they meet Susan Bradley (Judy Garland) who is traveling to the same town to marry the man whose beautiful letters she received when she answered a "lonely hearts" ad. Unfortunately, when she gets there, the man turns out to be an "old coot" who doesn't match up at all to her expectations – but he also doesn't want to get married as much as she doesn't want to marry him, so they agree to call it off. When she learns that the letters were written as a joke by someone else, the owner of the local saloon, Ned Trent (John Hodiak), she confronts him and tells him off, in the process endearing herself to him.

Susan joins the Harvey Girls, and is soon their leader in fighting against the attempts by Trent's business partner, Judge Sam Purvis (Preston Foster), to scare them off and the animosity of the dance hall girls/prostitutes, led by Em (Angela Lansbury), who is in love with Trent and sees Susan as a rival. Trent comes to see the value of the Harvey House and other trappings of civilization, and tells Purvis to leave them alone, but Purvis continues with his campaign of intimidation, finally burning down the restaurant. Trent offers his saloon as a replacement, and Em and the dance hall girls leave town. Susan, thinking that Trent is leaving too, gets on the train, but Em, seeing that Susan loves Trent so much she's willing to give up everything for him, stops the train and points out Trent riding towards them on his horse. The film ends with their wedding in the desert, surrounded by the Harvey Girls.