This musical seldom makes anybody's top-10 list, but it is perfect in almost every way, except for the sappy ending when Judy Garland and John Hodiak fall for each other, literally, and also fall almost completely out of character. Not only is the movie full of romantic songs, it is also funny as all get out. Watch Virginia O'Brien teach a queasy Ray Bolger to shoe a horse as she sings about "The Wild, Wild West." "Swing Your Partner Round and Round" showcases the comedic skills of Chill Wills and Marjorie Main. Angela Lansbury (with one of the most durable careers in show business history) is delightful as the tough bordello madam with a heart of gold, singing "Oh You Kid" (although why she was dubbed by Virginia Rees is anybody's guess). This is a perfect antidote to the serious film westerns that assert guns tamed the West, whereas this film makes a convincing case for classy waitresses. Garland's scene with a pair of six shooters shows her gift for comedy and her ability to switch to romance in a flash. My particular favorite is "It's a Great Big World," sung by the dancing trio of Garland, O'Brien, Cyd Charisse. The Oscar-winning "On the Atcheson Topeka and the Santa Fe" is one of Garland's finest moments on the silver screen. On YouTube, you can watch her singing "March of the Dogies"; this scene was cut from the film and is far better than many songs left in most other movies. ---from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013