Small Town Girl (1936): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1936, Small Town Girl is a comedy and romance film directed by William A. Wellman, running about 106 minutes. “The most widely read romance of the year...with new romantic team!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Kay is a girl living in a small rural town whose life is just too dull and repetitious to bear. One night, she meets young, handsome, and rich Bob Dakin, who asks her for directions while drunk and then proceeds to take her out on a night on the town. Kay likes the stranger, and when the drunken Bob decides that they should get married, Kay hesitates little before consenting. The morning after the affair, Bob, once sober, regrets his mistake. His strict and upright parents, however, insist that the young couple pretend marriage for 6 months before divorcing, in order to avoid bad publicity. Bob resents Kay for standing in the way of him and his fiancée, Priscilla, but Kay still hopes that he'd have a change of heart.

Who’s in it. Small Town Girl stars Janet Gaynor as Katherine 'Kay' Brannan, Robert Taylor as Dr. Robert 'Bob' Dakin, Binnie Barnes as Priscilla Hyde and Andy Devine as George Brannan, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.8/10, Small Town Girl has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Small Town Girl page.

If you liked it. Fans of Small Town Girl tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.