Wild Harvest is a 1947 film directed by Tay Garnett and starring Alan Ladd and Dorothy Lamour. Plot Joe Madigan's crew harvests wheat for farmers. Jim Davis, a good mechanic who irresponsibly drinks and gambles too much, is fired by his friend, but atones with a heroic act during a fire. Alperson's rival crew is getting jobs by under-bidding Joe's. A farmer's flirtatious niece, Fay Rankin, finds a field for Joe's workers and then unsuccessfully tries to seduce him. She wants to come along and sets her sights on Jim instead, marrying him. Fay's interference becomes a problem. Joe ends up owing money and Alperson tries to buy his combines. Fay makes another play for Joe, who calls her "cheap" and "poisonous." Jim catches her slapping Joe, which leads to a fight between the men. Joe's loyal crew member King catches thievery of wheat by Jim and reports it. Joe, almost broke, is saved again by a penitent Jim, who sells Fay's car, enraging her. Fay finally reveals to Jim that she never loved him at all and that their marriage was a "joke." Joe and Jim team up on a new 3,000-acre job, making them prosperous at last. Cast Alan Ladd as Joe Madigan Dorothy Lamour as Fay Rankin Robert Preston as Jim Davis Lloyd Nolan as Kink Richard Erdman as Mark Lewis Allen Jenkins as Higgins Will Wright as Mike Alperson Griff Barnett as Rankin Anthony Caruso as Pete Walter Sande as Long Frank Sully as Nick Caren Marsh as Natalie Production The film was based on an original screen story called The Big Haircut by Houston Branch, which focused on wheat harvesters who travel across the country doing their job. "The big haircut" was their slang term for the work they do; the topic was thought to be especially topical because of a worldwide bread shortage at the time. It was bought by Paramount in May 1946 specifically as a vehicle for Alan Ladd. A. I. Bezzerides was hired to work on the script. Tay Garnett signed to direct and Brian Donlevy was originally announced as Ladd's co star. Before a final script and cast had been confirmed, second unit filming commenced in July 1946 at the Russell Giffen ranch, 47 miles north of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley. Tay Garnett and the film crew shot footage of a real wheat harvest involving 27 combines and