He orders one of his foremen, in the first synchronized speech in he film to hurry production on the line: "Section 5 - speed ""er up - 41.] Mildred""s ruinous but noble downfall occurs as the result of poor choices of men (including her dull, middle-class broker husband Bert (Bruce Bennett)) and her caring for an ungrateful Veda.The second time is when Joe assists Shane during an uneven fistfight.The stump symbolically represents Ryker, who was once mighty, but now has to be removed.] After they swing axes together and use their own "sweat and muscle," in shots alternating between them, hey dislodge, unearth and uproot the resistant stump to beat the forces of nature.[Note: They had also worked ogether inThe Mad Miss Manton (1938).]It was the third (and arguably his best and most expensive work to date) in a series of self-directed scripts (the first two beingThe Great McGinty (1940)andChristmas in July (1940)) from the great romantic comedy director Preston Sturges.