The Judy Garland many venerate today is the post-Plaza Theater (c.1951) Judy --damaged, pill-popping, alcoholic, overweight--the inspiration for female-impersonators everywhere because of her unique way of pouring out a broken heart in song while living life on the brink as Liza's mother. But the real Judy, the Judy who won America's heart back in the late 1930s is this incandescent teenager, eighteen years old at the time of this film. Those who find the later Judy's manner of acting and singing over-the-top, a bit vulgar, should listen here to the sheer beauty and purity of her soprano voice, her flawless enunciation and phrasing, her feeling for jazz, her utter simplicity. What's more she was a superb actress; witness the scene in the Central Park hansom cab with Mickey, so touchingly real and affecting. It is said that Stella Adler, who was to become Marlon Brando's teacher, but working for Arthur Freed at MGM at that time, was a great supporter of her amazing talent; perhaps Stella coached her acting. The story of this film is typically silly and dated but Judy and Mickey together are as always wonderful!

Andy Hardy may have been the shining member of his class in Carvel, but when his family goes to New York with the Judge on business, he finds he can't take it on as he did the less sophisticated people in his home town. He has lied to his girlfriend Polly that he has made friends with a rising young New York débutante named Daphne Fowler (Diana Lewis). She expects evidence or will put a doctored picture of Daphne and Andy on the school's newspaper. I guess Polly had access to some pre-historic version of photo shop because she sends him a copy of the cover she intends to use unless he comes back with proof. In New York, Andy runs into old pal Betsy Booth (Judy Garland) whom he still considers a little girl. But two years have turned Betsy into a lovely teenaged girl and she has moved gracefully out of adolescence into being rather sophisticated herself. She looks like Jane Wyman in the later "Lost Weekend" in her leopard coat and hat. Of course, she still gets two songs belittling her attempts to find romance-"Alone" and "I'm Nobody's Baby". She adds some comic twists to the first song in order to get Andy's attention, and finally does when she starts swingin' to the latter. Andy finally opens his eyes to what he has been missing and sees his feelings for the débutante for the infatuation it was.

As far as the other Hardy's, Andy and Marian don't argue all that much in this one which is a nice omission from the previous films, and Fay Holden's ma finally is the more gentle "would you care for more pie?" type mom rather than the lightly nagging wife she was in the beginning of the series. Sara Haden is back as Aunt Millie although she doesn't appear in the opening credits. She is actually more sympathetic to Andy than his parents are, while some of Lewis Stone's fatherly advice is laughably preachy. French born George P. Breakston is the little boy (whom Andy first assumes is a little girl) who is used in a silly plot twist involving Judge Hardy's attempts to keep funding for the Carvel orphanage from being stopped.

I can't highly recommend this film other than for die-hard Judy fans. It's another MGM moral lesson from Louis B. Mayer's one-sided mind of what the American family should be, never has been, and never could be. The saving grace in this aspect of the film is that Andy does get himself into a shopping cart load of trouble and is less than the peppy All-American teenager Andy was in his home town. Look for references and a photo of Lana Turner's character Cynthia, who is mentioned several times, and referenced to no longer living in town.

I have found that the Andy Hardy films are enjoyable light entertainment--certainly not great films but likable nonetheless. However, this installment is the first I've seen from the series in which I didn't like Andy...a serious problem. While he's always been rather sweet and likable, here he seems like a phony--a social- climber who often disregards those around him.

It all begins with Andy (Mickey Rooney) creating a lie to impress his friends. He tells them that he's friends with a famous New York débutante, Daphne Fowler. But when his father announces that they family is going to New York because he has business, Andy panics. Instead of just telling the truth, he just tells one lie after another.

When the family arrives in the city, they are met by Betsy (Judy Garland) and she plans on doing her best to make sure the family has a great visit. She also helps Andy without question in his scheme to meet Daphne...and it's obvious she's doing it because she is in love with Andy. How is it obvious? She sings a song all about it...which is what most young adults do when they are faced with problems. Despite her help, Andy digs a hole for himself because he's much more concerned about looking big in society instead of caring for everyone around him. At one point, a restaurant owner tells Andy "I think you need a good spanking"...and I heartily agree! He has been a complete jerk throughout the film. Can he possibly redeem himself or will he just digging his self-absorbed hole even deeper?

There is a HUGE problem with a sense of perspective in this film. Andy whines and mopes and complains that his family isn't rich instead of just telling the truth and being a stand-up guy...and it's made worse since Judge Hardy is in New York because the local orphanage has lost its funding...a far, far, far more important problem. Again and again, I just wanted to see someone bust Andy in the mouth and tell him to grow up and shut up! Eventually he learns his lesson in this heavy-handed film but he's simply insufferable in the meantime...making it one of the worst films in the series. Had they had more balance and made Andy not quite so awful, it would have worked much, much better.