Theater people invade Judy Garland's farm; they want to put on a show in her barn, but will she let her guard down long enough to join them on stage? Since the picture opens with Garland in a musical sequence (performing "If You Feel Like Singing", this film's title overseas) and the information is dropped early on that her property is in dire straits financially, the answer (and the entire plot) is fairly obvious. Some of the numbers are wonderful, particularly the justifiably famous "Get Happy" show-stopper, but several just pad the running-time and the screenplay is second-hand stuff. Gene Kelly does an ingenious bit dancing with a newspaper, but his dumb yokel act with Phil Silvers is excruciating, as is their pseudo-gospel number "Dig For Your Dinner". **1/2 from ****

When "Summer Stock" began, my hopes for the film were dashed. This is because the lyrics to the opening tune were just awful--and an odd way to start a film. A friend who acts in musical theater was with me at the time and she also commented at how bad these lyrics were. Fortunately, I fought my strong desire to turn it off and saw the rest of the film. Now I am not saying it was a great film (or even close to it),but it was an enjoyable film.

Jane (Judy Garland) runs her family farm and dates a real drip, Orville (Eddie Bracken). Her life is rather predictable and she likes it that way. However, into her normal life comes a HUGE disturbance. Her annoying and self-centered sister, Abigail (Gloria DeHaven) neglected to tell her that she's invited an acting troop to come live with them and perform in their barn*. Considering Abigail was off acting and having fun and doesn't even work the farm, this is even worse--and Jane is determined to toss these folks off the property. However, the leader of the group, Joe (Gene Kelly) is awfully nice and quite charming and so Jane agrees that they can stay. However, Abigail is a budding prima donna and her antics MIGHT just result in the show being canceled. Can anyone guess who will come in to save the day?!

This film is entertaining and worth seeing. I must say, however, in the pantheon of MGM musicals it is only about average. In fact, I think the film was at its best when they were not singing. Many love the big show-stopping Garland number "Forget Your Troubles Come on Be Happy". It was decent but obviously filmed at a different time, as she looks about 30 pounds lighter. It also is about the only particularly memorable song in the film--though I did really like Kelly's dance number in the empty barn. Light and enjoyable--this one is worth seeing but quite formulaic and easy to predict. Well done...not great. It's a shame, as it was the last film she made on her MGM contract--too bad it couldn't have been more memorable.

*This is an odd case for Garland. In her movies with Mickey Rooney when they were a bit younger, they always were looking for a barn where they could put on a show. Here, however, she is the one with the barn and the folks are coming to her!

While it is not one of the best films of either Judy Garland (in her last MGM musical) or Gene Kelly, Summer Stock nevertheless is a treat for fans of either of them or both and it showcases their talents well.

One shouldn't expect an awful lot from the story (true this said for a good deal of musicals before and during this period),it's certainly not disposable because Summer Stock does such a good job in entertaining and moving the viewer but it is rather weak in how thin as a wafer and trite it is, some parts also could have been developed longer to help them and some of the characters' motivations (particularly in the case of Gloria DeHaven) ring true better. Bumbling Phil Silvers is an acquired taste, some will find him funny, others annoying. For me he was a mixed bag, because at some points he was very amusing and then there were other points where he did grate (his accent in the Dig, Dig, Dig number is not for the easily offended either) and didn't seem necessary. The number Heavenly Music will also evoke mixed reactions, it will induce laughs for some and an equal share of cringes from others, for this viewer the campiness of the number got overly-silly to the point it got irritating and jarred with the rest of the film.

However, Summer Stock looks fabulous, being shot in gloriously colourful Technicolor (clearly loving the ever photogenic Garland) and having good use of lighting, lavish costumes and handsome and never cheap sets. The film is very energetically and whimsically scored, the swinging Happy Harvest , restrained Friendly Star and particularly the characterful and sweet You Wonderful You instrumental arrangements standing out, and the songs apart from Heavenly Music are great, deserving a better distinction of having only two memorable songs or something like that. Especially good are the rousing Get Happy (an instant classic and one of Garland's signature tunes for very good reason),the charming You Wonderful You and the incredibly heartfelt and intimately filmed Friendly Star. Summer Stock boasts equally strong choreography, Portland Fancy perfectly shows what made Garland's and Kelly's partnership here click so well and is one of the finest dance duets in a Garland film and Kelly's newspaper routine is some of his best solo work. A large part of Kelly's appeal was how he did things that don't seem all that special or interesting and turned them into something truly extraordinary.

The script is good-humoured and warm-hearted with a great deal of witty humour and charm, and while the story is not perfect in any shape or form it's at least breezily paced and cheers one up after a hard day complete with some nice emotional investment. Summer Stock is directed beautifully, and while there are reservations about Silvers the cast are very good indeed, Garland and Kelly in fact wonderful. Unlike some viewers, while a little jarring in Get Happy Garland's fluctuating weight didn't bother me because she is so charming, emotive, is exquisitely photographed, copes with ease with the dancing and sings an absolute dream, especially in Friendly Star. Kelly is at the top of his game with the dancing, he sings pleasantly and he's a dashing leading partner. His and Garland's partnership is a joy. Gloria DeHaven does make a real effort bringing some charm to a character that is quite shallow and doesn't have an awful lot to her and her voice is radiant, and Eddie Bracken is admirably more restrained than usual. Hans Conreid doesn't have an awful lot to do but is suitably smarmy.

All in all, in her last MGM musical Judy Garland went out on a high in a film that even with its faults is very easy to 'get happy' to. 8/10 Bethany Cox