Love Finds Andy Hardy

Last updated

Love Finds Andy Hardy
Love Finds Andy Hardy 1938 poster.jpg
1938 theatrical poster
Directed by George B. Seitz
Written byVivien R. Bretherton
William Ludwig
Aurania Rouverol
Produced byLou L. Ostrow
Carey Wilson
Starring Lewis Stone
Mickey Rooney
Judy Garland
Cecilia Parker
Fay Holden
Cinematography Lester White
Edited by Ben Lewis
Music by David Snell
Production
company
Distributed by Loew's Inc.
Release date
  • July 22, 1938 (1938-07-22)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$212,000 [1] [2]
Box office$2,247,000 [1] [2]

Love Finds Andy Hardy is a 1938 American romantic comedy film that tells the story of a teenage boy who becomes entangled with three different girls all at the same time. It stars Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Ann Rutherford, Mary Howard and Gene Reynolds.

Contents

The screenplay was written by William Ludwig, from stories by Vivien R. Bretherton, and based upon characters created by Aurania Rouverol. It was directed by George B. Seitz. In 2000, Love Finds Andy Hardy was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". [3] [4]

This was the first film in which Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer recorded at least part of the soundtrack in stereophonic sound, a practice which was used for a number of MGM musical comedies beginning the late 1930s. The film was presented in standard monaural sound.

Plot

Judy Garland in the trailer for the film. Judy Garland in Love Finds Andy Hardy trailer.jpg
Judy Garland in the trailer for the film.

It is December 1938 in the town of Carvel. Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) is putting a down payment on a used car, desperate to take his girlfriend Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) to the Christmas Eve dance in his own car. When Polly tells Andy she will be visiting her grandmother for the next three weeks and will not be able to attend the Christmas Eve dance with him, Andy vows to attend the dance alone. Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone), Andy's father, later encounters his son, who broaches the subject of car ownership, but Judge Hardy tells Andy that he cannot have his own car.

Returning home for the evening, Judge Hardy runs into 12-year-old Betsy Booth (Judy Garland), who is staying with her grandparents for the Christmas holiday. Betsy's grandmother has been effusive about Andy Hardy and Betsy is thrilled to learn he will be her next door neighbor during her stay. Judge Hardy's wife, Emily (Fay Holden), receives a telegram that evening informing her that her mother has had a stroke. Emily and her sister leave immediately for rural Canada to care for their mother. Andy meets Betsy while delivering some of his mother's freshly canned preserves. Betsy is obviously taken with Andy but he does not reciprocate her admiration; he leaves as quickly as possible.

Beezy (George P. Breakston), Andy's friend, asks Andy to date Cynthia (Lana Turner), Beezy's girlfriend, while Beezy is out of town over the Christmas holiday period, so that she will avoid other men. Beezy promises to pay Andy $8 plus 50 cents a week for expenses for his efforts. Andy needs the money to purchase his car, so he agrees. Andy starts going out with Cynthia, but she is bored by sports activities, and they find they only get along when they are busy kissing; after walking Cynthia home Andy stops in to visit Betsy Booth—only he's covered in Cynthia's lipstick. Betsy gives Andy a handsome new radiator cap for his anticipated car, and, after he leaves, she sadly sings “In-Between.”

One morning, Andy receives a telegram from Polly saying she will be home for the Christmas Eve dance after all. Andy telephones her saying he can't take her to the dance because of a previous engagement. He thereafter opens a letter from Beezy. Beezy wrote saying he found a new girlfriend so he will not pay Andy for dating Cynthia. Betsy, from a moneyed family, offers to help Andy pay for his car, but he refuses her aid. That evening, he tells his father about the mess he made. Judge Hardy explains his point of view about spending money on a car versus putting it aside as savings—and then discloses his deep concern for Andy's mother. Judge Hardy would like to convey a message to his wife, but there is no telephone at her mother's home and Emily finds telegrams unnerving.

Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, and Fay Holden Love Finds Andy Hardy (1939) 1.jpg
Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, and Fay Holden

Andy suggests a message be sent to their mother via ham radio in lieu of sending her a telegram. Andy brings Judge Hardy to the home of twelve-year-old ham radio operator James McMann Jr. (Gene Reynolds) and he sends a message to Mrs. Hardy in Brigham, Quebec. Judge Hardy is so impressed with James's help and his son's ingenuity that he pays the last $8 for Andy's car.

Betsy deceives Cynthia into thinking that Andy's car is an absolute wreck; Cynthia haughtily refuses to go to the Christmas Eve dance with Andy. Andy feels relieved to be able to date Polly again. Andy tries to clear things up with Polly but, having learned of his fling with Cynthia, she angrily tells Andy that she won't go to the dance with him because she has a date with a college boy. Christmas Eve finds Andy wholly dejected at the prospect of not having a date for the dance—but when Betsy comes over in her evening gown he decides to take her to the dance.

At the dance, Polly's date recognizes Betsy as an accomplished singer and asks her to perform; Andy is scared that she will embarrass him, but she proves to be a fantastic singer and quickly wins over the crowd with “It Never Rains But it Pours” and encores with “Meet the Beat of My Heart.” Betsy and Andy lead the dance in a grand march after Polly leaves in tears. Late that evening at home after the dance, Betsy Booth and the Hardy family are gathered together around the Christmas tree when Mrs. Hardy unexpectedly returns home—her mother is getting better.

On Christmas Day, Betsy explains everything to Polly. Polly and her date from the dance come over to the Hardy home, and Polly's date turns out to be her cousin. Polly's cousin then meets Andy's sister, and they leave together. Betsy expresses her gratitude to Andy for a wonderful evening and leaves. Polly and Andy make up.

Cast

Rooney with Judy Garland in a still from the film Rooney-Garland-ebay-1938.jpg
Rooney with Judy Garland in a still from the film

Production notes

Reception

The film was a big hit, earning $1,637,000 in the US and Canada and $610,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $1,345,000. [1] [2]

Film critic Pauline Kael praised Love Finds Andy Hardy in her book 5001 Nights At The Movies (p. 438): “Immensely entertaining. The fourth and perhaps the most charming of the Andy Hardy series, Louis B. Mayer’s make-believe vision of Middle America.”

Related Research Articles

<i>Bachelor Mother</i> 1939 film by Garson Kanin

Bachelor Mother (1939) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers, David Niven, and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna from an Academy Award-nominated story by Felix Jackson written for the 1935 Austrian-Hungarian film Little Mother. With a plot full of mistaken identities, Bachelor Mother is a light-hearted treatment of the otherwise serious issues of child abandonment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Rooney</span> American actor (1920–2014)

Mickey Rooney was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the silent-film era. He was the top box-office attraction from 1939 to 1941, and one of the best-paid actors of that era. At the height of a career marked by declines and comebacks, Rooney performed the role of Andy Hardy in a series of 16 films in the 1930s and 1940s that epitomized the mainstream United States self-image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Hardy</span> Fictional character played by Mickey Rooney

Andrew "Andy" Hardy is a fictional character best known for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer series of 16 films in which he was played by Mickey Rooney. The main film series was released from 1937 to 1946, with a final film made in 1958 in an unsuccessful attempt to revive the series. Hardy and other characters initially appeared in the 1928 play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol. Early films in the series were about the Hardy family as a whole, but later entries focused on the character of Andy Hardy. Rooney was the only member of the ensemble to appear in all 16 films. The Hardy films, which were enormously popular in their heyday, were sentimental comedies, celebrating ordinary American life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Rutherford</span> Canadian-born American actress

Therese Ann Rutherford was a Canadian-born American actress in film, radio, and television. She had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the Andy Hardy series, and appearing as one of Scarlett O'Hara's sisters, Careen O'Hara in the film Gone with the Wind (1939).

<i>Babes in Arms</i> (film) 1939 film by Busby Berkeley

Babes in Arms is the 1939 American film version of the 1937 coming-of-age Broadway musical of the same title. Directed by Busby Berkeley, it stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, and features Charles Winninger, Guy Kibbee, June Preisser, Grace Hayes, and Betty Jaynes. It was Garland and Rooney's second film together as lead characters after their earlier successful pairing in the fourth of the Andy Hardy films. The film concerns a group of youngsters trying to put on a show to prove their vaudevillian parents wrong and make it to Broadway. The original Broadway script was significantly revamped, restructured, and rewritten to accommodate Hollywood's needs. Almost all of the Rodgers and Hart songs from the Broadway musical were discarded.

<i>Andy Hardy Meets Debutante</i> 1940 film by George B. Seitz

Andy Hardy Meets Debutante is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by George B. Seitz. The film stars Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden and Judy Garland. It is the ninth of the Andy Hardy full-length film series.

<i>Youre Only Young Once</i> 1937 film by George B. Seitz

You're Only Young Once is a 1937 American comedy film directed by George B. Seitz. Following A Family Affair, it is the second film of the Andy Hardy series. Lewis Stone replaces Lionel Barrymore as Judge Hardy while Fay Holden replaced Spring Byington as his wife since both Barrymore and Byington were too expensive for the sequel's modest budget. Mickey Rooney would repeat his role as Andy while Cecilia Parker, as his sister, and Sara Haden, as Aunt Milly, would also reprise their roles from the original film. They were the only original actors transferred to the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June Preisser</span> American actress

June Preisser was an American actress, popular in musical films during the late 1930s and through the 1940s, many of which capitalized on her skills as an acrobat.

<i>Young Tom Edison</i> 1940 film by Norman Taurog

Young Tom Edison is a 1940 biographical film about the early life of inventor Thomas Edison directed by Norman Taurog and starring Mickey Rooney. The film was the first of a complementary pair of Edison biopics that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released in 1940. Edison, the Man, starring Spencer Tracy, followed two months later, completing the two-part story of Edison's life.

<i>Andy Hardys Private Secretary</i> 1941 film by George B. Seitz

Andy Hardy's Private Secretary is a 1941 American comedy film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Rutherford and Fay Holden. It was the tenth of the 16-film Andy Hardy series. Marian Hardy does not appear in this film.

<i>A Family Affair</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by George B. Seitz

A Family Affair is a 1937 American comedy film directed by George B. Seitz and based on the 1928 play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol. It was the first of 16 films now known as the Andy Hardy series, although Andy Hardy did not become the main character in the series until several more installments had been made. The film stars Lionel Barrymore, Cecilia Parker, Eric Linden, Mickey Rooney and Charley Grapewin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fay Holden</span> American actress (1893–1973)

Dorothy Fay Hammerton, known professionally as Fay Holden, was a British-born, American-based actress. She was known as Gaby Fay early in her career.

<i>Love Laughs at Andy Hardy</i> 1946 film by Willis Goldbeck

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Willis Goldbeck and starring Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone and Bonita Granville. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film is also known under its American promotional title Uncle Andy Hardy. This was the fifteenth and penultimate film in the Andy Hardy series. The final installment, Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958), would be released 12 years later.

<i>Life Begins for Andy Hardy</i> 1941 film by George B. Seitz

Life Begins for Andy Hardy is a 1941 American comedy film and the 11th installment of the 16 popular Andy Hardy movies. Directed by George B. Seitz, Life Begins for Andy Hardy was also the last Andy Hardy movie to feature Judy Garland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Breakston</span> French-American actor film director (1920–1973)

George Paul Breakston was a French-American actor, producer and film director, active in Hollywood from his days as a child actor in Andy Hardy films in the 1930s, to a period as an independent producer/director in the 1950s.

<i>Andy Hardy Comes Home</i> 1958 film

Andy Hardy Comes Home is a 1958 American comedy film directed by Howard W. Koch. It is the 16th and final film in the Andy Hardy series, with Mickey Rooney reprising his signature role. It was produced 12 years after the previous Hardy film, and was an attempt to revive what had once been an enormously popular film series. Because the film fell short of box office projections, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer did not continue the Andy Hardy series.

<i>Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever</i> 1939 film by W. S. Van Dyke

Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever is a 1939 American romantic comedy film directed by W. S. Van Dyke. The plot is about Andy Hardy having a crush on his high school drama teacher, Miss Rose Meredith. It is the seventh of sixteen Andy Hardy films starring Mickey Rooney.

<i>Andy Hardys Double Life</i> 1942 film

Andy Hardy's Double Life is a 1942 comedy film directed by George B. Seitz. It was the thirteenth installment of MGM's enormously popular Andy Hardy film series starring Mickey Rooney as the title character.

<i>The Courtship of Andy Hardy</i> 1942 film by George B. Seitz

The Courtship of Andy Hardy is a 1942 film, part of the Andy Hardy series. It gave an early role to Donna Reed although Mickey Rooney had lobbied for his then-wife Ava Gardner to have her part. Within a few months of the film's release, she filed for divorce.

Judge Hardy and Son (1939) is the 8th film, of 16, in the Andy Hardy series. It is the last MGM film in the 1930s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Eyman, Scott (2005). Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer. Robson. p. 324.
  2. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study. 1962.
  3. "Librarian of Congress Names 25 More Films to National Film Registry" (Press release). Library of Congress. December 27, 2000. Archived from the original on September 6, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  4. "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved May 5, 2020.