Judge Hardy and Son

Eighth entry in the Hardy series has the Judge (Lewis Stone) assigning Andy to help locate the daughter of an immigrant couple in danger of losing their home. Meanwhile Andy is having his usual girl and money troubles that will inevitably lead to one of the patented man-to-man talks with his dad. In the middle of all of this, the movie takes a somber turn as Mrs. Hardy comes down with pneumonia and battles for her life.

Not one of the stronger Hardy films but still enjoyable. The mother illness subplot that takes over the middle is out of place with the rest of the movie. It feels very much like they needed something dramatic so they threw that in there. Still, the Hardy series was always top quality so they manage to make it all fit together as best they can. The cast of regulars is terrific, as usual. Always love seeing Ann Rutherford's adorable Polly Benedict. Henry Hull has a bit part as a doctor and Maria Ouspenskaya a small role as part of the immigrant couple that sets the story into motion. But the scene stealer of the movie has to be June Preisser as Euphrasia 'Phrasie Daisy' Clark, her first of two Andy Hardy appearances. I defy anybody to suppress a smile when she says "Phrasie Daisy loves Andy Pandy."

While there is a surprisingly serious plot point, this film has lots of laughs with Andy and solid family togetherness sprinkled throughout. It is an interesting glimpse at the Hollywood version anyway of the American family in a time of crises. Prayer, love for siblings, children and parents and the visiting family doctor and home nurse when health care was a touch less expensive and a touch more personal all play a part. This is one of the more enjoyable of the Hardy family films especially the ones without Judy Garland.

This film uncharacteristically introduces a lot of pathos in the plot when Mickey Rooney's mother, Fay Holden, gets pneumonia halfway through the film. It makes Mickey realize that his problems pale in significance to a real problem of life and death; it brings the family closer together and makes Mickey grow up a little. There's a touching scene with his sister, Cecilia Parker, where they admit to one another they really like each other despite their constant fighting. I loved that scene, which made the film so different from most of the others. It did not, however, detract from the good comedy throughout, with Mickey getting into hot water through his actions, going deeply into debt thinking he'll win a prize, inviting two girls to the Fourth-of-July fireworks celebration and constantly battling with his car to keep it running. Lewis Stone also shines as his father, looking for the daughter of an elderly Italian immigrant couple to keep them from losing their home, and getting Mickey to help find her. If you see only one film from this very popular series, this one would be a good choice. It's also a good chance to see Mickey in the first scene he played with his real-life father, Joe Yule, who plays Munk, the tire man.

The Andy Hardy series gets a little serious in Judge Hardy And Son. Mickey Rooney gets a chance to do a little detective work on behalf of the court looking for a daughter to an elderly Italian immigrant couple who are in danger of losing their home. The elderly couple is played by Egon Brecher and Maria Ouspenskaya, neither exactly Italian, but in those days they were always cast as all purpose European ethnics.

Cecilia Parker and Mickey Rooney are having their usual brother and sister spats. And Rooney despite ever faithful Ann Rutherford gets himself involved with mush mouth southern belle June Preiser as a result of his search on behalf of Lewis Stone.

The Hardy family does come to crisis when Fay Holden who begged off a trip to see her parents on their golden wedding anniversary develops a touch of pleurisy. That moves quickly to pneumonia and the woman needs round the clock nursing care. Everyone else's troubles fade as the heart of the home threatens to stop beating.

Even Lewis Stone is knocked off kilter with his wife's illness, but in the end comes around to give Mickey Rooney the same old advice about love and life which Mickey keeps hearing, but it never quite takes.

One of the more enjoyable Andy Hardy films.

JUDGE HARDY AND SON (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939), directed by George B. Seitz, the eighth in the now popular family series starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden and Sara Haden, its third 1939 series release and the last to label Judge Hardy's name in the title. Basically known to many as the "Andy Hardy" series, the opening credits not only resumes to subtitle this as "Judge Hardy's Family," but continues to have Lewis Stone's name listed first in the cast.

The story opens in Judge Hardy's (Lewis Stone) chambers in which a foreign born elderly couple, Gita (Maria Ouspenskaya) and her husband, Anton Volduzzi (Egon Breacher), a former night watchman, are in the process of losing their home and being in desperate need of financial help. The Volduzzi's have a wealthy daughter somewhere in Carvel, now a mother with a teenage daughter whom they haven't heard from in many years, to be the best possibly source of support. Hardy relies on his teenage son, Andrew (Mickey Rooney), who knows many young girls in the area, to possibly see if any one of them could me the missing Volduzzi, whose mother has married and now living under her married surname. In the midst of Andy's checking up with many young girls who may be a Volduzzi relation, Hardy's wife, Emily (Fay Holden), and her spinster sister, Milly Forrest (Sara Haden), prepare for a trip to Canada to be with their parents for their 50th wedding anniversary. However, Emily returns home prematurely very ill. Examined by the family physician, Doctor Jones (Henry Hull), she is diagnosed with pneumonia. The story shifts to heavy melodramatics as Hardy goes into worry, with Andy, in fear that his mother might be dying, driving through heavy downpousr to the other end of town get his sister, Marion (Cecilia Parker), back home for the family crisis.

Also in the supporting cast are June Preisser (Euphrasia V. Clark, the giggly blonde entering a contest on her essay on Alexander Hamilton); Martha O'Driscoll (Elvie Horton); Leona Maricle (Mrs. Horton);Margaret Early (Clarabelle V. Lee); Cliff Clark (Office Dan O'Shea), along with series regulars as Ann Rutherford (Polly Benedict), Erville Alderson (Hardy's Bailiff) and Georgie Breakston ("Beezy" Anderson. Marie Blake, who appeared as Augusta McBride in LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938), returns as the sharp-tongued housekeeper. Look for Rooney's real life father, Joe Yule, appearing as Munk, the tire man. What makes this entry interesting is seeing accomplished movie veterans as Henry Hull and Maria Ouspenskaya in fine support.

With 1939 being a busy year for Mickey Rooney, appearing in three "Andy Hardy" films, and two outside roles as THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, and the musical, BABES IN ARMS opposite Judy Garland, and its JUDGE HARDY AND SON co-stars as June Priesser and Henry Hull, Rooney was at the peak of his career. Containing plot elements ranging from light comedy to somber moments MGM style, JUDGE HARDY AND SON is standard and typical material. With Andy constantly bickering with his older sister, it's during the family crisis do they sentimentally show their love and how they truly feel about each other, this being one of the highlights. As MGM used this movie series as testing ground for its young starlets, few including Judy Garland and Lana Turner to have achieved super stardom, the young female co-stars for JUDGE HARDY AND SON featuring June Priesser, Martha O'Driscoll and Margaret Early would resume further careers at other movie studios. Forgotten by today's standards doesn't take away from fans of the series viewing this latest "Hardy Family" installment.

Part of the "Andy Hardy" package on DVD, JUDGE HARDY AND SON, along with others in the series, can be found broadcast of cable television's Turner Classic Movies. Next in the series, ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (1940 featuring the return engagement of Judy Garland as Betsy Booth from LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938). (***)