Andy Hardy Meets Debutante

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!

Just two years after "Love Finds Andy Hardy", Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland meet again in another tale about Carvel's most dramatic high schooler. In this film, girlfriend Polly Benedict has slowed his roll and ridiculed Andy's obsession with a New York debutante named Daphne Fowler (Diana Lewis). When Judge Hardy decides to take the entire family to NYC while he confronts a big city law firm over financial commitments due an orphanage, Andy (Rooney) reconnects with Betsy Booth (Garland) and contrives to meet the mysterious and desirable Miss Fowler.

At this point the story bogs down. But two somehow-interconnected stories emerge: the benefits of living in the American Republic and Andy's despondency at being a backwater fish from a small pond.

The first part might be expected in a nation perched on the philosophical precipice of isolationism versus involvement in the ongoing war in Europe. Judge Hardy delivers a stirring speech that defines equality as equal opportunity under the law.

The party of the second part---Andy---somehow finds a way through his gloom and returns to Carvel a wiser man, where he confronts Polly, hoping to put their relationship back on track.

The best part of this film might be the musical interludes by Miss Garland. But Rooney is the driver of this and all the Andy Hardy films, and he does not disappoint. If you enjoy the Garland-Rooney vehicles, be sure to watch "Girl Crazy".

I am a huge fan of Judy so this review may be biased. I enjoyed this very much. "I'm Nobody's Baby" was typical early Judy. She and Mickey make a delightful team. They just make me smile when they come on screen. You can tell they had a blast working together. I especially like when Mickey goes out on the town and his shirt stud...I like at the very end of the movie when he looks at his photographs and says, "How one's women do mount up!" Just priceless.

ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940), directed by George B. Seitz, marks the ninth installment to the "Andy Hardy" family series starring Lewis Stone,Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden and Sara Haden. It also marked the return of Judy Garland, reprising her role of Betsy Booth introduced in LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938). Lana Turner, who also appeared in that same movie, does not appear in this segment, though her Cynthia Potter character and photograph are mentioned and shown here. As for Garland, though she plays a debutante, the debutante in the title happens to be characterized by another new MGM starlet by the name of Diana Lewis, who would become Andy Hardy's latest problem and new love combined interest.

ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE breaks its series tradition by not opening in Judge Hardy's courtroom. Instead, it begins Saturday morning with teenage lover boy, Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) asleep in bed with magazine photo cover of the Number 1 debutante, Daphne Fowler beside him, while Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) is away fishing. Hardy is then called back to Carvel by George Benedict (Addison Richards) regarding some legal matters regarding on shutting down the Carvel Orphanage and displacing many of its orphans. Though Andy has never met Daphne Fowler, he brags about having met her two years ago to his girlfriend, Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford), who, after learning the Hardy family will be heading for New York City where the Judge is to go on a business matter to keep the orphanage from closing, she and his best pal, Beezy (Georgie Breakstone) have Andy promise to return home with a photo of he and Daphne together to place in their high school newspaper, the Olympian. After a train ride to New York City, the Hardy's family, also consisting of mother (Fay Holden), Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) and Andy's older sister, Marian (Cecilia Parker), stay at a brownstone apartment on East 49th Street as arranged by Andy's debutante girlfriend, Betsy Booth (Judy Garland). As the Judge works on legal matters to save the orphanage, Betsy, whose parents are out of town, tries to help Andy with his latest problem, but doesn't know what to do since Andy insists she not ask him any questions. Going through much difficulty trying to meet Daphne Fowler (Diana Lewis), it is unknown to Andy that Daphne and Betsy are the best of friends. Others in the cast include: Marjorie Gateson (Mrs. Desmond K. Fowler); George Lessy (Mr. Underwood);Clyde Willson (Francis, later called Butch); and Cy Kendall (Mr. Carrillo, the Club Sirocco restaurant manager). If Clyde Wilson seems a bit familiar, he is that little boy who gets extreme closeup while leading a parade of little kids in the Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musical, BABES IN ARMS (1939). This is probably the only time Willson would have an extensive role in a feature film. While his character ends every other sentence with the word "please," he also gets his man-to-man talk from Andy on how to become more of a man with a stronger name of Butch.

With Judy Garland in the cast, playing a girl of age 15 as opposed to her true older age, she still gets treated like a child by Andy, unaware he's more like a child than Betsy is. As the Hardy's find time to see such New York City landmarks as The Statue of Liberty, Andy and Betsy take time walking together on Fifth Avenue, standing by St. Patrick's Cathedral, visiting Grant's Tomb, and even have their horse and buggy ride alone together in Central Park. Garland gets to sing a couple of songs, first an oldie introduced in the Marx Brothers comedy, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935) titled "Alone," followed by a new tune, "I'm Nobody's Baby." Some lighter moments of humor feature Andy acting like a big shot while eating at a swank New York restaurant and running up a high bill of $37.25 while having only $8 in his pocket. Lessons learned later by Andy regarding his father to be not just a "hick small town judge" as compared to those highly educated ones of the New York City court.

Though not as memorable as the popular LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY, ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE, at 87 minutes, is both typical and acceptable entry to the Hardy franchise. As the series progresses more on Andy and his father in that order, roles involving his sister Marion (Cecilia Parker); mother Emily (Fay Holden) and Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) have their limitations. Formerly available on video cassette dating back to the 1990s, and later DVD, ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE can be seen whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. Next installment: ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY (1941) introducing Kathryn Grayson. (***)

In the ideal Midwestern town of Carvel, high school teenager Andy (Mickey Rooney) uses books to hide pictures of New York socialite Diana Lewis (as Daphne Fowler). When friends discover his pin-up pictures in a botany book, Andy covers embarrassment by pretending to be intimately acquainted with the glamorous debutante. Meanwhile, Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) finds out that a local orphanage may lose its funding. Hoping to protect the orphanage's trust funds, Judge Hardy takes the family to Manhattan. Intending to strike up a real romance with Ms. Lewis and impress his classmates, Andy pretends to be wealthy...

Andy does get to meet his female infatuation in New York, but the young woman getting most of the screen time with Mr. Rooney is Judy Garland (as Betsy Booth)...

Returning from her appearance in the series' "Love Finds Andy Hardy" (1938), Ms. Garland is a little older and has "filled out" (like they used to day). Garland beautifully sings "Alone" and "I'm Nobody's Baby". She still likes Andy, although he doesn't seem to notice. It doesn't matter what they do, the chemistry is clearly evident. The story is a little thin for its length, but good. By the time this picture was released, Rooney and Garland were the top box office "teen idols" in the country. They made other films, but were never fresher. Their scene near the end, with Rooney and Garland riding in the back of a coach, is a career highlight.

****** Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (7/5/40) George B. Seitz ~ Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lewis Stone, Ann Rutherford