Love Laughs at Andy Hardy

Andy arrives back in Carvel, tumbling off the back of an army truck in front of his folks. The family reunion in the middle of the main street, blocking the traffic flow to the amusement of all concerned, is the best scene in the movie. Andy's been separated (demobbed) from the Army and has but one thought on his mind, proposing to Kay Wilson who he'd met at college.

'Kay Wilson' is played by the (in this movie) maternal Bonita Granville who unfortunately doesn't sing for once. Mickey Rooney looks appropriately much older than his previous movie (he has, after all, come back from service in the Army) in the series but still manages to play the irrepressible 'Andy' as only he could. Lewis Stone and Fay Holden as his folks are wonderful as usual, despite the often insipid script. That's the main problem with this movie. The script is at times puerile and it's only the mostly excellent cast which makes it worth watching. We miss 'Marion' and Polly', while the charming Sarah Haden as 'Aunt Milly' is given few lines. She might as well not be there. Marion is apparently working in New York (it is she who wires the family that Andy is on his way) while we, so far as I noticed, are given no reason for Polly's absence, despite her father's presence.

The standout guest in this movie is the stunning Dorothy Ford as 'Coffy Smith'. Not only is Dorothy tall at 6ft 4", she is both graceful and beautiful. Though as before (and after), the script remains puerile, but the cast do their best to rise above it.

The high point in most Hardy movies - those without Judy Garland, anyway - is the father and son or rather 'man to man' talk between Lewis Stone and Mickey Rooney. In this movie it's on the subject of Andy either going to college and following in the Judge's footsteps, or running off to South America to make his fortune. Unfortunately, the problematic script results in an awkward, almost embarrassing scene between the two. Lewis Stone doesn't look at all well; he was in his late 60s at the time but looks much older (he died in 1953, chasing vandals off his property). Lina Romay as 'Isolbel' sings on two occasions but she's an unsatisfactory substitute for Polly. Hal Hackett as 'Duke' is unimpressive but again, maybe that's the fault of that script.

Overall, this is a necessary part of the Hardy series but it deserved a much better script. Despite this reservation, I can still recommend it.

My copy came as one half of a double bill region 4 DVD (with 'The Perils of Pauline'). It was made from an extremely poor print and should be avoided at all costs.

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946)

** (out of 4)

The fifteenth film in the series has Andy (Mickey Rooney) returning home from the Army and clearing up a few things with his parents (Lewis Stone, Fay Holden) before heading back to college where he plans on marrying the girl (Bonita Granville) he fell in love with from the previous film. Andy's plans don't go as he expects and he gets the idea that college isn't for him and perhaps it would be best to just enter the working world. MGM would make the ill-advised decision to try and bring this series back in 1958 but it's clear this was originally meant to be the final entry in the series. I think it's also clear that the majority of the people involved were probably wishing this movie never happened at all. For starters, director Goldbeck, a newbie to the series, can't recapture the same magic as the earlier films and the entire tone of the film just doesn't seem right. Another problem is the screenplay, which really does seem to be picking up spare pieces at the bottom of a barrel. Nothing on display here is really of any interest as the entire love affair for Andy doesn't really make too much sense if you've seen the previous film in the series and for the life of me I can't understand why on Earth they spent so much time getting the entire story going. The early scenes in Carville are cute because it shows Andy meeting up with a few characters from earlier in the series (but no Polly) but it adds very little. The stuff at college isn't all that interesting either, although one of the few high points comes when Andy gets set up with a girl (Dorothy Ford) who is almost twice his size. Another highlight comes at the very end when Lina Romay shows up in a highly entertaining little sequence. The "final" spill to (originally) end the series works well but it's a shame everything else didn't meet its level of entertainment. Rooney isn't too bad in his role but it really does appear that his heart or mind is somewhere else. Stone and Holden really don't get very much to do and Sara Haden just appears briefly. Granville is as charming as ever but the screenplay doesn't do her any favors either. Fans of the series will certainly still want to check this one out but if you're new to Andy Hardy it's best to avoid this one and check out some of the earlier and better films.

In the fifteenth Andy Hardy film, he--like so many other military men--returns home after the war. During his time away, he has been thinking a lot about Kay (Bonita Granville), who is still at college. For her part, she has been thinking a lot about him since their last film, two years earlier. Each has a big announcement for the other.

A side story has Andy being matched with an attractive Amazon (Dorothy Ford) who serves to further emphasize his diminutive stature. They make the best of it and enjoy their evening at the frosh dance.

This film is not one of the better Hardy family stories, though it contains the last man-to-man chat between Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) and Andy.

Dorothy Ford steals the show with her vivacious personality. Andy's crisis du jour eventually fizzles to nothingness when he spots the next comely coed.

There is a serious subject hidden inside this episode--the fact that the passage of years (and the experiences in those years) can result in unexpected expectations from lovers or spouses. But the matter is dispatched with quickly as if Andy were still a younger teen.

The penultimate Andy Hardy movie is really, for me, the end of the series. When it returned years later in an attempt to revive things, it just wasn't the same. There's no Hardy family without Judge Hardy, in my opinion. Anyway this one was released two years after the previous one. We learn in between films Andy (Mickey Rooney) served in the war. He's home now and anxious to reunite with Kay (Bonita Granville), his girlfriend from the last movie. Andy's planning to marry Kay and settle down. His parents aren't too crazy about this idea. They want Andy to finish college before thinking about marriage. Turns out it doesn't matter as Kay has other plans for her future.

What would an Andy Hardy movie be without pretty girls? Here we have the lovely Bonita Granville, Dorothy Ford, and Lina Romay. This Lina is not to be confused with the later actress and wife of Jesús Franco. This one was mostly known for her singing, as well as her appearance in a popular Droopy cartoon. Granville is a charming actress but her character is rather dull and the whole 'romance with my legal guardian' thing is just gross. Dorothy Ford, who was over six feet tall, is beautiful and easily the highlight of the picture. The usual Hardy cast is solid, with Mickey doing a decent job portraying a maturing Andy but not TOO mature. After all, Andy Hardy would be boring if his head was on too straight.

This is the last Hardy film to feature Lewis Stone's Judge Hardy. Stone continued acting after this but he died before the next Hardy movie, Andy Hardy Comes Home, which was a failed attempt to reboot the series. When the series started out, Judge Hardy was the main character. But as Mickey Rooney's Andy grew in popularity, he took the spotlight and the Judge was reduced to a supporting part (albeit still an important one). As I've said in other Hardy movie reviews, Judge Hardy was the backbone of the series. His loving relationship with wife Emily (played by the endearing Fay Holden) and his fatherly advice to his children, particularly Andy, was at the heart of everything that happened with the Hardys. Often the series drew its A or B plot from one of the cases brought before Judge Hardy in court. Yes, Judge Hardy is also the lightning rod for most of the criticisms that are leveled at these movies. It's through him that many of the series' old-fashioned values and ideas are put forth. If you are someone who mocks the series, chances are the Judge is your least favorite character. Personally, I like him a lot, even if I don't always agree with him. Without the Judge, as played so well by Lewis Stone, the series would have been just a bunch of juvenile comedies with Mickey mugging for the camera and it might not have lasted as long as it did.

For die-hard fans of the series, there is a little to like here but not a lot . I imagine most fans would consider this one of the lesser entries. There are still some good scenes, such as Andy locking himself out of the house while in his aunt's bath robe or all of the scenes with Andy and the much-taller Coffy Smith. But, for the most part, the mood and feel of the movie is just off compared to previous ones. It's slow and lacks the energy that the earlier Hardy movies had. It's certainly not one I would recommend to anybody trying out an Andy Hardy film for the first time. But, for fans, you'll have to see it at least once. If for no other reason than one final man-to-man talk between Andy and his father.

This one one of the best entrys to the series. The acting was great as usual. Mickey Rooney was his normal, terrific self. Mickey Rooney was simply the best actor that ever lived. The man could do it all. This film was highly entertaining and terrific.!!! If you love the Andy Hardy series you will find it hilarious when he danced with a girl almost twice his size. I truly don't understand why some people have given this film a bad comment. There is simply nothing but great acting and a very very funny story! People who love Mickey Rooney should also check out his films Strike Up The Band, Boys Town, Bill, Stablemates,The Human Comedy. The man was simply amazing! I truly enjoy this entry to the Andy Hardy series. Buy it today! You will not be disappointed!