You're Only Young Once

The Hardy family is going on a summer vacation to Catalina Island in California. Each member has their own misadventures. Father is obsessed with catching a swordfish. Marian falls for a married local. Andy is taken with a fast girl. The Judge is told that his business deal threatens everything including their home.

There is some recasting. Lewis Stone is a capable old actor. Luckily for the series, Mickey Rooney does return. This is all wholesome lessons about bad romances. It's a lot of father knows best. It's light comedy and family friendly. It's another era. It must also be a good time for Catalina tourism.

Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) takes his family on vacation to Catalina Island where his kids have romantic troubles. Andy's fallen for a more experienced girl (Eleanor Lynn) and Marian's gotten involved with a married lifeguard. Looks like it's time for some of those patented Judge Hardy talks (a series staple). There's also a plot continuing from the last film that sees the Hardys in danger of losing everything. This series had pretty good continuity for the time and was good about tying the events of one film into the next.

The cast is excellent, with Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, and the adorable Ann Rutherford joining the series in this sophomore entry. Eleanor Lynn is a pretty and lively bad influence on poor Andy. A fine movie in a terrific series with healthy doses of comedy along with the drama. There's a touching scene late in the film where Fay Holden talks about the loss of their first child on the same night she was born. A beautiful scene that exemplifies the kind of heartfelt drama this series did so well.

The Series Film in the Hollywood of the 1930s through 1950s was the equivalent to a long running T.V. show. The same cast and characters came back on a regular basis to entertain the viewing audience. Or in case of Radio the listening one (1). All the studios at that time had some sort of series. PARAMOUNT the long running HOPALONG CASSIDY starring William Boyd. UNIVERSAL in the 40s featured Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as SHERLOCK HOLMES and DOCTOR WATSON. WARNER BROTHERS (WB) would display Warren William (primarily) as PERRY MASON or a variety of actors as PHILO VANCE as well as TORCHY BLANE with Glenda Farrell. COLUMBIA, ELLERY QUEEN and 20th CENTURY FOX, CHARLIE CHAN. All minor studios would feature WESTERN series and lets not forget the seemingly endless adventures of what became THE BOWERY BOYS! There were many more, but it was at METRO GOLDWYN MAYER (M.G.M.) that three (3) of the most popular series were created. After the death of its creative genius IRVING THALBERG (09/14/1936) LOUIS B. MAYER, head of the studio quickly acted to maintain the production schedule and to continue the high profitability that the NEW YORK office expected. Series production was part of his solution. DOCTOR KILDARE featuring Lew Aryes and Lionel Barrymore which segued to the DOCTOR GILLESPIE series. MAISIE with the attractive and quick tongued Ann Southern and best remembered ANDREW 'Andy' HARDY. The longest of the M.G.M. series with sixteen (16) films.

The ANDY HARDY series started modestly enough with a pilot (just like they do today) called A FAMILY AFFAIR (1937) with Lionel Barrymore heading the cast as JUDGE JAMES K. HARDY, Spring Byington as MRS EMILY HARDY and Mickey Rooney, ANDY. With the success of this one the series really got going with YOU'RE ONLY YOUNG ONCE (1937). Barrymores physical condition was not up to this series and Byington was to much in demand, so adjustments had to be made. Cast changes were Lewis Stone as JUDGE HARDY, Fay Holden; MRS. HARDY, coming back Mickey Rooney; ANDY as well as Cecilia Parker; MARIAN, Sara Haden; AUNT MILLIE FORREST with Ann Rutherford; POLLY BENEDICT. The series would also feature many character actors under contract to M.G.M. as well as up and comers. Some who would go on to greater things such as Donna Reed and Lana Turner and others would enter oblivion like Helen Gilbert.

The sixteen (16) films can be divided into two (2) parts, the first eight (8) and the second eight (8) ending with ANDY HARDY COMES HOME (1958) reuniting the cast except the late Lewis Stone (09/12/1953). The first eight (8) are of better quality and more balanced with each of the cast getting its fair share of screen time and having their problems addressed. Starting with ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (1940) the focus became ANDY & JUDGE HARDY with the rest there just to fill in. Sort of what happened to LOST IN SPACE (T.V.1965-1968) when after the first season it became the DR. SMITH, ROBOT & WILL show.

The rating we gave, IMDb value of six (6)****** is a good overview of the entire series. It being better then average but not classics in any sense of the word but well worth watching. Our advice is to watch series films like this one (1) at time and no more then three (3) in sequence. When you make a marathon of these series their shortcoming become all to obvious and irritating. A note to those message board whiners, remakes and sequels are a long time reality of this industry so stop whining about it and move on.

Following the success of "A Family Affair" (1937), MGM continues "The Hardy Family" in earnest. This second of the long-running series makes some important changes in the family. Most notably, the role of judge father is taken over by Lewis Stone (as James K. Hardy), who decides to take his small-town family to California's Catalina Island for a summer vacation. He wants to catch swordfish. Pretty blonde daughter Cecilia Parker (as Marian Hardy), energetic son Mickey Rooney (as Andrew "Andy" Hardy), supportive wife Fay Holden (as Emily) and aunt Sara Haden (as Milly Forrest) round out the family...

The children find "romance" with significantly more "experienced" partners. Fast lifeguard Ted Pearson (as Bill Rand) begins to date Ms. Parker. He's married. And, mature-looking teenager Eleanor Lynn (as Geraldine "Jerry" Lane) begins smooching young Rooney. She smokes and shares liquor. Good parenting skills from Judge Hardy come in handy when the children's romances become more serious. Lastly, Mr. Stone faces an unexpected crisis. A valuable addition to the "Hardy" series, Stone is a great strength. It ends with Stone inviting viewers to watch for "Judge Hardy's Children" (1938).

***** You're Only Young Once (12/10/37) George B. Seitz ~ Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden

There was a previous film about this family -"A Family Affair" - made also in 1937. That starred Lionel Barrymore as Judge Hardy and Spring Byington as Mrs. Hardy. Also the Hardy's daughter is married, and her marital problems figure into the plot in a major way. Mickey Rooney is very much a supporting character at that point.

This film changes everything. Lionel Barrymore had health and mobility problems, so Lewis Stone takes over the role of Judge Hardy and very much makes it his own. Spring Byington was not under contract to MGM, so she is not in this film or any other Hardy pictures as Mrs. Hardy. The rest of the supporting cast remains the same, except now Judge Hardy's daughter Marion is now magically single, never married, because more interesting situations can come about that way.

This film takes the family to Catalina Island for a vacation - a long way from Carville. No one family member takes center stage. Instead, both Marion and Andy have romantic problems and learn a few lessons. Lewis Stone as Judge Hardy is probably the central figure if anybody is. And Judge Hardy, before leaving for vacation, takes a chance that could leave the family bankrupt if things don't go his way. And he never even bothered to talk to his wife about it UNTIL it becomes a problem!

MGM apparently correctly judged they had a winning formula in the Hardys, since Lewis Stone appears in a rare epilogue to talk about how this will be a series. It turned out that the series is a good representative of MGM's output prewar and probably American values and outlooks pre war as well. WWII changed everything, and though the series had installments after WWII, it was never quite the same.

This is a good introduction to the Hardy family as it existed in every film but the first one. And that first one is worth watching on its own terms.