The Hardys Ride High

Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) inherits a fortune so the family moves...to Detroit? Times really have changed. Once in Detroit, the Hardys have difficulty adjusting to their potential newfound wealth. Andy starts to think of himself as a millionaire playboy and acts accordingly. Marian spends like there's no tomorrow. Even Aunt Millie (Sara Haden) gets in on the action, trying to be something she's not to snag a man.

Lewis Stone's good in this one as the Judge's honesty and integrity is tested and, surprisingly, the old stone wall almost cracks. Mickey is fun as usual. His reaction to being invited to the chorus girl's apartment is priceless. The one father/son talk we get is late in the film but it's pretty funny. Fay Holden is as endearing as ever. Cecilia Parker didn't annoy me once in the whole picture. A first! Sara Haden has probably her best movie in the series playing Aunt Millie going through a spinster crisis. Ann Rutherford shines in her far too few scenes as Polly Benedict. Halliwell Hobbes is fun as a butler. Seems like he was always playing butlers. Virginia Grey is fine as the gold-digging chorus girl who helps lead Andy astray. Marsha Hunt and Donald Briggs have bit parts as a bickering married couple who are saved from divorce (for now) by Judge Hardy. The part where he tells the wife "what a generous husband gives is a lot more than you're entitled to" is sure to ruffle feathers today.

This is one of the lesser Hardy films but still enjoyable. They don't do as much with the "coming into money" idea as I think they could have. It was nice to see Haden get some extra material but since the decision she arrives at in the end doesn't carry over into future movies, it almost seems pointless. No Hardy movie is unwatchable. This one just feels lacking. Also the ending just sneaks up on you and we're not given any great closure on the inheritance plot.

THE HARDY'S RIDE HIGH (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939), directed by George B. Seitz, marks the sixth entry to the now popular "Hardy Family" movie series, and the first of its three 1939 installments. A standard production in every sense involving the family's moral lesson as to whether or not they could be happy after inheriting a large fortune or being just plain folks from a the small town of Carvel.

Following a courtroom opening where Judge James K. Hardy (Lewis Stone) solves a troubled marriage involving Caleb Bowen (Donald Briggs) coping with his wife, Susan's (Marsha Hunt) spending extravagance, Hardy is soon visited by a lawyer, Jonas Bronell (George Irving), with surprising news that Hardy has inherited $2 million because of he being the great-great grandson of James Standish Leeds, a well-known figure of the War of 1812. The middle-class family, involving the judge's wife, Emily (Fay Holden), daughter, Marion (Cecilia Parker), their 16-year-old football playing son, Andrew (Mickey Rooney), and their matronly Aunt Milly Forrest (Sara Haden), accompany the judge on an airplane bound for Detroit, Michigan, where the judge is to prove himself liable of the inheritance. Taking up residence in the Leeds mansion where they are waited on by family butler, Dobbs (Halliwell Hobbes), and living the life of how rich people live. Their new way of living takes its toll, especially on the children. Aunt Milly, the spinster schoolteacher, wanting to enjoy life before old age sets in for her, begins courting Terry B. Archer (Minor Watson), a middle-aged gentleman she earlier met on the airplane, with the hope their courtship will lead to marriage. Philip Westcott (John King), the adopted son of the Leeds family, shows the family the town, in spite the fact that he may that through Judge Hardy, he may lose the fortune entitled him. Philip even takes Andy to the Paradise Club where the girl-happy teenager gets introduced to Consuela McNish (Virginia Grey), an older chorus girl, and arranges for the young man to spend the evening together in her apartment. As for Marion, she goes on a spending spree buying an expensive dress for herself and charging it to her father's account. After returning home to Carvel, problems arise when the judge discovers evidence that he may or may not rightfully be entitled to the family fortune. Aside from Ann Rutherford returning in a few scenes playing Polly Benedict, Andy's girlfriend, others in the cast include: John T. Murray (Don Davis, the Druggist); Aileen Pringle (Miss Booth, the Saleswoman); Erville Alderson (Bill, Hardy's Bailiff); and William T. Orr (Dick Bannersly, Polly's gentleman caller she met while on vacation to use to get Andy jealous), among others.

While the "Hardy Family" series would be a great introduction for young MGM starlets, THE HARDY'S RIDE HIGH promises no film debuts nor introductions of any kind. It basically consists of Marsha Hunt and Virginia Grey, who have been in the movie business for quite some time, assuming smaller roles for this entry. With the story focusing on how money can change a simple-minded family to living the lifestyle of the rich and famous, it finds Aunt Milly becoming glamorous with her agreeable dressing and modern hairstyle to impress her new gentleman caller; Marion and her mother having their breakfast in bed served by their butler; while Andy dresses up in tuxedo and top hat pretending to be a "big shot" in an expensive night club, only to come to reality through his father's reasoning, notably for not smoking or booze drinking. At one point, Andy buys a cigarette case, mistaking its cost of $175 to $1.75. Even briefly the sensible judge nearly lets the money get the best of him before contemplating its consequence if he goes through with his intentions,and so much more. As much as the story and acting are delivered in manner, especially by Sara Haden in a change of pace by becoming glamorous and having more to do plot-wise than usual, what "Andy Hardy" movie would be complete without any "man to man" talks between father and son?

Though never distributed on video cassette, THE HARDY'S RIDE HIGH has been placed on DVD disc and often plays in cable television's Turner Classic Movies. Next in the series, ANDY HARDY GETS SPRING FEVER (1939), and more teenage situations as well, (***)

Judge Hardy discovers that he may have inherited two million dollars, and in order to claim it he and the family must travel to Detroit. From there, fairly predictable situations arise as everyone basks in extravagances and some people try to take advantage, but this is a decent enough installment that features girl-crazy Andy trying to grow up fast while out on the town. Of course, there is a lesson to be learned as well from Lewis Stone's fatherly figure, and it's a matter of whether or not lying and cheating is any way to come into millions of dollars.

**1/2 out of ****

This is a decent but weak episode in the MGM series, possibly the weakest. The plot concerns the Judge being informed that he has inherited two million dollars and the entire family heading out to Detroit. Mickey Rooney spends almost all of his time mugging and the life lessons and warmth that give life to the series seem to be that if you inherit a major fortune, you shouldn't buy a tuxedo. Lewis Stone, as usual, gives a fine performance, although he is a lot more dithery than usual.

The movie is given the usual MGM gloss and people who like to spot talent on the rise or after the fall may note that Aileen Pringle plays a saleswoman who sells a dress. In the 1920s, she was one of MGM's leading players until Garbo came along and took all the good roles from her.

I loved some of the Andy Hardy films. All of the Hardy films with Judy Garland were great because I just love Judy so much. Especially "Love finds Andy Hardy" with Judy's wonderful tearjerking song "I'm just an in between". And I loved all the backyard Judy/ Mickey musicals i.e. " Babes on Broadway", "Strike up the band", etc. I also loved " Andy Hardy's double life" cause I love Esther Williams and that was her sweet debut.

"The Hardy's ride high" was one of my least favorites of the series for several reasons. Andy makes a very stupid move with a beautiful girl which I explain more later in this review. Judge Hardy was a little more over the top here than normal. His usual honest, sensible character here seemed a little less sensible here than normal, such as his reaction to when Andy told Dad how he spread a bunch of lies about him being a dumb drunk. Dad/Judge didn't even have a reaction, which I didn't quite get. I also don't get how Andy told lies about his dad that extreme, when his dad had always been so good to him. Compared to how a lot of fathers have treated their kids in more recent times, Andy's dad was very good to him. The Hardy's fly to Detroit in this film and are looking at possibly inheriting 2 million dollars. Wow, for 1942, that's like the good life for the rest of their lives and then some. We get a look at the old style passenger propeller planes of the 40s before jet aircraft were invented. And back then, only the very rich flew, which the Hardy's were in this film. The middle classes usually travelled long distance by train back then. We also get a look at a Detroit car factory, Detroit being the city of car building since the early 1900s. General Motors had been there since the 1920s. Anyway, Andy meets this guy who invites him to a chorus girl club. At the club right away, this dancing beauty winks and smiles at Andy, and gives him her address to come over to her place after the show. What is it Micky Rooney had that made him such a ladies man? Even other characters in his films seem to keep asking him that. Anyway, this is the part where Andy makes the stupidest move. He's at the girl's apartment. The place looks very nice and fancy, bottles of liquor, and a maid addressing him formally, "Wont you please come in Mr. Hardy". Then the girl shows up looking so gorgeous, dressed stunningly, and showing Andy the utmost pleasure, interest, gentleness, flirting smiles and warmth. What does Andy do? He runs! He runs away as fast as he can. I DON'T GET THAT. I could somewhat understand him not wanting to cheat on Ann Rutherford/Polly, but she already cheated on him in this film with " Mr. Fancy pants". Besides, Andy and Ann were never that committed, they were always fooling around with other people. They were always "on again, off again". Sort of like Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper in the " Wonder Years". Anyway, how could Andy run away from that wonderful beauty who invited him for special, personal, one on one time in her lavish apartment? I don't get it! Then he drops and loses his friend's $170 cigarette case while running away in his sudden case of idiocy. That and Judge Hardy not being all up to scratch in this film is the reason I gave it a 6.