The Hardys Ride High

This is the sixth in the series and boy were they cranking them out! They had a successful formula and they were running with it.

The Hardys find they are due to receive a $2 million inheritance, once they take care of some formalities. They pack up the family and travel to Detroit--the big city.

Of course every family member sees his dreams coming true. Andy has plans to become a millionaire playboy. Daughter Marian plans to spend her dollars on dresses and plusher living quarters. Even Judge Hardy catches the fever.

From the beginning, the viewer knows what the final result will be. But there are some surprises--especially regarding the judge, who feels responsible for the well-being of the entire clan.

As in every installment, Andy and Judge Hardy have their man-to-man talk, which yields benefits for them both. And like every episode, basic small-town American values are affirmed.

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.

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, (***)

Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) wins the big football game but Polly Benedict is trying to make Andy jealous. Judge James Hardy could inherit $2 million and goes to Detroit to back up the claim. The family joins him on the trip. Philip Westcott is the adopted son who would inherit without the Judge's claim and is working secretly to undermine the Hardy family.

It's the sixth film in the Hardy family franchise. Mickey Rooney is being Andy but he's starting to learn his lessons. It's Judge Hardy being the father figure and a man of principles. He can be a little too holier than thou. The opening case is both forward thinking and rather old fashion. Aunt Milly has a big side story. This is the family being the family. I do fear that the money would go to Philip but there is something more than winning in this case.

Hardys Ride High, The (1939)

*** (out of 4)

The sixth film in the popular MGM series has Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) learning that he might be the heir to $2 million dollars so the family goes to Detroit to collect the money. Kids Andy (Mickey Rooney) and Marian (Cecilia Parker) soon see green everywhere and begin to change as the chance of getting money begins to turn their character. I wish that I could have watched these films in order but I pretty much just have to catch them as they show up on TCM. With that said, I've really become a fan of the series over the past year and this one here is yet another winner. Once again many people might laugh at the "moral lessons" being taught here as there's no question it's doubtful there is any family as pure as the ones on display here. There's no question these films were just light entertainment meant to tell people how one should live their life. Typically I'd object to such preaching but there's no denying that these characters have a lot of charm and the actors do a brilliant job bringing them to life. This time out we have the Hardy's learning that money can lead to a lot of evil and this is especially true for the kids who start spending before they even get the money. Of course Andy gets caught up with a seedy character and soon ends up with a chorus girl (Virginia Grey) in a very funny sequence. Not only the bad money a lesson here but so is honesty when Judge learns something that might prevent them from the money. As usual the cast make the film work with Stone and Rooney so perfect in these roles that you can't see anyone else doing them. The two have a great chemistry together and they really do come off like a real father and son. Grey is very good in her role of the gold digger and Fay Holden, Parker and Ann Rutherford are as great as usual. The one issue with the film is the final twenty-minutes when the "message" is being told. It goes on about five or ten minutes too long but if you're a fan of the series then there's enough charm here to make it worth viewing.