Fou de girls

Judy and Mickey, one of the best team-ups in the history of motion pictures, team up again in this rather fun musical. With Tommy Dorsey and his band there, and with Gershwin-composed songs, really, what more can you ask? I consider Judy's rendition of "But Not For Me" to be one of her best songs.

He's (Danny Churchill Jr. - Mickey Rooney) the playboy, who fools around with girls too much and is sent out west to a "all boys college- Cody College- to reform" He did not even reach there yet when he saw two legs sticking out of a stalled car. Even in jeans, they could be none other's than Ginger Gray, the granddaughter of the dean of Cody. He tries to get her hand in love, but to no avail. She's just laughing at the way he is trying to adjust to western life. He can't ride a horse correctly, and looks ....well, weird in Western clothing. When Danny finally wants to quit, Ginger drives him to the train station. He tries, for one last time, to convince her in a song, but she rejects him continuing the song. When she drops him in the station, he decides to walk back because of his love for Ginger. As the two fall in love, the college receives news that it is closing down. Should Danny stay to save both Ginger and the college? Or should he take Ginger and run back to New York and his former college, Yale? Find out in this exciting video.

The plot's ridiculous. Garland and Rooney are young and magical. Seeing Tommy Dorsey's orchestra at work is wonderful.

The movie's finale is a musical number, "I Got Rhythm", directed by Busby Berkeley. As with all the great Berkeley musical scenes, it's a unique vision. The camera moves and staging are masterful. Transcendent, even. I'd love to be a fly on the wall while this scene was being thought up and worked on.

Something I haven't seen commented on: Rooney's radio impressions, given while he and Garland wait to see the governor. Kinda fun. Mickey channels his inner Robin Williams.

Despite the plot absence, put this on your must-see list if you're serious about developing cinematic literacy.

Mickey Rooney is hilarious, Judy Garland charms your socks off with her incredible talent, Busby Berkely adds his genius, Norman Taurog is in top form, and Tommy Dorsey swings the joint with his big band in this exceptional MGM wartime Musical. Top it off with a superb Gershwin's score, Rags Ragland, Nancy Walker and June Allyson in solid supporting roles and you have one helluva entertaining songfest.

What more can you ask for? If this one doesn't make you laugh and tap your toes nothing will. Sure it's fluff but oh what good fluff! Escapist fun in 1943 and just as good now. Judy and Mickey were always great together and made some decent musicals, but this is the best I've seen. A thorough delight from start to finish.

What talent Hollywood once had that is gone forever. There's more entertainment value in the first 25 minutes of this picture than in most current films I've seen lately combined.

See it. It's a gem.

The plot is virtually the same as in all the other Garland/Rooney movies: Rooney is a ladies man (stop laughing!)and, to tame him, is sent to a dude ranch out west. There he meets mail carrier and (it seems) cook Judy Garland. She hates him, he loves her and after all the predictable complications occur they fall in love leading to the big, elaborate number.

The plot is predictable but the movie is still a lot fun. The script is sharp and quite funny; Garland and Rooney always played off good against each other; a very young Nancy Walker has a bit role and is hilarious whenever she's on screen and it moves fairly quick.

Also seeing Rooney and Garland so young and full of life is always great and the songs are good. There are no real bad ones but "Embracble You" and "I Got Rhythm" are standouts. And the final number is just incredible (although I question the cowboys shooting off round after round of ammunition).

A great little musical. Worth seeing.

This Gershwin musical, first staged in 1930 (and filmed, not altogether successfully from a musical point of view, by RKO in 1932) gets another movie version, this time tailored for the talents of MGM's two top young stars, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.

The original story gets ditched and in place we get the usual 'kids putting on a show' stuff that Judy and Mickey did in all their collaborations during the 1930s/40s. The songs are done very well - Judy sings 'But Not For Me' and it is absolutely stunning, the way she is photographed during this sequence really complementing the beautiful melody of the song. 'Embraceable You', an unforgivable omission from the '32 version (it was filmed but then scrapped on the wisdom of David Selznick) is back. So Judy is great, while Mickey does the same bubbly act as always but he certainly had talent.

Perhaps one day we'll see a version which does justice to both the original plot as staged *and* the score. Neither the '32 or '43 versions quite got there - but both are worth your time, if only for quite different reasons.