L'amour frappe André Hardy

This is very corny in spots, especially with the goofy faces Mickey Rooney makes with the girls. They are so childish they get annoying quickly. However, he stops doing that fairly soon, thankfully.

Even though these Andy Hardy films are sappy, there is a certain charm to them. Of note in this film is a very young Lana Turner and a young Judy Garland, whose songs are so-so in here. She plays an appealing role but is not convincing as a 12-year-old. She looks physically more mature than pre-teen.

Lewis Stone, meanwhile, is perhaps the best character in this film as he was in most movies in this series. I really liked his hear-to-heart talk with Rooney. In an old-fashioned way, it's nice to see a teen with a great rapport with his parents. Some may not believe it, but it DOES happen in some families!!

The Andy Hardy series, based on Vivien R. Bretherton's stories, proved to be a favorite of the public at the time they came out. It was a different and innocent America. These were the teen agers of that era, and their world, as Hollywood interpreted it. This picture was directed by George B. Seitz.

Andy loves Polly, but when a friend asks him to take care of the beautiful Cynthia, he complies. Enter the girl-next-door, Betsy, and the problems begin. As usual, the fatherly figure of Judge James K. Hardy, is there to guide his young son into doing the right thing. In fact, Andy and his parents didn't suffer from the generation gap that became prevalent later on; the openness of family relationships of that time is so refreshing and shows how much has been lost. It probably had to do with a loving mother, Emily, who stayed home and supervised her children.

The cast is delightful. Mickey Rooney shows why he was one of the most loved actors of the time. Judy Garland is a sweet Betsy and has an opportunity to sing three songs in the film. Lewis Stone and Fay Holden as the Hardy parents, are good and solid. Cecilia Parker is sister Marian. A young Lana Turner is seen as Cynthia and finally, Ann Rutherford was perfect as Polly.

A delightful comedy that about a more happy era in America.

Once again, MICKEY ROONEY is in all sorts of trouble and Judge Hardy is always there to get him out of it--or at least talk things over with him. And this time, the accent is on his girl troubles. It's kind of amusing just to see the pretty ANN RUTHERFORD and a very young LANA TURNER throwing themselves at Rooney the way they do--I mean, let's fact it, he was never a looker.

Gone are the days when teens dressed like they do here--Rooney wearing a derby on a bright summer day and not a pair of jeans in sight. The script has Ann Rutherford's Polly going away on a Christmas visit to an aunt, which gives Rooney an excuse to discover Lana Turner's Cynthia at a swimming pool. She serves as his playmate for this particular Hardy story and it's easy to see why MGM kept her under contract for years to come.

JUDY GARLAND is Betsy Booth, who announces right at the start that she's "going to be on the stage some day"--and was that a good prediction! She also gets to sing a few numbers in the now famous Garland style.

The plot ambles along predictably and pleasantly, as most Hardy films do, and suffice it to say that Rooney's fling with Lana Turner is the most enjoyable aspect of the story and well played by both youngsters. But boy, could he mug! Yes, even then, he dispensed with some pretty extravagant bits of mugging that became more and more pronounced as the years went on. Some called it talent--others may have disagreed. Whatever it was, he was a very popular box-office star at the time this one was made.

Summing up: Pleasant enough for Hardy fans, and certainly a reminder of how different times were for teens in the late '30s.

I could see them remaking this movie in 2001 as a regular teen movie. What is "Love Finds Andy Hardy" about, really, other than a guy's quest for money, girls, and a car? Of course, the modern movie producers will have to add sexual humor to it. If you like teen movies and want to see their predecessor, if you're a fan of anyone in the cast, or just if you wanna catch up on your 1938 romance-comedies, this is a good movie to see. I would recommend it.

These low budget teen comedies practically carried MGM throughout the 30s and 40s. If they lost money on another movie, they would just invest in another Andy Hardy picture, and they would be guarantee a comfortable return on their investment. Out of all the Hardy films, this comedy of errors in the best. Mickey Rooney is in top shape as the girl crazy Andy Hardy, who winds up with more girls than he can handle. Ann Rutherford, Lana Turner and Judy Garland are all exceptional, and Judy busts out some memorable songs during this movie that will stick in your mind even when the movie is over. This movie is a reflection of more innocent times, the pre-WWII era of the world, where everyone was full of hope and dreams about what lay ahead in the world. Movies like this are rare and the people making contemporary teen comedies would do themselves a favour to watch this movie, amongst other Hardy pics, to see precisely what makes a good comedy. No foul language, no nudity, just a good solid story and great performers to carry it. Not to be missed. Now, I can only hope for an Andy Hardy box set on DVD.