ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940), directed by George B. Seitz, marks the ninth installment to the "Andy Hardy" family series starring Lewis Stone,Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden and Sara Haden. It also marked the return of Judy Garland, reprising her role of Betsy Booth introduced in LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938). Lana Turner, who also appeared in that same movie, does not appear in this segment, though her Cynthia Potter character and photograph are mentioned and shown here. As for Garland, though she plays a debutante, the debutante in the title happens to be characterized by another new MGM starlet by the name of Diana Lewis, who would become Andy Hardy's latest problem and new love combined interest.
ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE breaks its series tradition by not opening in Judge Hardy's courtroom. Instead, it begins Saturday morning with teenage lover boy, Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) asleep in bed with magazine photo cover of the Number 1 debutante, Daphne Fowler beside him, while Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) is away fishing. Hardy is then called back to Carvel by George Benedict (Addison Richards) regarding some legal matters regarding on shutting down the Carvel Orphanage and displacing many of its orphans. Though Andy has never met Daphne Fowler, he brags about having met her two years ago to his girlfriend, Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford), who, after learning the Hardy family will be heading for New York City where the Judge is to go on a business matter to keep the orphanage from closing, she and his best pal, Beezy (Georgie Breakstone) have Andy promise to return home with a photo of he and Daphne together to place in their high school newspaper, the Olympian. After a train ride to New York City, the Hardy's family, also consisting of mother (Fay Holden), Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) and Andy's older sister, Marian (Cecilia Parker), stay at a brownstone apartment on East 49th Street as arranged by Andy's debutante girlfriend, Betsy Booth (Judy Garland). As the Judge works on legal matters to save the orphanage, Betsy, whose parents are out of town, tries to help Andy with his latest problem, but doesn't know what to do since Andy insists she not ask him any questions. Going through much difficulty trying to meet Daphne Fowler (Diana Lewis), it is unknown to Andy that Daphne and Betsy are the best of friends. Others in the cast include: Marjorie Gateson (Mrs. Desmond K. Fowler); George Lessy (Mr. Underwood);Clyde Willson (Francis, later called Butch); and Cy Kendall (Mr. Carrillo, the Club Sirocco restaurant manager). If Clyde Wilson seems a bit familiar, he is that little boy who gets extreme closeup while leading a parade of little kids in the Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musical, BABES IN ARMS (1939). This is probably the only time Willson would have an extensive role in a feature film. While his character ends every other sentence with the word "please," he also gets his man-to-man talk from Andy on how to become more of a man with a stronger name of Butch.
With Judy Garland in the cast, playing a girl of age 15 as opposed to her true older age, she still gets treated like a child by Andy, unaware he's more like a child than Betsy is. As the Hardy's find time to see such New York City landmarks as The Statue of Liberty, Andy and Betsy take time walking together on Fifth Avenue, standing by St. Patrick's Cathedral, visiting Grant's Tomb, and even have their horse and buggy ride alone together in Central Park. Garland gets to sing a couple of songs, first an oldie introduced in the Marx Brothers comedy, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935) titled "Alone," followed by a new tune, "I'm Nobody's Baby." Some lighter moments of humor feature Andy acting like a big shot while eating at a swank New York restaurant and running up a high bill of $37.25 while having only $8 in his pocket. Lessons learned later by Andy regarding his father to be not just a "hick small town judge" as compared to those highly educated ones of the New York City court.
Though not as memorable as the popular LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY, ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE, at 87 minutes, is both typical and acceptable entry to the Hardy franchise. As the series progresses more on Andy and his father in that order, roles involving his sister Marion (Cecilia Parker); mother Emily (Fay Holden) and Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) have their limitations. Formerly available on video cassette dating back to the 1990s, and later DVD, ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE can be seen whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. Next installment: ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY (1941) introducing Kathryn Grayson. (***)
