Andy Hardy's Private Secretary

This entry in the Hardy family series of films seemed a bit thin and not quite as satisfying as the previous entries. This is the last one in which Andy is a high school student as he graduates in this installment.

The focus is very much shifted to the Land family. There are two children in the family - Kathryn (Kathryn Grayson) and Harry. Strangely enough they are both graduating from high school - Are they twins? It's never explained. The father (Ian Hunter) speaks nine languages but is a failed businessman and is working as a night watchman, so the family is somewhat impoverished. Since Kathryn has taken some secretarial courses, Andy makes her his titular "private secretary" since he's so busy being class president and supervising all of the activities associated with graduation that he needs assistance.

And that's the rub - Andy is so busy with the trappings of graduation he gets distracted, doesn't study, and fails his final exam in English and thus can't graduate. That's even with his aunt Milly administering and grading the exams. Conflict of interest anyone? On top of that he changes one word in a telegram of which he was not the author and causes Mr. Land to lose a job opportunity, thinking he was doing a good deed but interfering nonetheless. How will this all work out? Watch and find out.

This was Kathryn Grayson's first feature film, and it feels like this entire thing was just an excuse to give the kid a star turn. MGM didn't even bother to give her character a first name different from her own! I like several of the musicals she starred in over the years, but she gets three whole numbers of this operatic stuff and it just doesn't fit well into this kind of film. The style was popular from the late 30s into the 40s due to Deanna Durbin being such a hit over at Universal. Judy Garland, when she appeared in the Hardy family series, sometimes only got two numbers, and the popular standards she sang fit much better into this type of film.

It's a last chance to see Andy Hardy mess up and use his underage status as an excuse, so I'd say if you like this series of films you'll like this one too. But maybe you can do what I did and mute the volume during Grayson's numbers and stay out of reach of that high pitched screech.

It's time for Andy Hardy to graduate high school in this tenth entry in the wonderful MGM Hardy family series. In this one, big-headed Andy (Mickey Rooney) is so busy planning the graduation festivities that he neglects his studies and fails a big test, putting him in danger of not graduating. Enter his new friends Kathryn and Harry Land (Kathryn Grayson, Todd Karns) and good ol' Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) to help him pass the big test to graduate. In addition to this drama, Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) try to help out Kathryn's dad (Ian Hunter), an international travel agent struggling to find work in small town Carvel. But Andy causes problems here, too.

Mickey Rooney and Lewis Stone are both in top form, as is the ever-adorable Ann Rutherford. For many fans of the Hardy series, this is one of the least liked entries. It's a long one (101 minutes) that juggles several different elements when it probably should have stuck to just a couple. It was also meant as a showcase for cute Kathryn Grayson, who makes her film debut here. There's the expected opera singing from her, if that floats your boat. She's the secretary of the film's title, by the way. Ian Hunter and Todd Karns both do great work as her father and brother. The problem is there's just a little too much focus on these guest stars. Fay Holden (Mrs. Hardy) gets only a few scenes and Cecilia Parker (sister Marian) is totally absent. Sara Haden's Aunt Milly does get a little more to do than usual, however, as she figures into the plot about Andy's flunking in a slightly contrived way. Still, despite some flaws, I happen to enjoy this one. The scene where Judge Hardy is driving Andy's jalopy is a hoot. I won't spoil it for you but it's one of my favorite scenes from any of the Hardy films. Another memorable scene has Andy dressed up as a Greek god in the graduation play he was putting on.

ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1941), directed by George B. Seitz, marks the tenth installment to the popular "Andy Hardy" family series starring Lewis Stone (Judge Hardy); Mickey Rooney (Andy Hardy); Fay Holden (Emily Hardy); and Sara Haden (Aunt Milly Forrest). One series regular, Marian Hardy, as played by Cecilia Parker, does not appear here, but does introduce a new MGM starlet, a soprano by the name of Kathryn Grayson, beter known in later years for her popular MGM musicals including SHOW BOAT (1951) and KISS ME KATE (1953).

The story opens typically in the courtroom with Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) preciding a case involving a young teenager (Charles Smith) who finds life difficult being six feet tall among shorter eighth grade students, until a lecture about President Abraham Lincoln sets him straight. Hardy is then telephoned by George Benedict (Addison Richards) of the Carvel National Bank informing him that his son, Andrew (Mickey Rooney), has signed his name to a bad check of $280. Andy, now 18, about to graduate from Carvel High School within a week, is not only class president, but responsible for many activities at once, such as the school's bookkeeping and upcoming play with students dressed in Roman costumes. With so much going on for Andy, it is suggested that he hire Kathryn (Kathryn Grayson) as his private secretary to handle data on his extracurricular activities, with her brother, Harry (Todd Karns), who resents Andy, in decorating the gymnasium, where commencement is to be held. Their father, Steven V. Land (Ian Hunter), a widower, a highly educated man and former travel agent in Europe for ten years, now works as a night watchman for Peter Dugan's (Joseph Crehan) garage. Because of his ability to speak nine languages, Judge Hardy arranges for this skillful man for a better paying job in South American with the help of J.O. Harper (Don Douglas), a state representative of Washington. Land does get him the job, but has to leave for South America by Thursday, two days before his children are to graduate, thus missing their big event. In the meantime, Andy might not be able graduate himself for failing his final exam in English class.

Returning to the series are Georgie Breakston as Andy's best friend, "Beezy" Anderson; Gene Reynolds as Jimmy MacMahon, the role he originated in LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938), appears for one scene; and Margaret Early as Clarabelle Lee, the role she originated in JUDGE HARDY AND SON (1939). Series regular, Ann Rutherford, returns as Andy's girlfriend, Polly Benedict, who shows jealously over his attention towards fellow classmate, Kathryn Land. With Deanna Durbin being the operatic teenage rage for Universal of the 1940s, Grayson's movie debut is heavily influenced by Durbin, especially during her showcase scene singing such operatic arias as Johann Strauss's "The Voices of Spring," and "Lucia de Lammamoor" by Gaetano Douizetti. Grayson gets a chance to vocalize a down-t-oearth Cole Porter tune, introduced in BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940 (1940) titled "I've Got My Eyes on You.," more to Andy Hardy's liking but not to Polly.

Interestingly, with the story focusing more on Judge Hardy and son, one would wonder about the rest of the family members. Fay Holden's Mrs. Hardy appears late into the story (39 minutes) while Cecilia Parker's Marian is said to be away in New York City. It's a wonder why such a close relative like Andy's sister was not able to return home in time to attend her brother's graduation? It also seems odd to have Andy's Aunt Milly as his teacher in English while students related to teachers are often assigned to another classroom under another instructor. Yet it is Andy's own Aunt Milly who must fail her nephew for not passing his big exam, and to show no favoritism in that matter. Another overlong (101 minutes) segment, ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY, being quite typical, holds interest through most of it. Hence its title, the story sets more on Andy Hardy's preparation for high school graduation than on his new romance with his private secretary. Yet its title is put to good use in attracting attention to the studio's new singing personality, Kathryn Grayson. Yes, there is that usual "man-to-man" talks between the judge and Andy, which in turn becomes strict father to son talk after judge learns his son won't be part of his graduation class of 1941.

Formerly distributed on video cassette in the 1990s, ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY can be seen whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. Next in the series, LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY (1941) which marks the return of Judy Garland as Betsy Booth and Andy's return to The Big Apple, New York City. (*** diplomas)

In this 10th installment of the Andy Hardy series, Andy is class president and he's spending a lot of time with the class secretary, Kathryn (Kathryn Grayson). Naturally, Polly (Ann Rutherford) is jealous, but that's the least of the problems--it seems that Kathryn and her brother are going to be leaving the country just days before their graduation! So, Andy tries to fix things....and totally mucks it up! Additionally, he and the gang work on a school play, his car falls apart while Judge Hardy is driving it and Andy MIGHT not be graduating after all. As far as graduating goes, it IS about time as Mickey Rooney was 21 when he made this film*! If he doesn't graduate soon, he'll soon be collecting social security while still a student! None of it is really the least bit earth-shaking--just the usual family stuff you'll see in an Andy Hardy film. It's generally pleasant and entertaining with one exception. While Kathryn Grayson was lovely and enjoyable in the film, the studio's insistence of having her sing an operatic piece 46 minutes into the film was just dreadful--the same with the song at the 87 minute mark. Some in the audience might have liked it but I suspect most used that time to either take a brief nap or get some popcorn!

*The not graduating angle never made a lot of sense. Andy's supposed to be one of the top kids in his class yet did badly on his final English exam and failed. Odd--especially since Andy thought he was going to get an award for scholarship! Can Andy be this insane?! It just didn't seem realistic.

Before I review the movie proper, since It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite movie, I had to mention a player from there making his film debut in this one: Todd Karns who plays a Land family member named Harry-the same first name he would eventually have in IAWL when he became a Bailey. He has a sis named Kathryn-the same first name as the lady playing her, Kathryn Grayson-also making her debut. Andy tries to help them, as the family is poor, with bettering their lives but he makes some mistakes along the way. Oh, and Andy and girlfriend Polly are supposed to graduate in this one though because of what happens to Andy involving his teacher-his own Aunt Milly, that may not happen to him. Let's just say there's some things she won't do and leave it at that. Ms. Grayson does some nice opera tunes but she's really entertaining when she also does a Cole Porter song! There's more drama than laughs here but there's still plenty to enjoy in Andy Hardy's Private Secretary. P.S. This was the first time in the beginning credits of this series when the names of the actors weren't printed in front of their portrait of-from left to right-Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, and Cecilia Parker. That was because Ms. Parker was absent here, for some reason.