Andy Hardy Meets Debutante

Plot

The debutante whom Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) meets-after falling in love with her photograph -- is blonde Diana Lewis (the real-life wife of William Powell). It all comes about when Andy accompanies his dad Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) to New York. Plunging into the Manhattan social whirl, Andy is introduced to the wealthy Diana by his hometown chum Betsy Booth (Judy Garland), who finds time to sing "I'm Nobody's Baby" and "Alone". Meanwhile, Andy's steady Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) sits home and fumes. It takes a few personal disillusionments and public embarrassment for Andy to realize that his true heart's desire is back in his own back yard (Judy Garland could have told him as much; after all, she previously said those lines in Wizard of Oz). Andy Hardy Meets Debutante was the ninth in MGM's "Hardy Family" series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

Andy Hardy Meets Debutante will please those folks who are fans of the Andy Hardy series of films; those who are not inclined toward the series may find less to like, but even they may find Debutante a fairly pleasant way to pass the time. One of Debutante's assets is definitely the presence of Judy Garland, who appeared in three of the films in the series. Garland is in delicious vocal form here, delivering a great "Alone" and a "I'm Nobody's Baby" that simply knocks the socks off. Garland also shares a special chemistry with series star Mickey Rooney, so her presence means that Rooney also is shown to better effect. Of course, Debutante does have a script that will strike modern viewers are corny and preachy and is filled with set-ups that are blatantly manipulative. But there's some winning humor, a definite sweetness, and a gentleness to the picture that many will find quite appealing. Lewis Stone is fine as always as the patient father, and Ann Rutehrford and Diana Lewis do well as the women in Rooney's life. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Mickey Rooney - Andy Hardy
• Cecilia Parker - Marian Hardy
• Fay Holden - Mrs. Hardy
• Judy Garland - Betsy Booth

Ann Rutherford - Polly Benedict; Diana Lewis - Daphne Fowler; George Breakston - Beezy; Sara Haden - Aunt Milly; Harry Tyler - Jordan; Addison Richards - Mr. Benedict; George Lessey - Underwood; Art Belasco - Door-man; Cy Kendall - Mr. Carrillo; Tom Neal - Aldrich Brown; Edwin Stanley - Surrogate; Lewis Stone - Judge Hardy; Charles Trowbridge - Davis the Butler

Credit

George B. Seitz - Director, Harold Kress - Editor, Charles Lawton - Cinematographer, Sidney Wagner - Cinematographer, Thomas Seller - Screenwriter, Annalee Whitmore - Screenwriter

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