Main Cast: Judy Garland, George Murphy, Charles Winninger, Douglas McPhail, Arthur Shields
Release Year: 1940
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
Plot
Judy Garland performs her only on-screen death scene early in the proceedings of Little Nellie Kelly. But despair not! Garland soon reappears as the daughter of the character she was playing in the film's first reels. Now a girl of 20, Garland has fallen in love with Douglas McPhail, much to the dismay of her father George Murphy and grandfather Charles Winninger. However, Murphy and Winninger are too much at odds with each other to give proper attention to Garland. Going into her Miss Fixit act, Garland patches up the differences between pop and grandpop, and gets to keep her beau in the bargain. Based on the play by George M. Cohan, Little Nellie Kelly affords Judy Garland ample opportunity to sing a swing version of "Singin' in the Rain", as well as several newer songs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The kind of theatrical blarney dished up in Little Nellie Kelly was as old as the hills even when George M. Cohan wrote the play back in 1922. But here they are again, all those quaint Irish folks with their brogue and their longing for the auld sod, this time represented by Charles Winninger, Arthur Shields, Forrester Harvey, and seemingly every other Hollywood leprechaun not otherwise engaged. Judy Garland, meanwhile, dies prettily as the mother only to resurrect just as prettily as the daughter, the Little Nellie of the title. Happily, Roger Edens has given Cohan a helping hand and the entire affair is aided greatly by Garland's singing of "It's a Great Day for the Irish." And if that wasn't enough, MGM's stalwart "Singing in the Rain" gets yet another airing and the generous producers also include a chorus or two of "Danny Boy." It simply couldn't be any more Irish than that. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Gile Steele - Costume Designer, Dolly Tree - Costume Designer, Norman Taurog - Director, Frederick Y. Smith - Editor, Roger Edens - Composer (Music Score), George Stoll - Musical Direction/Supervision, Jack Dawn - Makeup, Ray June - Cinematographer, Arthur Freed - Producer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Jack McGowan - Screenwriter, George M. Cohan - From Musical by
The film is notable for containing Judy Garland's only on-screen death scene, although she re-appears in the film as the daughter of the character who died.
In Ireland, Jerry Kelly (George Murphy) marries his sweetheart, Nellie Noonan (Judy Garland) over the objections of her ne'er-do-well father, Michael Noonan (Charles Winninger), who swears never to speak to Jerry again, even though he reluctantly accompanies the newlyweds to America, where Jerry becomes a policeman, and all three become citizens. Michael continues to hold his grudge against Jerry, even when Nellie dies while giving birth to little Nellie.
Years later, Jerry is now a captain on the police force, and little Nellie (also played by Judy Garland) has grown up as the spitting image of her mother. When Nellie becomes enamored of Dennis Fogarty (Douglas McPhail), the son of Michael's old friend Timothy Fogarty (Arthur Shields), the squabbling between Nellie's father and grandfather intensifies, as Michael objects to the romance, and finally leaves home because of it.
Eventually, the three generations are reconciled, and Nellie and Dennis remain a couple.[2][3][4]
Cast
Judy Garland as Nellie Kelly and as Little Nellie Kelly
Arthur Shields is the younger brother of actor Barry Fitzgerald.
Songs
Little Nellie Kelly offers Judy Garland the opportunity to sing a swing version of "Singin' in the Rain",more than 10 years before Gene Kelly more famously sang it in his film "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), as well as several newer songs, including the traditional "A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" sung partly in Irish-Gaelic. There are also two entertaining production numbers, one set at the New York City Policeman's Ball, which showcases Garland at her most attractive, and the other written by Roger Edens so that Garland can belt out "It's A Great Day for the Irish" while marching up New York's famed 5th Avenue during the St. Patrick's Day Parade. This song became one of Garland's biggest hits.
Songs cut from the film include: "Rings on Your Fingers and Bells on Your Toes" (used in Garland's later film Babes on Broadway), "Danny Boy" and "How Can You Buy Killarney".
Production
After the success of The Wizard of Oz, the film was a "test" by MGM to evaluate both Garland's audience appeal and her physical image. It was rumoured at the time that George M Cohan sold the rights expressly as a vehicle for the young Garland. The film gave 18-year-old Garland the opportunity to grow-up as in the first half of the picture set in Ireland, she plays Nellie Noonan, the mother of Little Nellie Kelly. Although called 'a bit of Blarney', overall the film was well-received and has become a classic St Patrick's Day film. Critics noted "she (Judy Garland) gets prettier with each picture".[5]
