Main Cast: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden
Release Year: 1938
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
The third of MGM's Andy Hardy series (discounting the "pilot" film, A Family Affair) stars, as ever, Mickey Rooney as the teenaged protagonist. Andy finds himself in dutch with girlfriend Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) when he agrees to escort his best friend's gal, Cynthia Potter (Lana Turner). Having gone out of town, Andy's buddy wants Cynthia kept out of circulation, and pays Andy to make sure she stays that way. Andy is in no position to refuse: he needs the dough to pay for a car he's just purchased. Further complications ensue when Andy falls for a third girl, Betsy Booth (Judy Garland). It is up to Betsy to play little miss fix-it when Andy's romantic entanglements threaten to overwhelm him. (Mickey Rooney could have used a "Betsy Booth" in real life as well!) Originally running shorter than its present 90 minutes, Love Finds Andy Hardy was expanded during filming to showcase the splendid singing talents of Judy Garland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Considered by many to be the best of the Andy Hardy series, Love Finds Andy Hardy certainly boasts a solid guest-star cast, with the likes of Judy Garland and Lana Turner on hand to add, each in her own special way, spice. This being before The Wizard of Oz, a young Garland hadn't really broken into the big time yet, but you'd never know it from her performance here. She's given three songs (while, surprisingly, star Mickey Rooney gets none); none of the songs are remotely above average, but Garland sells them with an ability that goes far beyond her teenaged years. Her voice is youthful and lovely, but it's her phrasing that's so remarkable; the way in which she handles lines both melodic and lyric is amazing, particularly for one so young. For her part, Turner looks totally delicious. The script calls for the viewer to believe that Rooney has to be coaxed into dating her and then complains because she doesn't like to swim and just wants to kiss. This gives huge credibility problems to the story, but credibility isn't what Love is about, anyway. It's about honor and dignity and small-town virtues and listening to your father. It's also about Rooney, and one's fondness for his specific brand of "gee whiz" acting and never-ending energy will likely affect one's enjoyment of Love. But even those who find Rooney a bit much should find plenty of other things in Love Finds Andy Hardy to entertain them. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Stanley Rogers - Art Director, Edwin B. Willis - Art Director, George B. Seitz - Director, Ben Lewis - Editor, David Snell - Composer (Music Score), Lester White - Cinematographer, Carey Wilson - Producer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Buster Keaton - Technical Advisor, William Ludwig - Screenwriter, Aurania Rouverol - Screenwriter, Vivian B. Bretherton - Short Story Author
The movie was written by Vivien R. Bretherton and William Ludwig, and directed by George B. Seitz. In 2000, Love Finds Andy Hardy was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
