IMDb >
Little Nellie Kelly (1940)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsLittle Nellie Kelly (1940) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
22 November 1940 (USA)
more
Plot:
Irish colleen Nellie is in love with handsome Jerry Kelly, even though her father objects. Nellie and...
more
| add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Irish
|
Childbirth
|
Ireland
|
Marriage Proposal
|
Dancing
more
User Comments:
Grandpa's Just A Jerk...
more (7 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Judy Garland | ... | Nellie Kelly / Little Nellie Kelly | |
| George Murphy | ... | Jerry Kelly | |
| Charles Winninger | ... | Michael 'Mike' Noonan | |
| Douglas McPhail | ... | Dennis Fogarty | |
| Arthur Shields | ... | Timothy Fogarty | |
| Rita Page | ... | Mrs. Mary Fogarty | |
| Forrester Harvey | ... | Moriarity | |
| James Burke | ... | Police Sergeant McGowan | |
| George Watts | ... | Mr. Keevan, NYC Bar Owner |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
98 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
This movie has Judy Garland performing "Singin' in the Rain" more than 10 years before Gene Kelly most famously sang it in Singin' in the Rain (1952). The song was first heard on screen in The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929).
more
Quotes:
Nellie Kelly:
There's nothing like a darn good cry, is there?
Michael 'Mike' Noonan: There's whiskey.
more
Michael 'Mike' Noonan: There's whiskey.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
more
Soundtrack:
Singin' In The Rain
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (7 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Little Nellie Kelly (1940)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Enchanted | Red Roses and Petrol | Deadly Is the Female | Across the Universe | Meet Me in St. Louis |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Comedy section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |

As others have commented, the film does (on its face) have things to (potentially) enjoy: Judy's singing, Arthur Freed's handiwork, Cohan's songs, and a possible musical and comic look at Irish immigrants in New York. But in almost every way the film stiffs. Judy climbs from the wreckage (as usual) unscathed: her freshness and energy nearly making the film and songs rise to the level of entertainment. But George Murphy is the complacent stiff, the songs are mostly mediocre at best (except for a jazzy "Singin' In The Rain' by Judy), and worst of all "Grandpa" is a character who - although meant to be curmudgeonly and adorable in his irascibility - comes off as almost criminally abusive, ruining his daughter's one leap at married bliss, and doing a good number on his grand-daughter's as well. The actor in that role (the usually reliable Charles Winninger) gives an unlikeable and near one-note performance which constantly grates, until the viewer wants to strangle him. This may or may not have been purposeful, but - in terms of making the film (a light musical affair) bearable to watch - it is a disaster. You feel both aggravated by Grandpa's insistent hostility towards the happiness of others, and put off by the passivity of others toward his ugly and pointless behavior over the course of years. I don't think this is the stuff of light entertainment, but of a psychological essay. Grandpa's just a jerk...
It is true that every now and then you will find an unheralded film to be undeserving of its anonymity. This is not one of those cases: the film drags along, forgettable song after forgettable song, stiff actor after stiff actor, sentimental stereotype after sentimental stereotype, and all made worse by that horrible Irish stew pot of a Grandpa. This one can be skipped without feeling cheated.