Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941)

Director:

George B. Seitz

Writers:

Agnes Christine Johnston (writer)
Aurania Rouverol (characters)

Release Date:

15 August 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Mickey woos! Judy sings! Best Hardy hit yet!

Plot:

With his high school graduation behind him, Andy Hardy decides that as an adult, it's time to start living his life...

Plot Keywords:

Graduation | New York City | Rooney And Garland | Fur Coat | Manhood

Cast

Lewis Stone	...	Judge James K. 'Jim' Hardy
Mickey Rooney	...	Andrew 'Andy' Hardy
Fay Holden	...	Mrs. Emily Hardy
Ann Rutherford	...	Polly Benedict
Sara Haden	...	Aunt Milly Forrest
Patricia Dane	...	Jennitt Hicks
Ray McDonald	...	Jimmy Frobisher
Judy Garland	...	Miss Betsy Booth
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ralph Byrd	...	Father Gallagher (scenes deleted)
George M. Carleton	...	Florist (scenes deleted)
Frank Ferguson	...	Stationer (scenes deleted)
William Forrest	...	Commandant (scenes deleted)
William J. Holmes	...	Dr. Griffin (scenes deleted)
Gladden James	...	(scenes deleted)
Manart Kippen	...	Rabbi Strauss (scenes deleted)
Paul Newlan	...	Trucker (scenes deleted)
Robert Winkler	...	Private (scenes deleted)
Duke York	...	Trucker (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #7467)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Four songs prerecorded by Judy Garland were not used in the film: Cole Porter's "Easy to Love" (available on the Rhino CD, "Judy Garland: Collectors' Gems from the M-G-M Films"); the patriotic "America (My Country Tis of Thee)" (written by Henry Carey and Samuel Francis Smith); plus two religious songs: "Abide with Me" and "The Rosary." Miss Garland's one musical moment in the release print was her unaccompanied rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" (music and lyrics by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill). The movie's original poster raves, "Mickey woos! Judy sings! Best Hardy yet!"

Quotes:

Betsy Booth: Me, a child! Listen here, Andrew Hardy, my mother just bought me an evening dress that simply has no visible means of support!

Movie Connections:

Followed by Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946)

Soundtrack:

The Hardy Series Theme Music

A dreary movie, much different from other Andy Hardy movies.

I found this movie to be a tedious entry, so different from the other movies in the Hardy family series that it took me by surprise and disappointed me. It begins on the night the previous entry, "Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941)" ended -- high school graduation night. Andy (Mickey Rooney) has a month to apply for a scholarship to go to college, so he decides, with his family's reluctant blessing, to go to New York, get a job, and see what life is all about. Judy Garland lives there and keeps an eye on him, but her talents are totally wasted. Judy doesn't sing at all (unless you count the few lines of "Happy Birthday to You"); Mickey finds the school of hard knocks so trying it was painful to watch his plight, which included an attempted seduction of him by an older woman (Patricia Dane) and the death of a friend. I hardly laughed at any point of this somber movie. I might have enjoyed the movie more had I been forewarned that it is much more of a drama than a comedy.

The National Legion of Decency classified this movie as unsuitable for children because of Rooney's scenes with Dane and his man-to-man talks with his father (Lewis Stone) about fidelity to one's future wife, whoever she may be.