The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) User Reviews

The Ugly Pretty Girl Plot Device

[twhiteson · 6/10 · 28 January 2004]

It's not surprising to discover that one of the teen movie genre's silliest plot devices, the Ugly Pretty Girl, was around even during Hollywood's Golden Age. The Ugly Pretty Girl usually involves taking some drop-dead gorgeous starlet and putting her in glasses, frumpy clothes, and an unbecoming hairstyle and then having all the other characters act like she is physically repulsive. Of course, as the movie progresses, the glasses come off and a new hairstyle and fashionable wardrobe allow everyone to "discover" that she's really a knock-out! The absurdity of this plot device is that despite the glasses, frumpy clothes and hair- it's ALWAYS obvious that the girl is beautiful!

I used to think that Rachel Leigh Cook in "She's All That" made the most absurd Ugly Pretty Girl. However, that opinion changed upon seeing "The Courtship of Andy Hardy." This movie is another moralistic episode of the small town lives of Judge Hardy and his family. Here Judge Hardy's son, Andy (Mickey Rooney), finds himself in trouble with the law when he is accused of stealing a car. (Yes, Andy Hardy is threatened with being charged with grand theft auto in a sub-plot that must be seen to be believed.) Andy turns to his dad for help, and Judge Hardy decides he will help Andy if Andy helps him.

Judge Hardy is overseeing a nasty custody/child support battle between a divorced couple who are using their only child, Melodie (Donna Reed), to attack one another. Judge Hardy sees that this is having a terrible effect on Melodie who has become a very withdrawn and bitter teen. The Judge knows that he can talk to the parents and get them to understand that their fighting is harming their daughter, but he wants Andy to show Melodie a good time in order to break through her loneliness and bitterness. It is here where the movie goes off the deep-end because Andy thinks Melodie is a "droop" and finds the idea of having to hang out with her to be a terrible burden.

The problem with that is that young Donna Reed (she can't be much older than 20 here) was a stunningly beautiful woman and this movie does virtually nothing to hide that fact except put her in a frumpy dress. (They don't even have her wearing glasses!) Yet we're supposed to believe that Andy and all his buddies find her unattractive. The scene were Andy is paying his friends to dance with her takes the Ugly Pretty Girl plot device into the realm of the surreal.

Overall, this an OK entry into the Andy Hardy series. However, it's notable only for its taking the Ugly Pretty Girl plot device to one of its more ludicrous pinnacles.

"Them that has them shows them."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 23 April 2014]

Another wonderful entry in the immensely enjoyable Andy Hardy series, even if this one's plot strains credulity at times. Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) handles a case where divorced parents are so busy hating each other they're turning their daughter Melodie (Donna Reed) into a bitter and lonely young woman. So the Judge asks his son Andy (Mickey Rooney) to date Melodie, whom Andy refers to as a droop and a sad apple. The Judge hopes outgoing and fun Andy can bring some happiness to Melodie. Meanwhile, daughter Marian (Cecilia Parker) has returned home from the big city, seemingly more mature and sophisticated with some newfangled ideas that don't sit well with her conservative parents.

The idea that high school boys wouldn't fall over themselves to date Donna Reed, one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the silver screen, is a bit of a joke but these types of plots were and still are common in Hollywood. Some of the ideals and morals in these Hardy films may be mocked by cynical modern viewers but there's something to be said for them, I think. They're good old-fashioned wholesome stories with a nice mix of drama and comedy. The cast of regulars is great. Frieda Inescort plays Reed's mother. In an amusing bit of trivia, Todd Karns plays a boy interested in Donna Reed's character. In Reed's most famous movie, It's a Wonderful Life, Karns played her brother-in-law Harry Bailey.

Donna Reed Comes To Carvel

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 16 May 2018]

When this film was first screened, viewers were aware of two major changes since the last Andy Hardy film. First, Mickey Rooney had married Ava Gardner. Secondly, the country had just entered World War II after the surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor. One might surmise that they were curious to see Rooney and they yearned for the comfort of an Andy Hardy film to remind them of life before the harsh realities of wartime.

The stories in this film have to do with the return of sister Marian to the small-town life of Carvel and a divorce case being handled by Judge Hardy.

Marian rebels against the provincial ways of Carvel, trying to assert her new-found sensibilities and her freedom as an adult.

Meanwhile, Judge Hardy involves Andy in his case, asking him to date the socially awkward daughter of the bitterly divorcing parents. The daughter, Melodie, is played by Donna Reed in her sixth film role. At age twenty or twenty-one, Miss Reed plays a younger girl who has never been on a date. Her performance is excellent. In only four years, she will appear in "It's A Wonderful Life'.

As always, this Hardy family film delivers morals to warm the heart and, perhaps, to remind America of its central values. The virtues of the family unit and sobriety are promoted quite strongly.

The central themes compete. An ancillary story about a mail order purchase by Mrs. Hardy serves to further complicate the narrative. Still, this is a satisfying Hardy story with a pleasant resolution.

Nice Entry in the Series

[Michael_Elliott · 4 December 2009]

Courtship of Andy Hardy, The (1942)

*** (out of 4)

The twelfth entry in the series finds Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) in all sorts of trouble. For starters, he decides to open his own towing company but after a freak accident he's accused of stealing the man's car, which gets him a date in court. He's also got two or three different women he wants but Judge (Lewis Stone) asks him to take a less popular girl (Donna Reed) to a dance so that she can try and forget her parents rocky divorce. Also troubling the Hardy's the the sisters desire to wear more liberal clothing. I had heard mixed things about this entry but for the most part I found it to be entertaining even if it didn't have as many laughs as previous entries that I've seen. I think, for the most part, the film is a straight drama as there are some pretty dark elements scattered throughout. Not only to we have the ugly divorce harming a child but we even have a drunk scene where Judge gets to tell everything a moral story about it. The majority of the film is centered around the "ugly girl turned pretty" storyline, which doesn't really work here too well as Donna Reed looked good in both forms of her character. They really didn't try to ugly her up very much so it's hard to really understand why no one wanted her already. The performances are all what you'd expect with Rooney being as jumpy and lively as ever and Stone coming through with that stern but fair approach. Reed makes quite an impression in her early appearance.

The Judge Fixes Andy Up

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 5 May 2010]

In The Courtship Of Andy Hardy, Lewis Stone gets Andy to actually help him out with one of his troubling domestic cases. In small town Carvel where everybody knows everybody and everybody's business, I guess this extralegal activity is expected especially from one who takes his obligations of office seriously as Judge Hardy did.

The ongoing battles between divorced parents Harvey Stephens and Frieda Inescourt are having deleterious effect on their daughter Donna Reed. Donna plays a plain Jane sort who doesn't socialize much. As Stone knows the parents he fixes Andy up with Reed. He can do so because Andy's steady girl Ann Rutherford is out of town. That's a running Hardy series gimmick, Polly Benedict goes out of town and Andy gets to play around.

Not all the family problems are with Andy in this film. Cecelia Parker as sister Marian has herself involved with William Lundigan, a decent enough fellow, but with a severe drinking problem. Again the personal and professional roles of Judge Hardy get kind of mixed in this situation as well.

The Courtship Of Andy Hardy is not a bad example of what this series was all about. But were families ever as wholesome as the Hardys?

Judge Hardy's Family Values

[lugonian · 7/10 · 26 January 2020]

THE COURTSHIP OF ANDY HARDY (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1942), directed by George B. Seitz, marks the 12th installment to the popular "Judge Hardy's Family/Andy Hardy" series featuring series regulars of Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden, Sara Haden and Ann Rutherford. With the series success being more on star quality and family values, and sometimes an introduction to the screen of future major stars as Kathryn Grayson as ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY (1941) or Esther Williams in ANDY HARDY'S DOUBLE LIFE (1942), THE COURTSHIP OF ANDY HARDY is a stepping ground for Donna Reed. Though not her introduction to the screen, having few prior movies roles since 1941, it would be her showcase for her as a troubled teenager caught in the middle of her parent's divorce custody.

Resuming its standard location to the small town of Carvel, the story opens traditionally in Judge Hardy's courtroom where the judge (Lewis Stone) is handling a maritial separation case for Roderick O. (Harvey Stephens) and Olivia Nesbit (Frieda Inescort), whose young daughter, Melodie (Donna Reed), known to high school students as a "droop," wants nothing to do with them, even confessing to the judge that even she hates her father, leading to the judge to look deeper into the case. Next plot development shifts to Hardy's son, Andrew (Mickey Rooney), a high school graduate now working at Pete Dugan's (Joseph Crehan) garage, using his jalopy to help a stranded visiting businessman, Stewart Willis (Steve Cornell), to toll his car to the garage for service, only to unwittingly lose his customer who later accuses him of stealing his auto, and file charges. This only after Andy gets a ticket from a policeman for driving his car without license plates. In the meantime, the family gets together at the train station welcoming home their eldest daughter, Marian (Cecilia Parker) following her trip to New York City, only to find her personality changed to big city girl with culture snubbing Carvel. She encounters Jefferson Willis (William Lundigan), a man-about-town, at the station, unaware of his serious boozing habits. While Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) has no problems to speak of, it's her sister, Emily (Fay Holden) who becomes involved in a mail-order swindle of $61.60 which she must pay or the collection agency will assume charges against her. As a favor for his father, Andy gets talked into taking the lonely and embittered Melodie out for a good time. While she actually knows of his intentions, Melodie becomes his date anyway at the high school alumni dance where Harry Land (Todd Karns) become interested in her, and being the only one among Andy's friends not to get paid for dancing with her. Further problems arise when Melodie overhears something to want to leave Carvel and parents altogether. Others in the cast include Erville Alderson (The Bailiff); Georgie Breakston ("Beezy" Anderson), Betty Wells (Susie), Floyd Schackelford (Joe) and Junior Coughlan ("Red"). Interestingly, series regular, Ann Rutherford as Polly Benedict, Andy's girlfriend, would only get a few minutes into the story while the sentence for drunk-driving Lundigan's character would actually get settled by the judge into the next installment, ANDY HARDY'S DOUBLE LIFE (1942).

Unlike the previous and very melodramatic effort of LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY (1941), THE COURTSHIP OF ANDY HARDY resumes to formula material with some humor with enough individual plot situations for one movie for its 95 minutes. Aside from a 15 minute segment involving individual family members of Marion, Aunt Milly, Andy and Mrs. Hardy getting to converse their problems with the wise old judge in his den, and the judge getting adjusted to the more modern slang terms, Donna Reed gets her moment assuming the role of two basic characters, that of a homely quiet and unpopular girl who spends time alone listening to opera , to an attractive down-to-earth girl with dynamic personality. Reed and Mickey Rooney would share another movie together, THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943), though their scenes in that classic, and Rooney's best film, are limited.

Never distributed to home video, THE COURTSHIP OF ANDY HARDY often plays on cable television's Turner Classic Movies and available on DVD as part of the Andy Hardy collection for fans of the series. (**1/2)

The Courtship of Andy Hardy had a charming Donna Reed through and through!

[tavm · 7/10 · 27 June 2015]

Before I review the movie proper, I have to make a few interesting notes: As anyone who've read my reviews over the years probably knows, my favorite movie is It's a Wonderful Life and it's always with that in mind that I always cite when anyone from that movie is in something else I review here. So it is that not only has Todd Karns returned as Harry Land-which he previously played in Andy Hardy's Private Secretary but Donna Reed also appears here as a girl named Melodie. Having seen IAWL so many times, I've just realized that she and Todd had no scenes in that movie together (Ms. Reed was usually in scenes either with James Stewart or the offspring of their characters) so it's a wonderful surprise that Todd has a crush on her here and that they dance together! So far it's just three from IAWL-with Lionel Barrymore from A Family Affair also to account for-also appearing in a Judge Hardy's Family series entry. In a later entry called Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble, Frank Faylen also makes an appearance making it four. I also read that Jimmy Hawkins-one of the Bailey offspring-played Andy Hardy in an unaired TV pilot version making it five from that movie also associated with this series. Anyway, Andy reluctantly dates the Reed character-based on her shyness-because of his father's insistence since he has to deal with her estranged parents' argumentative nature. Despite what I just mentioned, there's still some fun to be had. Perhaps my favorite scene involves Marian's latest date: He woos her by using a speakerphone to communicate with her while driving to her house! This marked Cecilia Parker's return to the series since missing the last two entries. Also, I agree with many reviewers that Ms. Reed was quite a looker so it's not believable that people aren't attracted to her at first, even if she's initially in dowdy clothing. Oh, and Andy's last line-"Women are habit forming"-probably also sums up the real-life Rooney's take on them as well! So on that note, I highly recommend The Courtship of Andy Hardy.

Addendum: While I had reviewed the next two Andy Hardy entries last February, I didn't make any notes about either being the last for a couple of long-time regular members since I didn't think I'd review the series as a whole at the time. Anyway, let me make those notes now.

With Andy Hardy's Double Life, Ann Rutherford played Polly Benedict for the last time. She had played that role since You're Only Young Once (Margaret Marquis previously played Polly in A Family Affair). She'd continue to appear in films and TV guest spots until 1976 when Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood became her last time in front of the cameras for a role. Since October 7, 1953, she was married to William Dozier-the future producer and announcer of the "Batman" TV show-and remained so until his death on April 23, 1991. Ms. Rutherford then died on June 11, 2012.

A couple of months after the release of Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble, regular director George B. Seitz-who helmed all previous ones except for Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever which was directed by W.S. Van Dyke II-died on July 8, 1944.

On March 4, 1943, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave M-G-M a special award "for its achievement in representing the American Way of Life in the production of the "Andy Hardy" series of films." Since the next entry after those two I just mentioned-Love Laughs at Andy Hardy-was released in 1946 and I'm not only reviewing this series but the Blondie and East Side Kids ones, not to mention selected Donald O'Connor and Betty Hutton ones, in chronological order, it will be a while before I get to that one. Hopefully, it won't be too long...

Most of this story works...but one plotline is downright bizarre.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 13 July 2018]

Melodie nesbitt--donna reed accused of stealing car--odd how family handled it asks andy to take melodie out company suing mrs hardy'

"The Courtship of Andy Hardy" is generally a good addition to the franchise. Sadly, though, one of the storylines just makes no sense...hence the score is only 6.

When the story begins, Judge Hardy is presiding over a case involving two horrible parents whose divorce proceedings have drug on for years...all to the detriment of their daughter, Melodie (Donna Reed). Melodie parrots her mother's hatred for the father and she's a lonely, sad young lady. Later in the story, Judge Hardy asks Andy for a favor....to ask Melodie out to the upcoming dance. It turns out that she's never dated anyone and Andy is willing...even though she is shunned by her peers.

There are other parts to the story--such as Marian dating a loser and Mrs. Hardy being harassed by a dishonest company. But the one that stood out for me involved Andy being accused of stealing a car...this and the resolution to it made no sense at all nor did Judge Hardy's reaction to it. Bizarre to say the least...though the rest of the film is the usual nice, wholesome sort of fair fans of the series have come to expect.

My favorite Andy Hardy movie

[HotToastyRag · 10/10 · 25 November 2019]

The Courtship of Andy Hardy might be my absolute favorite in the entire Andy Hardy series. It's not silly, but instead offers serious lessons to the audience as Judge Hardy tries to do good both in the courtroom and within the entire town. In this one, Lewis Stone asks his son Mickey Rooney to date young Donna Reed to give her some happiness while her parents are involved in a difficult divorce case, but as you might suspect-because Andy Hardy is hormone-crazed and because Donna is very beautiful-what starts out as a fake romance turns into real feelings. At the end of their first date, during which Mickey has to literally pay other fellas to dance with her, she tells him how wonderful a time she's had. Her face lights up, she smiles, she looks like Kiera Knightley, and you can actually see Mickey fall in love with her in the seconds before he kisses her.

Meanwhile, Marian-aka Cecilia Parker-returns from New York sophisticated and modern, and she shocks her family with her new makeup and clothing. She wears a nightgown as a dress, and everyone gives their own little quips as to how improper it is. The judge says it's "dizzy", Mama Hardy claims she thought her daughter was only joking, Aunt Millie quotes philosophy, and Andy rattles off everything from "Is that your stomach staring at me?" to "I can see right through you, old girl." Yes, she has her hair dolled up and quotes the got-it-flaunt-it mantra, but doesn't anyone remember her party dress five years earlier in You're Only Young Once? It was a very revealing, practically see-through number, and Lewis Stone told her she looked beautiful. Their revenge is hilarious: when Marian's fancy gentleman caller comes to dinner, everyone dresses in their nightclothes. "Hot diggity dog!" Fay Holden grins after rattling off a slew of modern slang.

The theme of this movie seems to be the generational clash, and during one of their man-to-man talks, Mickey and Lewis compare slang. "You can say that again," Mickey mutters, and immediately Lewis bristles. "Why should I say it again? I just said it!" The clash within the Hardy family reflects the clash between Donna's parents, and anyone else in the audience whose home might be or about to become broken. Rather than being outwardly comical, The Courtship of Andy Hardy is witty and clever, with somber lessons and wise words from Judge Hardy. Plus, it introduces Donna Reed to Hollywood audiences! If you've never seen an Andy Hardy movie, you'll love this one-but it'll probably spoil you for the rest of them.

back to the family

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 24 November 2023]

Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) is in charge of the contentious Nesbit divorce. Their daughter Melodie Nesbit (Donna Reed) had become a ward of the state. The Judge orders that she sees her father but she refuses. Marian Hardy (Cecilia Parker) is back home from the big city. Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) is operating a tow truck and gets mistaken in a car theft. He's also not happy with Marian's new city style.

The franchise seems to be going back to the basics. It's back to the family. It's back to the small town of Carvel. It's back to the comfort of the all-knowing Judge. It does try to deal with the changing styles and divorce. It also has newcomer Donna Reed in one of her early roles. I do wonder if the franchise is getting stale. It's the 12th of 16 movies in the series.

Probably the worst entry in the entire series!

[JohnHowardReid · 3/10 · 13 June 2018]

Copyright 10 February 1942 by Loew's Inc. Presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. New York opening at the Capitol: 9 April 1942. U.S. release: March 1942. Australian release: 3 December 1943. 9 reels. 8,549 feet. 95 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: The title is a misnomer. Andy doesn't court Donna Reed. He dates the poor girl a couple of times simply to please his dear old dad.

NOTES: The governors of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences granted a Special Award to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio "for its achievement in representing the American Way of Life in the production of the Andy Hardy series of films". (Given at the 1942 Awards Ceremony on 4 March 1943). Number 12 in the 16-picture series.

COMMENT: Probably the worst entry in the entire series, this one has only the latent attractiveness of both Cecilia Parker and Donna Reed to recommend it. The writer has invested it with a multiplicity of plots - all of them phony soap opera, concerning such trivia as the length of Marian's hem-line (the film's attitude is archly ultra-conservative - a hem-line three inches above the ankle is definitely OUT) and will Mrs Hardy be able to balance her bank book? Oh yes, the plot has its serious side too: Will young Melody Nesbit be able to overcome the social stigma of her parents being divorced?

All this rubbish is carried forward (with surprisingly jerky continuity) in excruciatingly long dialogue scenes which allow Lewis Stone to preach his cornball, reach-me-down philosophy at length. George B. Seitz's direction is not only as dull as usual, but less than competent.

Production values are distinctly minor, the film ending abruptly to save the expense of a finale featuring the football dance.

No Order in the Courtship

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 26 April 2015]

In the beautiful Midwestern town of Carvel, an occasional rough patch surfaces. Presiding over a divorce trial, Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) is worried about plain teenager Donna Reed (as Melodie Nesbit). Feeling the divorcing couple's daughter may become a delinquent, Judy Hardy persuades son Andy (Mickey Rooney) to date the girl. No boys like the Ms. Reed, so Judge Hardy must use a little wheeler-dealing to get his son interested. Andy, who is working as an auto mechanic while awaiting college, has been picked up for towing a stolen car. Judge Hardy will fix the problem if Andy shows a romantic interest in the unattractive Reed...

Meanwhile, big sister Marian (Cecilia Parker) has returned home, from an extended vacation. She is dating handsome William Lundigan (as Jeff Willis), who folks consider a "wolf" (sexually interested)...

"The Courtship of Andy Hardy" is not an honest title, but there isn't a lot of trust in this story. You're probably wondering why Donna Reed appears as an unattractive teenager awaiting her first date. For a 1940s girl, she seems very attractive. After putting her hair up, she is noticed by Todd Karns (as Harry Land), who returns to Carvel for his second feature film appearance. In real life, Mickey Rooney had just married Ava Gardner, which couldn't have pleased MGM. However. Ms. Gardner fits his character's reputation. Andy attracted some beautiful women. With lines like, "Nature made women's brains lighter than men's," he's formidable.

**** The Courtship of Andy Hardy (3/3/42) George B. Seitz ~ Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Donna Reed, Cecilia Parker

Andy helps dad with a tough domestic case.

[TxMike · 23 July 2010]

It is curious to me that this is the very first Andy Hardy movie I have seen. It was on the TCM channel and I enjoy bot Mickey Rooney and Donna Reed, so I watched it. Movies sure have changed in the past 60+ years. The expressions they use, the family dynamics at the dinner table. It was curious to see when mother/son, brother/sister greeted each other they always kissed on the lips, cute but something I don't think you see much anymore.

The other interesting, slightly surreal thing for me was seeing Donna Reed as a youngster. Even though she was in her early 20s here, she played a high school teenager. My memories of Donna Reed are as a mature adult from her TV series so this was quite different.

Donna Reed is Melodie, and as the movie opens we see her divorced mom and dad in court, in front of Andy's dad, the judge. Mom is complaining that dad won't give her the child support check, dad is complaining that mom won't let him see their daughter. Judge explains that Melodie doesn't belong to either one of them, and they must both cooperate.

But Melodie says she doesn't want to see her father, it turns out that mom has been demonizing him falsely. But judge asks his son, Andy, to take Melodie out on a date to help her break out of her doldrums.

Mickey Rooney is, of course, Andy Hardy, always with several things going on. In this movie he decides he will start the Andy Hardy towing business, with this jalopy he has cobbled together and the garage owner will pay him 10% for every car he brings in. This ends up getting Andy into a pickle, inadvertently.

It is just a cute, entertaining movie. It was fun seeing Andy and his dad have relationship talks, something you probably don't see much in modern times.

What America Was Like, Once, long ago.....

[thomascapital · 19 December 2002]

Many skeptics scoff at these types of movies, where America is great, clean and pure, where problems have simply solutions. Simply, yes, we complicate things and movies like this remind us how fine life can be.

Andy Hardy movies are just this, fine and simple.