In the Good Old Summertime (1949)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

Miklós László (play)
Samson Raphaelson (earlier screenplay)

Release Date:

29 July 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

It's turn of the century America when Andrew and Veronica first meet - by crashing into each other....

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Pen Pal | Stradivarius | Foreign Language Adaptation | Letter Writing

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Veronica Fisher
Van Johnson	...	Andrew Delby Larkin
S.Z. Sakall	...	Otto Oberkugen (as S.Z. 'Cuddles' Sakall)
Spring Byington	...	Nellie Burke
Clinton Sundberg	...	Rudy Hansen
Buster Keaton	...	Hickey
Marcia Van Dyke	...	Louise Parkson
Lillian Bronson	...	Aunt Addie

Also Known As:

I Don't Care (USA) (working title)
The Girl from Chicago (USA) (original script title)
The Good Old Summertime (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

At one time set to co-star Frank Sinatra and Gloria DeHaven.

Goofs:

Continuity: When singing "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland", Veronica lifts the harp several times. Sometimes the bottom of the harp is plain wood, but sometimes it is covered with green felt.

Quotes:

Veronica Fisher: Mr. Larkin, what about his mind? Did you find him intellegent, witty...
Andrew Delby Larkin: Witty? No, no, not witty, but then you can't judge a man when he's out of a job.
Veronica Fisher: Out of a job!
Andrew Delby Larkin: Well, yes.
Veronica Fisher: He never said anything to me about that.
Andrew Delby Larkin: Well he probably didn't want to worry you. But he thinks you can both live quite comfortably on what you make.
Veronica Fisher: [horrified] Did he ask you what I make?
Andrew Delby Larkin: Well, after all, he is your fiance.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Arthur: Castle in the Sky/Tipping the Scales (#9.1)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)

In the Good Cold Summertime...

Funny that a movie which has 'Summertime" in its title spends most of its duration in the Winter. No matter, this is a charming and quaint musical from MGM. Judy and Van are anonymous pen pals, who also happen to work together, each of them not knowing the other is their mystery 'friend'.

It's a little disconcerting watching Judy Garland, as lively as ever, in her second to last MGM musical from the studio's classic period. It's unfortunate she was dropped a couple years later, because even in this minor film, she is wonderful, using her talents to better the story with her cinematic personality and melodic singing. She had a gift for comedy and a talent for drama as well.

Van Johnson, in one of his few memorable musical film roles, is good as Judy's counterpart. His role seems more like a character Gene Kelly would have played, a bit of a 'smart Alec'. I think if Kelly were cast instead, there would have been more of a balance in this film, because as it is, much of the singing in this film comes from Judy...she really is the only singer in the whole cast. The songs, themselves, are period pieces which are pleasant enough. Aside from the title tune, there is the "Dreamland" number, which is nice, Judy's rousing "I Don't Care", and her amusing song with the Barbershop Quartet. The other actors in the cast are also good. Buster Keaton has a funny, but modest role as a shop worker, along with Spring Byington and S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall, as the shop owner.

Overall, a pleasant film. Not quite what I would think of as a musical, as the songs are modest filler, not showstoppers. This is not on par with "On the Town" or "The Pirate", but it is enjoyable enough. Good costumes, charming sets, and lovely Technicolor contribute to the look of an antique hand-colored postcard. In that sense, it's something of a curio; amusing, but not quite a gem.