Summer Stock (1950)

A small-town farmer, down on her luck, finds her homestead invaded by a theatrical troupe invited to stay by her ne'er-do-well sister.

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

George Wells (screenplay), Sy Gomberg (screenplay)

Stars:

Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Judy Garland	...	Jane Falbury
Gene Kelly	...	Joe D. Ross
Eddie Bracken	...	Orville Wingait
Gloria DeHaven	...	Abigail Falbury (as Gloria De Haven)
Marjorie Main	...	Esme
Phil Silvers	...	Herb Blake
Ray Collins	...	Jasper G. Wingait
Nita Bieber	...	Sarah Higgins
Carleton Carpenter	...	Artie
Hans Conried	...	Harrison I. Keath

Storyline

As a favor to her actress sister Abigail, New England farmer Jane Falbury allows a group of actors use her barn as a theater for their play. In return, the cast and crew have to help her with the farm chores. During rehearsals, Jane finds herself falling for the show's director, Joe Ross, who also happens to be engaged to the show's leading lady-- Abigail.

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Plot Keywords:

singing a duet | whispering in ear | quitting a job without notice | nose drops | earthbuster tractor | 

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Taglines:

Judy and Gene

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Genres:

Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Judy Garland is said to have been at the height of her drug addiction throughout filming, resulting in her weight changes, mood-swings, and unexplained illnesses. It was due to this behavior that MGM fired her after filming completed.

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Goofs

As Jane drives her new tractor home, the sun is on her left for most of the drive until she comes to a village then the sun is on her right. The sun returns to her left after she leaves the village, having put water in the tractor's radiator.

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Quotes

Jane Falbury: It's a farm, Abigail!

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Connections

Featured in Lovecraft Country: Meet Me in Daegu (2020)

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Soundtracks

(Howdy Neighbor) Happy Harvest
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Copyright 1950 by Harry Warren Music, Inc.
Performed in the finale by Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Phil Silvers and stock company members

User Reviews

A Delightful Trip Down Memory Lane

One reviewer claimed Judy Garland looked overweight and uncomfortable, and to some extent, I agree. She was poorly costumed in ridiculous looking overalls for much of the film. In the black/white show number, while most of the girls wore sleek showgirl outfits, Ms. Garland's dress looked like someone got it stuck in a sewing machine.

That said, I adored this movie because of the performances. Gene Kelly is absolutely stunning...a gorgeous man with a gorgeous voice and dance ability that would make the best Broadway "hoofer" jealous. His scenes and songs with Judy were top-notch.

I had never seen this film until recently, and I was delighted to see "Get Happy" was a part of this film. It's one of the highlights of the movie, along with a special tap dance routine Gene Kelly has with a creaky floorboard and a piece of newspaper (wow, is all I can say about that one).

See this movie because of the stars...they carried it. A truly fun and enjoyable film, despite its flaws.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 January 1951 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Summer Stock

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1