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:

farm | barn | actress | actor | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

MGM Brings on the Show with Music - Dancing - TECHNICOLOR

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Genres:

Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 January 1951 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Casa, Comida e Carinho

Filming Locations:

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

After principal photography has been completed, it was decided that a showstopping number was needed for Judy Garland, to put a 'button' on the picture. Throughout the making of the film, Garland was having problems, and being overweight was one of them. The fact that Annie Get Your Gun (1950) - from which she had been fired and was now starring Betty Hutton - was filming on an adjacent soundstage was another. For the showstopper-to-be, Garland herself chose the song "Get Happy." While Saul Chaplin arranged the number, Garland spent two weeks with a hypnotist in Santa Barbara, returning to MGM twenty pounds lighter. She spent two days with Chaplin and Roger Edens, rehearsed Charles Walters' staging for two days, pre-recorded the vocal in one perfect take (not unusual for her), and the entire sequence was photographed in less than two days.

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Goofs

In the "Friendly Star" number, as Garland finishes the song, the frame clearly freezes for a second before cutting to a shot of the moon.

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Quotes

Joe D. Ross: [walking away] See you next Thursday.

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Connections

Referenced in Glee: Duets (2010)

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Soundtracks

Friendly Star
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Copyright 1950 by Harry Warren Music, Inc.
Performed by Judy Garland

User Reviews

Kelly's best and worst number in one and the same film

Summer Stock is a lightweight yet enjoyable romp, full of songs and dance numbers, though the best new song (Fall In Love, which can be heard as an audio outtake on the DVD) was cut from the picture (perhaps because it features Phil Silvers and Gloria DeHaven instead of Kelly and Garland?).

Kelly and Garland work very well together, as usual, and the barnyard dance is probably her best ever dance performance. But she's equally good in the lovely You, Wonderful You-number, which presages You Were Meant For Me on a much smaller scale.

Kelly is in great shape in the barnyard dance, Dig for your dinner (reminiscent of Tomorrow from Cover Girl and The Hat My Dear Old Father Wore Upon St Patrick's Day in Take Me Out To The Ball Game). But the best number is without a doubt his solo to You, Wonderful You with the newspaper and squeaky board. To me it's Kelly's most Astaire-like performance (especially conceptually - the steps and style are all Kelly).

Unfortunately, the big show is fairly weak (excepting Get Happy, small wonder they added it), and Kelly and Silver's redneck number Heavenly Music is a disgrace. Unfunny, bad song and bad choreography/concept. I can't recall Kelly having done anything more disappointing.

So skip that one every time you pop in the DVD and enjoy the rest of Judy Garland's swan song for MGM, and Kelly's last 'normal' musical (before all his pictures became events).