Diagonaldi Very well executed

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

weezeralfalfa In more or less following the plot of the '30 Broadway show and '32 film, the plot of this 4th and last of the Mickey & Judy musical film series departs somewhat from the previous 3. Instead of being small town high schoolers trying to get started in a musical or theatrical career, Mickey is the spoiled playboy son of a wealthy NYC publisher, and Judy has a postmaster job at a tiny, very isolated, all men cow college(Cody), presumably in Wyoming, where Mickey is sent to get him away from the distractions(especially girls) of NYC, and build his character.Remember, this is 1943: the midst of WWII. Unlike the '41 "Babes on Broadway", there is no reference to the war. However, Mickey's situation at Cody College is somewhat like that of most servicemen. Like them, he is suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar social and physical environment where opportunities to romance single women are sparse, and he can't rely on his father to bail him out of trouble. Although he almost throws in the towel after his first few days, eventually, he takes on the seemingly impossible challenge of saving the college from being shut down for lack of enrollment, which is somewhat analogous to the role of servicemen in helping the US from being overwhelmed by the Nazis and Japan. He does this by promoting a Cody rodeo and 'rodeo queen' contest. Mickey proposes that this become an annual event. Presumably, in the future, the queen has to be a student at Cody, precipitating an influx of entrance applications from girls, assuming that the college will be declared co-ed in the future.... One possible indirect reference to the war is when M&J are trying to see the governor about their idea, but are told he won't likely have time for them. But, they are moved ahead of all others when the governor is told a Mr. Churchill(Winston?) is there to see him. Yes, corny! While they are waiting to see the governor, Mickey does his classic impression of sports announcers.The film begins with short Mickey in top hat and tails being driven around NYC by two beautiful women, eventually entering Teddy Mitchell's '100 beautiful girls' night club, featuring the Dorsey band. June Allyson does her initial film song on stage: "Treat Me Rough", later displaced by the girl chorus, who eventually pull Mickey to the stage and 'treat him rough', as he gets to sing some too. This is a fun production! ..Later, his father is upset at the newspaper accounts of this episode, and tells him he's being transferred from Yale to obscure Cody College. Mickey is next seen at the tiny Cody rail station, being told the population of Cody is 0, and the college is 8 miles down a dusty road, with no transport. Eventually, he finds Judy on this road trying to fix her car. She's mostly sarcastic at his interest and leaves him in the dust once her violently shaking rattle-trap car is running: quite an amusing scene. Once at the college, Mickey has a rough couple of days, as the students subject him to some initiation rituals and pranks. He's ready to go back to NYC, so Judy gives him a ride to the station, during which they argue, flirt and sing a bit: a good scene!The students put on a big birthday party for Judy, giving her a piano. She plays and sings the memorable "Embraceable You", the men eventually taking over the singing, followed by dancing. For a portion, it looks like Astaire and Rogers dancing. This is the second of 3 big musical productions. The last and much the most elaborate is the Busby Berkeley-directed manic "I Got Rhythm" extravaganza, again including the Dorsey band, with everyone dressed in western garb... In a very strange scene, after the birthday party, Judy strolls with her apparent boyfriend, who asks, in a very formal way, for an engagement. Then, he says he doesn't want to get romantic! After he leaves, Mickey unexpectedly shows up, and they talk about their relationship. After Judy learns that the college is slated to be closed, and after she loses the 'Queen of the Rodeo' contest, she changes from a confident into a weepy woman, who says she's moving east with her visiting cousin(Nancy Walker). But when she learns the college probably will be saved, she perks up, in time for the finale "I Got Rhythm".The governor's daughter(played by Frances Rafferty) serves the role played by June Priesser in "Babes in Arms" and "Strike up the Band", as the debutante that Mickey has to favor for a while over Judy, on the surface, in order to achieve his goal.How Tommy Dorsey came to take his band from NYC to a birthday ball and then rodeo event in this obscure corner of the US is not explored!In contrast to the previous M&J musicals, Mickey looks utterly ridiculous in many scenes: like a kid, getting pushed around by a group of much taller women on stage in NYC, then dressed up as a diminutive cowboy, or lugging his suitcases down a long dusty road in coat and tie. Makes him seem like a Charlie Chaplin-like character, contrasting with his supposed status as a lady's man. No doubt, that's partly why this is considered by many to be the best of the M&J musicals. I still have a slight preference for "Babes on Broadway".Incidentally, Cody WY does host a major annual rodeo event, although there is no college there.This was Judy's last B&W film. June and Nancy, with bit parts, had debuted for MGM earlier in '43 in the Technicolor "Best Foot Forward". Apparently, MGM was relying on star power to sell the present film.

vincentlynch-moonoi Maybe it's just so dated, but I was expecting to really enjoy this film...but I didn't. I found it "passable". Maybe it was that it takes place at an all-boy's college out in the desert. Maybe its that for most of the film there are only two females -- Judy Garland and Nancy Walker (with an early brief appearance by June Allyson...worth watching because her musical number seemed so "not-June"). It was well into the film before I found a musical number I really enjoyed -- Judy Garland singing "Embraceable You". The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra's arrangement of "Fascinating Rhythm" is extended and "socko"! And there is a rousing finale that really demonstrates the talent of Rooney and Garland. But beyond these few highlights, the plot's pretty thin, same old same old for Garland and Rooney...talented though they are.

TxMike The DVD has an introduction by Mickey Rooney, filmed in 2007, and he chokes up remembering Judy Garland, and he says his greatest thrill is that she considered him her favorite movie partner.This entertaining movie is about the actors, Rooney and Garland, doing their thing, plus the great Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra playing Gershwin songs. Dorsey isn't simply providing music, he becomes a character in the film, of course playing himself.Mickey Rooney was 22 here, playing Danny Churchill, Jr., son of a wealthy New York publisher. In the movie's opening we see Danny Jr. out on the town, and the next morning the publicity of his antics are not well received by dad. So Danny Boy gets sent to Cody College, "out west." Cody College is populated by young cowboys, and is in somewhat of a bind, student enrollment is dropping and may have to be closed down. One of the first people Danny meets is Judy Garland as Ginger Gray, under her US Mail delivery car in the desert, trying to get it running. Eventually they do, and she gives Danny a ride to the college. It turns out her grandfather is the dean of the school.Much of the movie has two thrusts ... Danny falling in love with Ginger, and convincing her he is sincere. And Danny figuring out a way to help keep the college open. In the end they hit upon an idea and it results in a flood of letters of application ... from female students.The music and singing are great, and Mickey Rooney displays his many talents, and even has a piano number with the Dorsey band. The last scene is a very nice 7-minute production number. Very nice movie from 1943, two years before I was born.

funkyfry "Girl Crazy" is a wonderful Hollywood confection. It's one of the best films ever produced using the music of the Gershwin brothers, and that's reason enough to celebrate. Although some complain about the film deviating from the plot of the original play, I think for the most part the changes are within the acceptable range, especially if you compared it to previous MGM Gershwin films like "Strike Up the Band" and "Lady Be Good." We still have all the primary characters from the play here in spirit – Rags Ragland plays a variation on the original play's "Geeber Goldfarb" character (who really was an ethnic joke poking fun at Jews and therefore probably would have been in poor taste in 1943 anyway) and Judy's character combines significant elements of both the Ginger Rodgers and Ethel Merman characters (as well as their best songs, with the exception of Merman's exquisite "Sam and Delilah"). We've got Mickey Rooney at his best. Yes, he's spastic, but this character is more endearing and a step up from his usual "Andy Hardy" derivatives. He gets some of his best moments early, as he exhorts June Allyson (in a surprisingly deft but brief specialty turn) to "Treat Me Rough" and begs of lady Judy" "Could You Use Me?". Judy responds to the latter inquiry with some of Ira Gershwin's most amusing lyrics, including a personal favorite:"There's a guy I know in Mexico More romantic far than you Eating nails and drinking Texaco He is the type for me….."MGM's previous Gershwin films were "greatest hits" compilations at best (also the later masterpiece "American in Paris") or a title track combined with lame new songs by Roger Edens at worst. But this one preserves many of the gems in the Gershwins' original show, and integrates them into the story in a suitable fashion. The huge finale to "I Got Rhythm" is a visual feast, but the show's more intimate moments shine even more brightly. Judy looks better in this film than I've ever seen her and she is in total command of her craft. She also clearly relishes the material, both musical and comedic. Her character has a quick wit and a sharp tongue, and it's always more interesting and appealing to see her in that type of role instead of the more typical 1930s ingénue (for example her dull character in "Lady Be Good"). We see her sing a surprising counterpoint version of "Bidin' My Time" (the original was an all-male chorus; originally a version of the all-male "Bronco Busters" was planned for the film so perhaps that motivated changes) and thankfully "Embraceable You" has been taken from the male lead and given to Judy, whose version is full of "deco" grace, remarkably restrained for her. Rooney is at his most athletic here in this role and really does some impressive dancing along with Judy, reminding me of Gene Kelly in their films together. His comic dances are the most memorable, but he also make a surprisingly good fill-in for maestro Gershwin himself as he pounds the ivory for a brilliantly arranged Tommy Dorsey band version of "I Got Rhythm (Variations)." It's great to see his band captured on film at or near its peak. It's surely one of Broadway's great ironies that Dorsey actually appeared as a relatively anonymous member of Red Norvo's band in the pit orchestra of the original show in 1930 (whose opening night performance was conducted by the composer himself) and a mere 13 years later was a featured star in the film version! Of course the same orchestra featured Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman among its instrumentalists. "Girl Crazy" is like a nexus in American Broadway/Jazz history; it's not a groundbreaking show, but rather the apex of a certain style of escapist but sophisticated adult musical entertainment. It's poised between the early pioneer "Princess Theater" shows of Kern and P.G. Wodehouse (whose frequent collaborator in the late teens was Guy Bolton, the co-author of this show) and the sexy Cole Porter shows of the mid/late 30s (most of which featured star Ethel Merman, who made her auspicious Broadway debut in "Girl Crazy") but long before the onslaught of self-serious post-war musical melodramas and the eventual descent into mediocre family/tourist friendly shows that have ruled virtually unchecked since the mid 1960s. This show, thankfully, preserves enough of the spirit and music of the original show (aided greatly by Garland's performance; she's one of the few movie stars who can sing Merman tunes properly, and she seems to have a special feel for Gershwin material and Ira's lyrics in particular) that some glimpses at least of that joyous golden age of Broadway is still here to be enjoyed. My only complaints would be minor – I thought Rooney's radio spoof was silly in an unfunny way and went on too long, and the direction from Taurog could have been better in the non-music sequences. The scenes with Rooney and the headmaster seem very static; that's partly the screenwriter's fault because Bolton would never have resorted to an almost completely non-humorous scene just to provide narrative information. They way they've adapted the story also de-emphasizes the Western locale and makes this seem like a more generic college comedy in the mold of Kern/Wodehouse's "Leave it to Jane" (and its many derivatives, i.e. Rogers/Hart's "Too Many Girls", which was filmed by MGM around the same time). But those are small quibbles considering the accomplishments of this film, which I feel is the best of the Rooney/Garland films by a mile and the only one to really show off both stars' genius while at the same time not doing so at the expense of the original material. For all these reasons the film is a treasure bearing testimony both to the greatness of Hollywood and Broadway from the bygone and dearly lamented era when comedy and music were not the exclusive province of teenage boys.