Andy Hardy aventurero

LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1941), directed by George B. Seitz, the eleventh installment to the "Andy Hardy" family series, and possibly the most dramatic and adult of all the episodes thus far. With the recurring cast headed by Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Fay Holden, Ann Rutherford and Sara Haden in their regular roles, Judy Garland, who previous appeared in LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938) and ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (1940), returns for the third and final time to Carvel as Andy's companion and "playmate," Betsy Booth, who, in spite of her now advanced age and mature looks, is still looked upon her by Andy as a "child,"

Continuing where the last segment of ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY (1941) left off, Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney), now 18 and a high school graduate, has broken up with his girlfriend, Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford), whose about to start her new life in college. Betsy Booth (Judy Garland) of New York City telephones Judge James K. Hardy (Lewis Stone) that she is returning to Carvel for a visit, and not to tell Andy. The following morning after returning home very late from his high school graduation dance, Andy decides that before he could make a decision about attending college or getting a job, he wants to have his experimental month during summer break by experiencing life in the outside world living on his own in New York City without any help nor financial support by his parents or anybody, for that what Andy tells his father, "Today, I am a man!" With Betsy to guide him through through big city living, the two drive in Andy's new roadster to New York to begin his new life adventure. He first registers and boards at the City House Residence for Young Men. Acquiring a room # 808, he meets Jimmy Frobisher (Ray McDonald), a tenant with tap dancing ambitions, about to leave. Learning he's quit his job as office boy at the Consolidated Stocks and Bonds Corporation at 5 West 48th Street, Andy decides to grab this position before it is taken. While waiting for an interview, Andy meets and becomes interested in its secretary, Jennit Hicks (Patricia Dane). After learning from its supervisor, Eric J. Maddox (Lester Mattjhews) that the position has been filled by his nephew, Andy spends the next few days job hunting, struggling to survive with money low and lack of food. He does offer assistance to Jimmy, homeless and living in Central Park, and has Jimmy move in with him. Things begin to look brighter when Jennit Hicks offers Andy a job at the firm after the boss's nephew gets fired. As Betsy telephones Andy's activities to his father, problems arise as Jimmy is discovered living in his apartment without permission from the management, followed by learning the true facts of life by woman of the world Jennit, adding to the worries for both Betsy and Judge Hardy. Others featured in the cast are: John Eldredge (Paul McWilliams); Pierre Watkin (Bob Waggoner); Joseph Crehan (Peter Dugan) and Sidney Miller.

Aside from being quite dramatic, LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY is leisurely paced and lacks mood scoring during its long 101 minutes, There are those who regard this to be a "sleeper." Regardless of its excessive length for a film series, the story is quite interesting, finding this installment going against format material from the past. Scenes involving Judge Hardy, Emily and Aunt Milly are few and far between during Andy's venture to New York, though Judge Hardy still finds time to have his man-to-man talk with his son. Ann Rutherford's Polly gets only one scene here while older sister, Marian, played by Cecilia Parker, doesn't appear with no explanation given. Humor is very limited yet one wonders how the film itself might have worked had the situations been more comical.

As much as film historians claim THE CLOCK (1945) to be Judy Garland's first non-musical, it is actually LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY. According to Robert Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, where the movie has been shown often since 1994, that "Garland recorded four songs for the movie, but none were used in the finished print." The only time Judy sings anything is briefly to the traditional tune to "Happy Birthday." There is a short night club conga dance between Andy Hardy and Jennit (Dane), but other than that, no scoring is used. Had there been songs and added material. maybe the story itself might have gone beyond two hours. Rooney, Garland and McDonald would reunite again for the highly entertaining musical, BABES ON BROADWAY (1941).

In spite of its outcome, LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY stands out among others in the series for daring to be different with realistic situations that could actually occur for someone wanting to experience what life is all about in New York City. Formerly distributed on video cassette in the 1990s, its also available on DVD. Next in the series: THE COURTSHIP OF ANDY HARDY (1942). (**1/2)

This movie is worth seeing just for the advice Judge Hardy gives Andy. He explains beautifully why every unmarried person should be faithful to his or her future spouse, even before they ever meet each other.

It is interesting that the Legion of Decency objected to this speech. In 1941 such parental advice was so well known that it was not helpful to hear it in a movie, and it was dangerous to display sexual advice in the public setting of a movie. Keep in mind that the speech is so tasteful that we would not even call it sexual at all. Yet to them it was good, sound advice but far too personal to publicize.

In our time we have fallen so far from those wholesome principles that it would be very helpful to publicize them broadly. I am seeking a copy of this movie to show to my children and friends.

The darkest of the Andy Hardy films, "Life Begins" is a startling departure from the usual small-town antics of young Hardy.

Andy decides to move to the big city rather than attend college. There, he discovers the harsh realities of finances, unemployment, and lack of a support system. But it's his choice to eschew the support of family and his friend Betsy (Judy Garland). He struggles, but sticks to his principles.

Judy Garland's part is smaller than originally intended, but she is splendid in her role. The real surprise of the film is Patricia Dane who plays Jennitt Hicks, an experienced woman of the city who helps him find a job. Miss Dane's striking presence on screen had me wondering why I was not familiar with her film work. A review of her bio revealed that her career was brief and controversial, and unfortunate.

The Andy Hardy films often discuss the concept of becoming a man. This film addresses the real meaning of manhood in direct and sophisticated ways. Though Andy retains his boyish charm, he certainly crosses a threshold in this film.

As with all the films in this series, there are morals to learn, but they are not as simplistic or obvious.

The film suffers from competing concepts that result in a schizophrenic story and unrealized potential, but the remaining elements are still interesting, especially those involving Miss Dane.

Although I have enjoyed every Andy Hardy movie that I have seen, this is probably my favorite entry in the series. It is admittedly a departure from the usual light-hearted comedy of the Hardy movies, but in this case, it works.

In the film, Andy leaves his sheltered small-town life for the city of New York in order to decide whether he wants to go to college or directly join the professional ranks. Andy's dilemma hit home with me when I first saw this film a few years ago since it was a decision that I was facing myself. Many younger viewers will probably be able to relate to the issues and problems that Andy must deal with as he attempts to make the transition from carefree adolescence to adulthood.

Mickey Rooney gives a good performance as Andy Hardy, as does Judy Garland in the role of Betsey Booth. This picture is not as cheerful as most entries in the series, but the most melancholy aspect of this film is the fact that it is Garland's last appearance as Betsey. Betsey is one of the most entertaining characters in the series of movies, and it's unfortunate that she only appears in three of the films.

Overall, this is a very good, although different, entry into the Andy Hardy series of movies.

Andy Hardy has just graduated high school, and so he ponders what comes next. His father has dreams of him attending his own alma mater, Wainwright college, and going into law. Looking at the long journey that would be - seven years of college - he decides to break out on his own and see what life on his own would be like. So he drives to New York City in search of a job.

He gets a room in a kind of high-rise boarding house for guys, back when women were not allowed past the front desk. His search for a job, though, is arduous until he finally lands one as an office boy at a stock brokerage concern.

Before he gets the job though, he runs out of money, can't get his car out of hock in storage, and goes hungry for a few days. At one point, his roommate, unable to get a job in what he wants to do, even kills himself in the bathroom, with Andy discovering the body! So this is not your average Andy Hardy film.

There is one really odd scene between Andy and his father, the judge. Usually I can easily see the rather timeless lessons the judge is trying to teach, but this one seems mid Victorian. The judge has noticed the flirting going on between Andy and the woman a few years older - she's probably 25 or so - who also works at the brokerage. The judge says that people should be faithful to their spouses before they even meet them, because lots of casual "dating" - to be euphemistic about it - makes it hard to be faithful to a spouse once you have one. So much for sowing one's wild oats!