TCM ran all but 2 of the Hardy Family movies a couple of weeks ago and, thank heavens for my DVR, I was able to watch them all and just finished up the series.
Watching Mickey Rooney "grow up" was wonderful; the turn around, I think, being in "Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever", and even more so in "Life Begins For Andy Hardy"; those two films in particular in the series contained some great character development for Andy and I loved seeing how Mickey Rooney handled it. And Andy Hardy Comes Home was a good conclusion.
I found that I didn't need to know the back story of how Andy met Jane or ended up in California; I enjoyed seeing the little bits and tributes to the earlier movies (Andy tossing his hat onto the peg, the clips of the girls, even the "Carvel Hi" banner in his bedroom) and Andy going in to his father's study when he needed to think... I got teary eyed seeing the portrait of Lewis Stone over the fireplace.
Because I was able to watch the movies so close together, I was able to notice little things that they missed in the continuity: the picture of "Betsy Booth" was different from the one Andy was originally given (see Andy Hardy Meets Debutant), and the front door of the house opened on the opposite side (see Love Laughs At Andy Hardy when he gets locked out of the house), but even that was fun to see. I found this to be a good place to end the series.
To see Andy taking on his father's mantel, literally, was very satisfying. Andy is no longer the skittish young boy/man that the audiences grew up with, but then, we all grow older and are not the same people we were in our youth.
I was glad to see that Andy Hardy came home!
