Thoroughbreds Don't Cry

MGM didn't quite know what to do with Judy Garland for the first two years she was under studio contract. After her song 'You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)' to Clark Gable's photograph in her short appearance in "Broadway Melody of 1938," the studio felt it had something unique in the mid-teen actress. Finding a script where it was contoured to her personality, MGM gave Garland her first lead in a movie in November 1937's "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry," with Mickey Rooney. The motion picture became the first of eight the two starred together, creating one of Hollywood's more famous and lovable pairings.

"Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" displays "the talents of Garland and Rooney as they were both on the cusp of superstardom," observed film critic Patrick Nash. "He is all energy and gruff attitude. Her wide-open face and big voice were already fully developed as was her natural comic flair. The movie is worth watching for one reason: to see the moment when Judy Garland just turned 15 and an almost 17 Mickey Rooney created their legendary onscreen chemistry and teamwork."

"Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" was intended to be a low-budgeted 'juvenile' fare with Rooney as a cock-sure horse jockey. He was supposed to play second fiddle to the studio's premier childhood actor, Freddie Bartholomew, but Freddie's adopted mother Aunt Cissy was haggling with MGM over his new contract. The studio then hired the young New Zealand acting sensation Ronald Sinclair to replace Bartholomew, playing arch-rival-turned friend Roger Calverton to Mickey. Roger is the grandson of Sir Peter Calverton (C. Aubrey Smith), who brought his English-raised prize horse over to the United States to be in America's top race, The Cup. Sinclair's Hollywood acting was short-lived: he eventually became producer/director Roger Corman's full-time editor after serving in World War Two.

Judy's role was a last-minute insertion by MGM scriptwriters. She's Cricket West, the daughter of Mother Ralph (Sophie Tucker), who runs a boarding house for the horse track's young jockeys, including Timmie Donovan (Mickey Rooney). Cricket has an eye towards Roger, who sees his grandfather dying, leaving him nothing in his will but his horse. Wanting to make peace between the two rivals, Cricket persuades Timmie to be friends with Roger, agreeing to ride his horse until he gets suspended for throwing a race. With little racing experience, Rogers is forced to ride the horse himself for the Cup.

The exciting horse racing footage seen in "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" was filmed in the recently-open Santa Anita racetrack, the first bonafide horse track to operate in Southern California. Before its construction, Los Angeles horse racing fans had to journey across the Mexican border into Tijuana to enjoy the sport. When teenager Rooney became of legal age, the actor would spend many afternoons betting on his favorite horses at Santa Anita.

Mickey had become friends with Judy years earlier while both were attending Viola Lawler's Hollywood Professional School. Rooney proceeded Garland in Hollywood, first appearing in front of the camera in 1927. Mickey's popularity soared with the long-running Andy Hardy movies, the first of sixteen filmed in 1937's 'A Family Affair.' Rooney later remarked "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" was an eye-opener for Garland, who began to feel she might have a future in acting. "Judy and I went to the preview together," recalled Rooney, "and as we watched ourselves on the screen, I sneaked a look every so often at Judy. She seemed rapt by what she saw up there: her own movie persona taking shape. I think it was that night that Judy's star was born." This was the first time Garland saw her credits top-billed. She later appeared in a couple of Andy Hardy movies, including 1938's "Andy Hardy Meets Debutante." Theirs was a close friendship which lasted until her untimely death in 1969.

A rum affair. Always noted as Judy's first teaming with Mickey Rooney, but her love interest is Ronald Sinclair, and the plot is more interested in the boys', ahem, friendship. I am bored by constant readings of old movies as coded gay, but you can't ignore the scenes when the boy owner and his jockey move together on horseback, or a protracted episode of Timmie massaging Roger's legs and trying to keep Cricket out of the room. As a jockey Timmie specialises in 'coming from behind'.

Another mystery concerns casting. MGM's first thought was to reunite their British boy wonder, Freddie Bartholomew, with C. Aubrey Smith, reprising the grandfather-grandson relationship of 'Little Lord Fauntleroy'. Barthlomew reportedly dropped out due to a contract fight; yet he stars in the trailer introducing Sinclair, falsely, as an old pal. Judy wrote that he had been dropped when his voice broke.

Sinclair was a New Zealander and not quite as veddy veddy British as most kids from over the water in pre-war Hollywood. Though obliged to wear short pants in most scenes, he does okay in the puppy-love passages with Judy, but soon faded as an actor, transforming into the editor of Roger Corman's horror films.

Rooney, already in the Jolson class for self-confidence, breezes through the plot's twists (one of them, involving his crooked dad, is ingenious) and displays his gift for emoting without seeming soppy. The great C. Aubrey is only in the first half but scores in contriving to make Timmie hitch a ride on The Pookah. Did Cricket get her unusual monicker as a play on the ball game Smith and the English Colony brought to California?

Judy's role is undercooked: her showbiz ambitions remain unfulfilled and her main task is to feed Sophie Tucker, repeating their double act in 'Broadway Melody of 1938'. Again Tucker is cast as a den mother: she does some sleuthing but no singing. Judy's only song, delivered while barred from the massage, is 'Got a Pair of New Shoes'. This was later picked up by Eleanor Powell, star of 'BM38', for her cabaret tap dancing; also Smith and Tucker reappeared in Powell's last vehicle, 'Sensations of 1945'.

A poignant note: uncredited as one of the track stewards is Francis X. Bushman, the rival of Ramon Novarro in 'Ben Hur', MGM's biggest silent picture. From chariot race to horse race in 12 years: a long way down.

In nine subsequent movies Garland and Rooney would cement their status as America's prototypical teenagers- but not yet in this jolly little programmer.

Roger Calverton is an English boy, grandson of famous Lord Sir Peter Calverton, who has come to America eager to race his horse. He wants cocky Timmie Donovan (Mickey Rooney) to be his jockey. He befriends aspiring-actress Cricket West (Judy Garland) whose aunt Mother Ralph runs a boarding house for young jockeys.

This is a great trio of young actors playing great characters. I'm going to make an unusual comparison. They're the Star Wars original trio. Roger is the young idealist. Timmie is the cocky brigand. Cricket is the sassy princess. They have some fun scenes together. They even have a sweet puppy love triangle. It's more notable for being the first film to team up Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Their chemistry is undeniable. Garland's career is just ramping up as the new It girl as she films this and Everybody Sing at the same time. The story could use a little more work but it's simple and effective. I just love the three young actors starting with the fight to the slapstick massage and the diner. They're great together.

The casting in this film is rather unusual. While Freddie Bartholomew was apparently supposed to be in the movie, he was either in a contract dispute or in seclusion until his voice changed (according to Judy Garland)...and the studio tried to find a Bartholomew-like actor to take his place. That is why Ronald Sinclair (a New Zealander) was chosen to appear in this film...one of only a small number of films in which he acted. Interestingly, Sinclair has quite a few Hollywood credits--most of them as an Editor!

"Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" is monumental because it is the first pairing of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. They'd go on to make many more films together...and this being the first might explain why Rooney does NOT play a typical sort of part for a Garland-Rooney film. Instead of the usual likable guy, he's a fat-head jockey--one that definitely needs to be taken down a peg or two. As for Garland, she 's a nice girl who likes to find excuses to sing...and so her role is very typical of their later films.

When the movie begins, Sir Peter Calverton is preparing to take his prize horse, the Pookah, to America for some big race. No, this IS a horse and it's NOT invisible...despite the name for the creature being the same as Harvey in the famous Jimmy Stewart film! His grandson, Roger (Sinclair) accompanies him and eventually makes friends with Timmie (Rooney) and Cricket (Garland). But alas, things do NOT go swimmingly--and I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the plot. Suffice to say that Timmie and Cricket need to work together to help poor Roger and his horse.

Overall, this is a very entertaining film--one that would probably appeal more to kids but still have appeal to all ages. It has all the typical MGM polish and the story well worth seeing. I particularly liked that there wasn't that much singing and no dancing...unlike many of the other Garland- Rooney films. I know some folks like the singing and dancing, but to me it often got in the way of the story...and that's why the story here is stronger than I expected.

By the way, there is a hospital scene where Timmie talks to the receptionist. This lady is none other than Marie Blake ('Blossom Rock' from "The Addams Family")....who also played the hospital receptionist in the Dr. Kildaire films (also from MGM).

... who didn't even appear in it.

Sir Peter Calverton (C. Aubrey Smith) and his young grandson Roger (Ronald Sinclair) come to the United States from England with their racehorse Pooka. They seek out the best jockey around, Timmie Donovan (Mickey Rooney), who has a swelled head to match his reputation. Using some reverse psychology, the Calvertons get Timmie to agree to ride their horse in the upcoming big race, and the Calvertons really need that success because they are castle rich and bank poor.

Timmie and Roger come to be friends after a rocky start that includes both guys giving each other black eyes. But then Timmie gets word that his long-estranged father needs an expensive operation, and he's considering throwing the race to get the money he needs. Complications ensue.

This is hardly a prototype film for Mickey and Judy. In fact, Judy Garland and her fabulous voice take a backseat to the relationship between Mickey and Ronald Sinclair. There is some romance inserted, but it's an insinuation of an adolescent crush between Judy and Ronald versus Judy and Mickey.

Ronald Sinclair was a more than adequate placeholder for Freddie Bartholomew, who was supposed to have the part of young Roger Calverton. But he was in a contract dispute with MGM and on top of that , his voice started to change and crack just as filming began. Bartholomew missed a vital year of film work and would never really recapture the star power he had before 1937. As for Mickey and Judy, this film was like what "Manhattan Melodrama" was for Powell and Loy - maybe not great shakes in and of itself, but it did show the studio how much chemistry they had together.

Look out for Blossom Rock (Mama in the Addams Family) as a hospital switchboard operator. She played the same role in the Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie movies. Also look fast for Elisha Cook Jr. Of the noirs in a bit part as a jockey.