Thoroughbreds Don't Cry

When Mickey Rooney died last month, I got a jones to watch some of his movies so when I went to the library, and this was among the films there, I had to get it especially since I knew this was the first one he made with Judy Garland. He plays a jockey and Ms. Garland plays the niece of the owner of the boardinghouse for jockeys. But the main character is played by Ronald Sinclair, another teen who's from England (actually Sinclair was from New Zealand), who has a horse he wants to enter into the America's Cup race. I'll stop there and just say it was quite fascinating watching Rooney and Garland bicker and also helping Sinclair in his troubles. Ms. Garland had one song she performed a few times in the movie. Her character dreams of stardom which, of course, is what happened to Judy in real life. Legendary singer Sophie Tucker plays her aunt but she doesn't have a number for some reason. All in all, Thoroughbreds Don't Cry was quite an entertaining programmer.

Young English boy (Ronald Sinclair) wants a jockey (Mickey Rooney) to ride his horse in an upcoming race. But the jockey's an arrogant jerk who doesn't want anything to do with the kid. Enter cutie Judy Garland, the niece of Rooney's landlady. She befriends Sinclair and gets Rooney to agree to ride his horse. Things are complicated when Mickey's crooked dad asks him to throw the race.

A rather pedestrian plot sparked some by the delightful Judy and energetic Mickey. This was the very first movie Mickey and Judy Garland did together. Nice support from C. Aubrey Smith and Sophie Tucker, who sadly does not sing. A watchable flick but nothing special.

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.

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).