Love Found Andy Tough!

Radio Record, 9 December 1938, Page 32

Love Found Andy Tough!

["Love Finds Andy Hardy." M-G-M. Directed by George 8. Seitz. Starring Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Judy Gariand. First release: Wellington and Auckland, December 16.] HEN Love found Andy Hardy, it discovered one of the most hardboiled little eggs of its long and devastating career. Andy Hardy, who is réally Mickey Rooney, is the whole film. He waiks off with all the honours, taking all the tricks as well. He is a born comedian. If I had to make a prediction, I should say that some day this boy,

| his genius tempered in the fire of | existence, will fill Charlie Chap- | lin’s famous boots, If | had the planning of this boy’s career, | would send him out for three to seven years, to earn his living on the streets, in the docks, anywhere except in Hollywood’s Easy Street, where he is now. Even as it is, you can see the

genius of comedy shining all through his work. He acts in a hearty way in this film, perhaps without enough light and shade, but one can overlook that. His role is that of a jolly, care less, adolescent play-boy.

Adolescence

I THOUGHT I could not stand an adolescent boy on the films until I saw Mickey Rooney. Ado lescence had always seemed as re grettable a state as i. is a neces sary one. Yet, with his queer outlandish elothes, his grin, his amazing joy

in being alive, Mickey Rooney came in on 2 breeze of gusto that flattened every prejudice. The story is finely and economieally knit. It winds itself in and out of the lives of the Hardys, a film family that is natural enough to mean something to everyone who sees it. , Andy, the judge’s son, falls in love with three girls, and a motor-ear-at once. But it is not a mawkish love. C2 the whole lot, Andy much prefers the motor-car. His love affairs are on a good business basis. One of them is undertaren to raise the cash for the balance of his car; another is undertaken because he wants a decorative girl to ride in his car, the third is undertaken, in an off-hand way, because the third girl wants to ride in his car. The third girl, Judy Garland, is the one whe loves Andy rather than is loved by Andy. Consequently, as is the way with the male species, he cares for her least of all. Love, however, is too strong @ word for the rollicking game that Andy makes of it. His love affairs are just the frisky, heel-kicking gallops of a young colt throigh a new and enticing pasture. There is little to say about the other actors. Lewis Stone, as the judge, was fine in the scenes with Andy talking "man to man," at Andy’s request, but a bit prosy in some of the other scenes. Judy Garland was a nice kid, though I was depressed when they made her sing a song it most unnatural surroundings. There was one snap scene in which age called on youth for help in sending a message by radio, and youth answered the call. It was impressive, affecting, altogether rather fine. But Andy is the real making of the film. If you have ever been young you ought to see Andy.

Gordon Mirams Holidaying GORDON MIRAMS is on holiday. And so, for the next few weeks, while he gazes peacefully on sunsets that won't be half as beautiful as the ones Hollywood turns out in technicolour, the Film Record will be looked after by Gifford Mate,