National Velvet 1944 - A wonderful classic for the whole family

IMDB Link
IMDB rating: 7,4

Director: Clarence Brown
Main Cast: Mickey Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Crisp, Anne Revere, Angela Lansbury

"One of the most beloved children's classics ever filmed, National Velvet holds up almost as well today as it did in 1944. True, modern audiences are much more familiar with elements of the story now, and they may find a bit of the plotting somewhat farfetched; but most audiences will be caught up in the sheer excitement and good will of Velvet that they will gladly overlook any shortcomings. There's so much to praise in Velvet that it's hard to know where to begin - or would be, if it weren't for the fact that the climactic event remains the best horse racing sequence ever put on film. It's gripping, spine tingling and just plain fun, a sequence that will have viewers on the edge of their seats and ready to stand and cheer. Credit for this spectacular segment is due equally to director Clarence Brown, cinematographer Leonard Smith, editor Robert J. Kern and composer Herbert Stothart, all of whom work together seamlessly. Brown's work throughout is nearly flawless, drawing forth sterling performances from his cast, capturing every highlight of the screenplay and telling the story with keen attention to pacing and cinematic detail. Elizabeth Taylor is sheer magic as Velvet, Mickey Rooney gives a wonderful, understated performance, Angela Lansbury is lovely and Anne Revere makes the absolute most of every moment, winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance. Then there's Pi, one of the most beautiful creatures ever put on the screen, a force of nature that is irresistible. Velvet is a dream of a movie - one from which you won't want to awaken. National Velvet is based on the novel by Enid Bagnold. " - www.allmovie.com

DVD links:

Babes in arms 1939 - Let's put on a show!

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031066/?ref_=nv_sr_1
IMDB rating: 6,6

Director: Busby Berkeley
Main Cast: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Charles Winninger, Guy Kibbee

"Babes in Arms is a prime example of the 'let's put on a show' musical popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The nominal plot is little more than a means of connecting the elaborate production numbers; the supporting cast are little more than props for stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Busby Berkeley's direction is able and functional: like the audience, he's just eager to get to the next dance set. MGM had other priorities at the time of Babes' production - most notably Garland's classic The Wizard of Oz, on which the studio lost money, and the expensive, lucrative Gone With the Wind - so the budget for the Berkeley musical was surprisingly low. What Babes in Arms lacks in production grandeur, however, it amply compensates with the captivating star turns from Rooney and Garland." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/babes-in-arms-v3541/

DVD links:

Judge Hardy's children 1938 - Another chapter in the Hardy family series

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030295/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,8

Director: George B. Seitz
Main Cast: Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker, Ann Rutherford

"The third film in the MGM series has Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) taking a job in Washington, D.C. where he's to work for ten days on a special project. While there Andy (Mickey Rooney) falls in love with a French girl (Jacqueline Laurent) while his sister gets involved with a dirty politician. At just 78-minutes the film moves by extremely quickly as director Seitz keeps everything going at a fast pace. The weakest aspect of the film is the political stuff because Judge is brought to the Capital to do work on a big project and this talk often gets brought up and it even has a major part in later events in the film but we're never really told anything about it. Often it seems as if something about this project was simply left on the editing room floor and it just seems like Judge spends the majority of his time in a hotel when he's suppose to be working. Outside of that this film has pretty much everything fans would expect and of course a lot of the comedy comes from Rooney who once again delivers a fast and fun performance. Rooney handles all the charm without a hitch and his father-son stuff with Lewis are well done by the actors. Stone is terrific as usual and Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker and Ann Rutherford are all fine in their roles. Overall, Judge Hardy's children is a good entry in the series, which still had many high points to follow for the Hardy clan."

DVD links:

Love finds Andy Hardy 1938 - The third one of the series with the singing talents of Judy Garland

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030386/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,9

Director: George B. Seitz
Main Cast: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker, Lana Turner, Ann Rutherford

"Considered by many to be the best of the Andy Hardy series, Love Finds Andy Hardy certainly boasts a solid guest-star cast, with the likes of Judy Garland and Lana Turner on hand to add, each in her own special way, spice. This being before The Wizard of Oz, a young Garland hadn't really broken into the big time yet, but you'd never know it from her performance here. She's given three songs (while, surprisingly, star Mickey Rooney gets none); none of the songs are remotely above average, but Garland sells them with an ability that goes far beyond her teenaged years. Her voice is youthful and lovely, but it's her phrasing that's so remarkable; the way in which she handles lines both melodic and lyric is amazing, particularly for one so young. For her part, Turner looks totally delicious. The script calls for the viewer to believe that Rooney has to be coaxed into dating her and then complains because she doesn't like to swim and just wants to kiss. This gives huge credibility problems to the story, but credibility isn't what Love is about, anyway. It's about honor and dignity and small-town virtues and listening to your father. It's also about Rooney, and one's fondness for his specific brand of 'gee whiz' acting and never-ending energy will likely affect one's enjoyment of Love." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/love-finds-andy-hardy-v30291/

DVD links:

Boys town 1938 - No boy is bad, if given a chance!

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029942/?ref_=nv_sr_1
IMDB rating: 7,3

Director: Norman Taurog
Main Cast: Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Henry Hull, Leslie Fenton

"Boys Town features a sympathetic fact-based story and sincere performances from stars Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney, who keep the film's tone just this side of maudlin. Veteran child-star director Norman Taurog ably handles his teenage charges, knowing precisely when to call for a close-up. Boys Town isn't without its moments of tear-jerking sentimentality, but Taurog keeps them at bay so that the story's pace won't falter. Tracy was supposedly so moved on winning his second Best Actor Oscar for the role that he gave the award to the real-life Father Flanagan; in actuality, an MGM publicist orchestrated the gesture. Boys Town, by the way, is the source of the classic line 'He ain't heavy - he's my brother'." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/boys-town-v6879/

DVD links: