Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

mark.waltz In their last "Let's put on a show!" pairing, the team of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney take on Gershwin once again, having "struck up the band" just a few years ago, even though that was the only Gershwin song remaining from a show that movie had nothing to do with. Now, they are out west; He's a spoiled rich kid sent to tame down his obsession with girls, and she's the local postal mistress. Real estate issues make the initial hostile meeting of the two put aside their differences and create a show to raise money, and with the help of Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra and some great songs, they are sure to succeed!Rooney's looney, and loves for his girls to "treat him rough", but he doesn't expect Judy's tough country girl to want nothing to do with him, so he's got to change his act. She's the toast of the local cowboy set, and dances along side them to a gorgeous "Embraceable You", but is perplexed by her lack of romance, singing the heartbreaking "But Not For Me". At least this time, she's singing a standard rather than a song written for her where she puts herself down. No wonder Judy had so many insecurities, even though the camera proves otherwise in the fact that she was indeed much more beautiful than she thought herself to be.Documented in the TV movie with Tammy Blanchard taking on Judy as a youngster, this is the film where hideous task master Busby Berkeley openly harassed her, driving her to drop from exhaustion. In spite of that, it doesn't show on screen, and Judy and Mickey are an energetic team, putting on the lavish finale of "Girl Crazy's" most famous song, "I Got Rhythm". While this isn't a full score of that 1930 Broadway hit, many of the songs are there. Rooney courts Judy with "Could You Use Me?", giving his high strung character some vulnerability and bringing him down a notch. Nancy Walker, June Allyson and Guy Kibbee offer some amusing supporting performances, with June messing up Rooney's full head of hair as she "treats him rough".

atlasmb Danny (Mickey Rooney)is a student from Yale who spends his time and his father's dollars in New York City, surrounded by the most beautiful women Hollywood can find. He's the toast of the town, it seems. Everyone from the doormen to Tommy Dorsey is a friend of playboy Danny.But then his shenanigans make the papers and his father is miffed. So Daddy decides that Junior would be better off at another college. Out west. Among the cactus. With no coeds.So, our big fish in a big pond finds himself out of water in the dusty environs of Cody, Wild West. We're not in Manhattan (Kansas) anymore, and the transition is handled well. The story becomes preposterous, but the film lets us know that--by a series of three billboards in the middle of the dustbowl that give cartoon directions to Cody. As smoothly as Dorothy enters Munchkinland, we are transported to the land of Cody, where there are no cornfields, but plenty of corn.In 1943, Americans could use a bit of fluff and "Girl Crazy" delivers. Now that Danny has left the land of the beautiful Amazons, he falls for the dean's daughter, Ginger (Judy Garland). After a few tenderfoot jokes, Danny and Ginger decide to put on a show--a ro-day-o.Danny woos Ginger beneath painted skies and among painted rocks. And everywhere we look, someone is warbling a Gershwin song. Thank goodness. The music of George and Ira makes this one of the best films of its genre.I love the (mostly) leisurely staging of "Bidin' My Time". And the arrangement of "Fascinating Rhythm" by the Dorsey band is compelling. Note the amazing job by Mickey Rooney on the piano, fingering the keys so well you might think he is actually playing."Girl Crazy" benefits from the vocal talents of Judy Garland and many others. And the energy of Mickey Rooney. And the zoom-tastic staging of a jive hoedown by Busby Berkeley for "I've Got Rhythm". The plot is mostly just an excuse for the musical presentations, but that's okay because the musical performances are splendid.

Michael_Elliott Girl Crazy (1943) *** (out of 4) Playboy Danny Churchill (Mickey Rooney) has one good time too many so his father sends him out West to attend a school that "hasn't seen a girl since the Civil War." Once out there he's tortured by the fact that there's nothing to do but there is one girl (Judy Garland) and he plans on stealing her heart. Believe it or not but this MGM film is actually a remake of a 1932 Wheeler and Woolsey film, which I haven't seen but it's doubtful to be anything like this here. Many consider this to be one of the greatest teamings of Rooney and Garland and I probably wouldn't disagree. This movie pretty much has a little bit of everything from comedy to drama to of course the music, which is the real reason to check the film out. Garland gets to do several classic numbers including But Not For Me, Embraceable You, Biding My Time and Could You Use Me, which is a duet with Rooney. The big number is I've Got Phythm, which comes at the very end of the film and certainly has you leaving the film with a tremendous bang. Apparently original director Berkeley was fired because this sequence went over-budget, which one can look at the scene and see why. The story here is a pretty good one, although I'm sure many will have a hard time seeing Rooney as a playboy. I thought he was just fine in the role and his comic timing really helped things, especially early on including a sequence where he's trying to walk to the college but each new sign keeps repeating that he only has eight more miles to go. There's another very good sequence early on when he meets Garland who is working on her car that has broken down in the street. The scene goes on a lot longer than you'd expect but both actors do a very good job with it and make it quite memorable. Going through these Rooney and Garland movies makes one amazed at how charming they were together. No matter what they were doing it really seemed like they had genuine smiles on their faces and got a real kick out of acting together. Each time they were in a scene I couldn't help but feel that I was watching something real between them. Guy Kibbee, Gil Stratton, Rags Ragland and June Allyson are nice in their roles as is Nancy Walker is a quick comic bit. The film has pretty much everything Musical fans will want and everything is at such a high level that this thing is easy to recommend.

kidboots "Girl Crazy" was a Broadway hit in 1930. It had a superb Gershwin score that produced many standards. It also introduced two new stars - Ginger Rogers sang "But Not For Me" and "Embaceable You", and powerhouse singer Ethel Merman sang "I Got Rhythm". Unfortunately, the first film version was made in 1932, when people were staying away from musicals. The comedy of Wheeler and Woolsey, the stars, was built up at the exclusion of some of the songs.It was up to Busby Berkeley to put things right in this song filled 1943 version that used most of the Broadway score. Danny Churchill (Mickey Rooney) is a carefree playboy, whose headline making antics (he stops the show with June Allyson singing and dancing "Treat Me Rough") cause his father to send him to Cody College to toughen him up. On route he meets Ginger Gray, the postmistress - she is having car trouble. Judy Garland has never looked more radiant. Amazingly this was their 8th pairing and by far their best.Danny brings his "big city" ways to the ranch and puts most of the students off side. At an overnight mountain camp Ginger sings "Bidin' My Time" with a cowboy chorus. Danny decides to quit and wires his father he is coming home. On his way to the station, with Ginger driving he tries to romance her with the delightful "Could You Use Me" - she can't . She then sings a retaliation chorus. It is very entertaining.Danny rethinks his decision and returns for Ginger's birthday. Ginger, looking adorable sings "Embraceable You" while being wheeled around on a baby piano. Dean Armour (Guy Kibbee) gets word that the college is closing due to a fall in enrollments. Ginger and Danny decide to put on a Wild West show to get the school publicity. While trying to see the Governor, to get permission to put on the show, Mickey Rooney goes into a comic routine involving a tennis match, a boxing match and an electric leg (it must have been a riot in 1943!!!).While in town at Marjorie Tait's (Frances Rafferty) birthday party Danny promises most of the girls there that they will be crowned "Queen of the Rodeo" - he also does a wonderful turn at the piano with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra for a rendition of "Fascinatin' Rhythmn". The contest is between Ginger Gray and Marjorie Tait (the Governor's daughter) who, surprise surprise!!! wins. Ginger is devastated, especially when she sees Marjorie wearing a pendant that she had given Danny for good luck. Ginger sings the plaintive "But Not For Me". They make up for the finale with a rousing routine for "I Got Rhythmn". It is nothing like the Busby Berkeley staged dances for "42nd Street", "Dames" and "Footlight Parade" but as a showcase for the talents of Garland and Rooney it is pretty spectacular.Judy certainly keeps up with Mickey and her acting style had matured heaps since their first pairing. It is wonderful to watch this movie and see her at her peak before her sad life caught up with her.Highly Recommended.