Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Sharkflei
Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.
Raymond Sierra
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
tavm
I had originally watched this on VHS back in the '90s and I remember enjoying this very much then, my first viewing of an Andy Hardy movie. The fact this was Judy Garland's first appearance in the series was the main reason I sought this out and boy, she's sensational when she sings here! Now that I'm watching each entry in sequence, I noticed how past eps are referenced such as Andy mentioning to Betsy Booth (Ms. Garland's character) teaching the Big Apple to some diplomats in Washington, D.C., in Judge Hardy's Children. Anyway, Andy is in a real pickle: He wants a car but he doesn't have enough money so he agrees-with pay-to date Cynthia (a young Lana Turner) while her boyfriend-and Andy's pal-Beezy is away while Polly (Ann Rutherford, of course) is also somewhere else. Betsy herself has a crush on Andy but he's oblivious to her. Judy really shows her feelings clearly here when playing her as a bit disappointed with how Mickey goes into how much he loves Polly or was initially excited by Cynthia. There's also a subplot of Emily and Milly having to leave to visit their mother when she's revealed to be in a coma which has Fay Holden and Betty Ross Clarke off-screen much of the time. Anyway, this was a most enjoyable entry of the Hardy family series mainly because of the three songs sung by Ms. Garland as well as Mickey's scenes with her and Lana Turner. Also, nice seeing the future Grandmama from "The Addams Family" (Blossom Rock, then known as Marie Blake) as the temporary family cook and Gene Reynolds-later a producer/director of "Hogan's Heroes" and "M*A*S*H"-as a kid who uses a ham radio to relay a message to Mrs. Hardy in Canada. So on that note, Love Finds Andy Hardy is highly recommended. P.S. The DVD I watched this on had a wonderful intro by John Fricke with a brief insert interview with Ms. Rutherford herself.
zardoz-13
If you're counting, "Love Finds Andy Hardy" is the fourth entry in the long-running Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Andy Hardy franchise which ran from 1937 until 1948 with 16 films. This time around our clean-scrubbed but calculating protagonist is bursting at the seams to buy himself a car so he can dress up in his tuxedo and drive a smashing dame to a Christmas dance. He finds himself torn between two girls while admired from afar by another one. Mickey Rooney played the youngster from a teenage bachelor to an adult father with a wife and children. These family-oriented films presents a strong, morally-stable family unit with Andy respecting his stern but indulgent dad, the venerable Judge James K. Hardy (Lewis Stone of "The Prisoner of Zenda"), and his mother Emily (Fay Holden of "Guns of the Pecos") while enduring a contentious relationship with his older sister, Marion Hardy (Cecilia Parker of "Riders of Destiny") who never misses an opportunity to take him to task for something. "Last of the Mohicans" director George B. Seitz helms this romantic comedy focuses on the predicament that Andy finds himself in when he puts down $12 dollars on a roadster but must still pay off the balance of the cost $8 dollars in time to take his girlfriend Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford of "Gone with the Wind") to the Christmas dance. Meanwhile, Andy's mother Emily receives bad news from her own mother in Canada that she isn't feeling well. Naturally, Emily rushes to his mother's bedside while the Judge hires an experienced cook Augusta (Marie Blake of "The Best Man"), to take over cooking and cleaning duties when Marian cannot pass muster. The predicament that Andy's mom finds herself in constitutes the most dramatic thread in "Oklahoma!" scenarist William Ludwig's plot while Andy tries to extract himself from his own difficulties. The theme of responsibility and behaving like a grown-up pervades this adaptation of Vivien R. Bretherton's wholesome stories and characters. The action also involves Andy's temporary next door neighbor, Betsy Booth (Judy Garland of "Broadway Melody of 1938"), who is visiting Carvel while her mother rehearses for a musical comedy in Chicago. Predictably, Betsy falls head over heels for Andy. Andy tries to help another school pal, Francis Bacon Anderson (George P. Breakston of "Geisha Girl ") who learns that his parents plan to take him out of town for three weeks. The problem is that Beezy--as he is called--has just hooked up with a beautiful, but haughty girl, Cynthia Potter (Lana Turner of "They Won't Forget") and he wants Andy to date her until he can return. Beezy promises to pay Andy the amount of $8.50 for serving as his stand-in while he is gone. Andy learns to his chagrin that all Cynthia likes to do is kiss, kiss, and kiss some more. She is a afraid to play tennis for fear of developing unsightly muscles and afraid to swim because of what is will do to her coiffure. This quaint, old-fashioned entertainment provides a snapshot of American values during the late 1930s as World War II swept over the rest of the world. Of course, there is a happy ending in this sappy nonsense and all crisis are resolved.
TxMike
It was the late 1930s and the US had not entered the world war yet. This movie features many of the upcoming stars that were still teenagers.Mickey Rooney is Andy Hardy, always up to something. This time he has decided he needs a car for the upcoming Christmas dance and finds a real fixer-upper for all of $20. But he only has $12 and doesn't want to ask dad for money, so he arranges for the salesman to hold the car with a promise to pay the other $8 by December 23rd. His girl, Ann Rutherford as Polly Benedict, is going out of town for the holidays.Fortunately a guy friend of Andy's is also going out of town with his family and asks Andy to "watch his girl", a teenage Lana Turner as Cynthia Potter, while he is gone, and Andy agrees for $8. But later when the friends finds a new girl out of town, and welches on the deal, Andy is left scrambling.Meanwhile Judy Garland as Betsy Booth is visiting next door for the holidays. Since Betsy is only "13 or 14" (she really was 14 or 15) Andy didn't pay too much attention to the "kid." But Betsy had her sights set on Andy.Garland had been performing for several years already, and in this movie is the daughter of an entertainer, and at the Christmas dance Betsy gets on stage to sing a couple of songs, much to the enjoyment of Andy who was her date for the evening.A very cute, entertaining movie. Especially when we consider what all those teenage actors grew up to become in the entertainment world.
muffinheuer2003
This is one of the cutest comedies made in the 1930s. In fact, it's one of the best entrys to the Andy Hardy series. Mickey Rooney was in top form in this film. Proving why he was one of the most loved actors of the day. This was made the same year as his movie Boy's Town (Great film starring Mickey Rooney as well) The script and writing where simple. These movies were supposed to be simple to show was the American family was typically like in the 1930s and 40s. The scrips were NOT supposed to be GONE WITH THE WIND!!!! Anyhow, the acting was great! Mickey was hilarious as usual and Judy Garland was wonderful! All in all I think this is a terrific movie. One you will never get tired of watching time and time again! Highly recommended! Mickey ROONEY ROCKS!