Hottoceame
The Age of Commercialism
Spidersecu
Don't Believe the Hype
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
richspenc
Another wonderful golden age Garland/Rooney musical with Judy Garland's fabulous talent and beauty. I also loved the first song without Judy with Micky at the club with June Allyson and the stage girls singing "Treat me rough". This was June Allyson's debut and she was wonderful here. It was a different kind of role from some of her films later on such as "Good news" and as Glen's wife in "The Glen Miller story". Mickey was a clubbing swinging bachelor, much againced his father's will, who sends him to a small but rough all male college out in the wild west. Judy is the only female out there as the college mail carrier. There's more of Judy's sweet wonderful singing in the picture, especially "Embraceable you". Also great was "I got Rhythm", and the tear jerker " But not for me". I also loved Judy's sweet laughter during the broken down car scene and the scenes when she is watching Mickey trying to ride a horse and then hitch rides in other ways because he doesn't know how to ride one. Judy's talking roles are quirky and humorous, such as the scene when the cowboy is asking her to marry him (Judy after he very casually pops the question: "look, you don't go ask a girl to marry you in the same way you walk into a store and ask for a coffee grinder. You don't say it like 'nice weather we're having, will you marry me?'"). The coffee grinder made its way to be a topic in this film. When Mickey was with Judy by the broken down car on the road and he asked her what she was doing, she sarcastically said " grinding coffee". I remember from the 2002 biopic film "Judy Garland, me and my shadows" how Judy had a breakdown during filming of "I got rhythm" due to Busby Berkeley pushing her way too hard. I read how Busby was a little easier to get along with during the early-mid 1930s films "Gold diggers", "Dames", etc. I read that he went through sone traumatic events during the late 1930s that made him more bitter, especially his killing two people during a road accident, which had him initailly tried for murder until finally getting aquitted after three trials. This all happened a few months after finishing the great film "Gold diggers 35", which was his last wonderful 1930s film before directing a few not so good films "Gold diggers Paris", "Hollywood hotel", and "Varsity show". However, Busby's early 1940s films with Judy were wonderful. He still had that magic after all. Those three not so good films as his I listed above were made before he was aquitted and was able to relax a bit more again, and made his Judy/Mickey backyard musicals. "Girl crazy" was another film with that simple innocence, sweetness, simplicity and charm we just don't have anymore.
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.
dougdoepke
Lively musical, but what else can you expect from those two sparkplugs, Garland and Rooney. Actually, Rooney is more restrained than usual which helps. Garland is in fine form, especially with the Embraceable You number, which is also very well staged and choreographed. I like the western setting, unusual for an A-musical, but it works. However, the curtain-closing I Got Rhythm appears over-done, especially the six-gun fusillade. Then too, those marching phalanxes of cowboys and girls are unmistakably Busby Berkeley at work. The plot's a typical Let's Put on a Show, only this time it's to rescue a college's floundering enrollment. The show's also a good excuse to parade around a lot of statuesque beauties, but who's complaining. Too bad, this was the dynamic duo's last pairing— together they certainly light up the screen.
bkoganbing
I believe the pinnacle of the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland collaboration at MGM was reached in 1943 with Girl Crazy. Musical films don't get any better than this. It was especially good since the first film version of Girl Crazy was a watered down thing done by RKO for the talents of Wheeler&Woolsey. As I wrote in my review of that film, if you're a Wheeler&Woolsey fan its all right, but if you like George Gershwin as I do, the film is a dud.That sure isn't the case here and though the plot was changed somewhat from the Broadway version it still involves a young eastern playboy who gets sent west to a small college to mend his ways in the great outdoors. I'm sure you've guessed that is the role Mickey Rooney plays.Judy is the granddaughter of the college dean Guy Kibbee and being the only young girl around she's got all the boys attention. That doesn't even change when Nancy Walker comes to town. The roles that Garland and Walker played were originated on Broadway by Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman. Girl Crazy debuted in 1930 and ran for 272 performances which is a remarkable record for the Depression years. Of course having what might arguably be the best score that George and Ira Gershwin ever wrote is probably the reason. MGM wisely kept most of it intact and we get to hear Garland sing But Not For Me, Embraceable You, I've Got Rhythm, Biding My Time and a charming duet with Rooney in Could You Use Me.When Nancy Walker stepped into Ethel Merman's role Merman's songs in the original Broadway show were I've Got Rhythm and Sam n' Delilah. The former is given to Garland and the latter is only heard in the background. But with Garland singing all these Gershwin songs I venture to say that she never had as rich a score in any of her films before or since.Girl Crazy also features Tommy Dorsey who might have had at that time the number one swing band in the nation even without that singer from Hoboken who left him that year. Dorsey and his orchestra appear both in the early nightclub scene with Mickey Rooney and in the I've Got Rhythm finale which is choreographed by the inimitable Busby Berkeley. His work at MGM is not quite as spectacular as it was at Warner Brothers in the Thirties, but it's pretty good in this film.Judy, Mickey, George, Ira, Tommy, Busby, Nancy and a supporting cast that also includes Rags Ragland, Henry O'Neill, Gil Stratton, June Allyson, who could ask for anything more?
