JohnHowardReid An MGM Picture, copyright 17 February 1941 by Loew's Inc. U.S. release date: 21st February 1941. New York opening at the Capitol: 6 March 1941. Australian release: 18 December 1941. 10 reels. 9,090 feet. 101 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Andy is such a go-getting know-and-do-it-all in his last year at Carvel High that he flunks his graduation exam.NOTES: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented a Special Award to "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for its achievement in representing the American Way of Life in the production of the Andy Hardy series of films". (Presented at the 1942 Awards Ceremony).Kathryn Grayson's film debut.COMMENT: A screaming bore! In this one, the judge's homespun axioms, Rooney's frantic facial mugging and the cornball situations come uppermost. Seitz's direction is at its most monotonously routine. One prays for Miss Grayson to sing to relieve the tedium and when she does (finally) one is sorry one asked. Not her fault though! See her comment below.Worst horror of all, the film never seems to come to an end. Up with the land of the free is just another excuse for circular dialogue padding.Miss Grayson is not served well by MGM's tacky sound department, particularly in her "Mad Scene" from "Lucia di Lammermoor". Still, she has a certain youthful charm (which transcends her somewhat unattractive clothes), but all told it's not a particularly auspicious debut. Not her fault though. She agrees with me that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's sound department, under the leadership of Norma Shearer's brother, was a distinctly hit-or-miss affair. Mostly miss. "Douglas Shearer was actually a genius in reverse," Kathryn told me. "That man could take a 90-piece orchestra and make it sound like a tin whistle!"

atlasmb In this Andy Hardy installment, Andy is less girl crazy than in others. That is probably due to a shift in focus to Kathryn Grayson, making her noteworthy debut as Andy's classmate. It is understandable that MGM would want their newest surefire star to make a big splash in a vehicle that would guarantee plenty of viewers.Judge Hardy teaches Andy lessons in charity and citizenship while assisting a family fallen on difficult times. Andy's classmates-Kathryn and Harry Land-are given roles in the high school graduation festivities as part of this project. Naturally, we get to hear Kathryn's amazing singing voice.Andy, who is wrapped up in every aspect of the ceremonies, spreads himself too thin, but Kathryn becomes his private secretary, helping him with his organization. Still, he manages to bungle important details, causing consternation and some major problems.Miss Grayson holds her own, acting-wise, with the rest of the cast, and her singing voice is a singular joy that surely must have wowed audiences in 1941. Still, she lacks the effervescence of another singing starlet who graces Andy Hardy films-Judy Garland, who would match Mickey Rooney's energy and hep-cred in various film pairings.

MartinHafer In this 10th installment of the Andy Hardy series, Andy is class president and he's spending a lot of time with the class secretary, Kathryn (Kathryn Grayson). Naturally, Polly (Ann Rutherford) is jealous, but that's the least of the problems--it seems that Kathryn and her brother are going to be leaving the country just days before their graduation! So, Andy tries to fix things....and totally mucks it up! Additionally, he and the gang work on a school play, his car falls apart while Judge Hardy is driving it and Andy MIGHT not be graduating after all. As far as graduating goes, it IS about time as Mickey Rooney was 21 when he made this film*! If he doesn't graduate soon, he'll soon be collecting social security while still a student! None of it is really the least bit earth-shaking--just the usual family stuff you'll see in an Andy Hardy film. It's generally pleasant and entertaining with one exception. While Kathryn Grayson was lovely and enjoyable in the film, the studio's insistence of having her sing an operatic piece 46 minutes into the film was just dreadful--the same with the song at the 87 minute mark. Some in the audience might have liked it but I suspect most used that time to either take a brief nap or get some popcorn!*The not graduating angle never made a lot of sense. Andy's supposed to be one of the top kids in his class yet did badly on his final English exam and failed. Odd--especially since Andy thought he was going to get an award for scholarship! Can Andy be this insane?! It just didn't seem realistic.

bkoganbing In the tenth of sixteen Andy Hardy films it was decided to finally let Mickey Rooney graduate from Carvel High School. That event centers around all the plot situations in Andy Hardy's Private Secretary.Hiring of a private secretary comes about through some bad bookkeeping by class president Mickey Rooney. When he hires a secretary, pretty Kathryn Grayson, the problems of her family which consists of father Ian Hunter and brother Todd Karns get intertwined with the Hardys. Fortunately wise old Lewis Stone as Judge Hardy is there to straighten it all out.This film was Kathryn Grayson's feature film debut and she has a couple of opera arias delivered in fine style. Naturally she's the hit of the graduation.One of the big problems is that Rooney involved that he is almost doesn't graduate because he flunks the final exam in English. Making matters worse was the English teacher is his aunt Sara Haden. But of course that too is resolved.Was there ever a place as perfect as Carvel? Next to it George Bailey's Bedford Falls is positively sin city and that's before the angel does his thing.Even Ann Rutherford as loyal girlfriend Polly Benedict takes Rooney back once again. Half, maybe more than half the Hardy films have Rooney getting involved with another girl like Grayson only to have Ann Rutherford take him back. Why she didn't give Mickey his walking papers permanently is one of the mysteries of the silver screen.Still Andy Hardy's Private Secretary with its featured singing of Kathryn Grayson is a good example of why the series was so popular with Americans. Places like Carvel just had to exist somewhere in the USA.