tavm This is the second-and more famous-filmed version of George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy that I'm reviewing on this site. This is the Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland version and I loved this when I first saw it nearly 30 years ago and I love it even more now! Especially loved the "Embraceable You" number with Ms. Garland looking so luminous dancing with all those men. Mickey is hilarious, as usual, whether having trouble riding a horse or impersonating announcing a boxing match. Tommy Dorsey also provides some fine entertainment especially during the "Fascinating Rhythm" number with Rooney (supposedly) accompanying on piano. June Allyson does a Betty Hutton-like take on "Treat Me Rough" that's a great contrast to her usual girl-next-door image. In summary, this version of Girl Crazy is so entertaining that-in the words of the final song in the film-"Who could ask for anything more?" P.S. Also loved Rooney's introduction especially when he praises Ms. Garland and John Fricke's commentary especially when he confirms one of the players is indeed Irving Bacon who I've just watched in the first fourteen Blondie movie entries as the constantly bumped into postman!

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?

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.

funkyfry "Girl Crazy" is a wonderful Hollywood confection. It's one of the best films ever produced using the music of the Gershwin brothers, and that's reason enough to celebrate. Although some complain about the film deviating from the plot of the original play, I think for the most part the changes are within the acceptable range, especially if you compared it to previous MGM Gershwin films like "Strike Up the Band" and "Lady Be Good." We still have all the primary characters from the play here in spirit – Rags Ragland plays a variation on the original play's "Geeber Goldfarb" character (who really was an ethnic joke poking fun at Jews and therefore probably would have been in poor taste in 1943 anyway) and Judy's character combines significant elements of both the Ginger Rodgers and Ethel Merman characters (as well as their best songs, with the exception of Merman's exquisite "Sam and Delilah"). We've got Mickey Rooney at his best. Yes, he's spastic, but this character is more endearing and a step up from his usual "Andy Hardy" derivatives. He gets some of his best moments early, as he exhorts June Allyson (in a surprisingly deft but brief specialty turn) to "Treat Me Rough" and begs of lady Judy" "Could You Use Me?". Judy responds to the latter inquiry with some of Ira Gershwin's most amusing lyrics, including a personal favorite:"There's a guy I know in Mexico More romantic far than you Eating nails and drinking Texaco He is the type for me….."MGM's previous Gershwin films were "greatest hits" compilations at best (also the later masterpiece "American in Paris") or a title track combined with lame new songs by Roger Edens at worst. But this one preserves many of the gems in the Gershwins' original show, and integrates them into the story in a suitable fashion. The huge finale to "I Got Rhythm" is a visual feast, but the show's more intimate moments shine even more brightly. Judy looks better in this film than I've ever seen her and she is in total command of her craft. She also clearly relishes the material, both musical and comedic. Her character has a quick wit and a sharp tongue, and it's always more interesting and appealing to see her in that type of role instead of the more typical 1930s ingénue (for example her dull character in "Lady Be Good"). We see her sing a surprising counterpoint version of "Bidin' My Time" (the original was an all-male chorus; originally a version of the all-male "Bronco Busters" was planned for the film so perhaps that motivated changes) and thankfully "Embraceable You" has been taken from the male lead and given to Judy, whose version is full of "deco" grace, remarkably restrained for her. Rooney is at his most athletic here in this role and really does some impressive dancing along with Judy, reminding me of Gene Kelly in their films together. His comic dances are the most memorable, but he also make a surprisingly good fill-in for maestro Gershwin himself as he pounds the ivory for a brilliantly arranged Tommy Dorsey band version of "I Got Rhythm (Variations)." It's great to see his band captured on film at or near its peak. It's surely one of Broadway's great ironies that Dorsey actually appeared as a relatively anonymous member of Red Norvo's band in the pit orchestra of the original show in 1930 (whose opening night performance was conducted by the composer himself) and a mere 13 years later was a featured star in the film version! Of course the same orchestra featured Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman among its instrumentalists. "Girl Crazy" is like a nexus in American Broadway/Jazz history; it's not a groundbreaking show, but rather the apex of a certain style of escapist but sophisticated adult musical entertainment. It's poised between the early pioneer "Princess Theater" shows of Kern and P.G. Wodehouse (whose frequent collaborator in the late teens was Guy Bolton, the co-author of this show) and the sexy Cole Porter shows of the mid/late 30s (most of which featured star Ethel Merman, who made her auspicious Broadway debut in "Girl Crazy") but long before the onslaught of self-serious post-war musical melodramas and the eventual descent into mediocre family/tourist friendly shows that have ruled virtually unchecked since the mid 1960s. This show, thankfully, preserves enough of the spirit and music of the original show (aided greatly by Garland's performance; she's one of the few movie stars who can sing Merman tunes properly, and she seems to have a special feel for Gershwin material and Ira's lyrics in particular) that some glimpses at least of that joyous golden age of Broadway is still here to be enjoyed. My only complaints would be minor – I thought Rooney's radio spoof was silly in an unfunny way and went on too long, and the direction from Taurog could have been better in the non-music sequences. The scenes with Rooney and the headmaster seem very static; that's partly the screenwriter's fault because Bolton would never have resorted to an almost completely non-humorous scene just to provide narrative information. They way they've adapted the story also de-emphasizes the Western locale and makes this seem like a more generic college comedy in the mold of Kern/Wodehouse's "Leave it to Jane" (and its many derivatives, i.e. Rogers/Hart's "Too Many Girls", which was filmed by MGM around the same time). But those are small quibbles considering the accomplishments of this film, which I feel is the best of the Rooney/Garland films by a mile and the only one to really show off both stars' genius while at the same time not doing so at the expense of the original material. For all these reasons the film is a treasure bearing testimony both to the greatness of Hollywood and Broadway from the bygone and dearly lamented era when comedy and music were not the exclusive province of teenage boys.