MartinHafer The plot to "Judge Hardy's Children" is very odd. Apparently, some folks in D.C. have been impressed with Judge Hardy and they invite him and his family to the capital in order to have the judge chair a committee. The children jump right into it, as Marian meets a man who appears infatuated with her and Andy hits it off with a French diplomat's daughter! Pretty weird stuff...especially since one of these people they meet has a hidden agenda. What it is and how it impacts Judge Hardy is for you to see.An interesting episode in a series that is usually very enjoyable...and this is no exception. Well worth seeing.

tavm This was the third in the Hardy family series. It's also the third written by Kay Van Ripper who made an appearance in the trailer of this one with the other cast members in scenes made only for that short theatre ad-a rarity for a writer. In this one, Judge Hardy is invited to Washington, D.C. for a committee hearing so the rest of them come along too. As usual, that means Andy and Marian also meet members of the opposite sex they get smitten with there with most of the emphasis on Andy's courting a French diplomat's pretty daughter. Mickey Rooney is, as always, very funny as Andy and it's sooooo cool seeing him cut the rug here with that French girl! Oh, and Betty Ross Clarke takes over the Aunt Milly role in this and the next installment. Also, while I didn't recognize him here while watching, Jonathan Hale has a role in this as one of the corrupt politicians. Later in the year, he'd begin a regular role as J.C. Dithers in the Blondie series. I'll review those concurrently with these Hardy reviews chronologically by release dates. So on that note, Judge Hardy's Children is another winner in the Hardy series!

Michael_Elliott Judge Hardy's Children (1938) *** (out of 4) The third film in the MGM series has Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) taking a job in Washington, D.C. where he's to work for ten days on a special project. While there Andy (Mickey Rooney) falls in love with a French girl (Jacqueline Laurent) while his sister gets involved with a dirty politician. Those who find these Andy Hardy movies to be too clean or pure for their tastes certainly aren't going to change their opinion with this early entry but fans of the series should find enough charm and entertainment here. At just 78-minutes the film moves by extremely quickly as director Seitz keeps everything going at a fast pace. The weakest aspect of the film is the political stuff because Judge is brought to the Capital to do work on a big project and this talk often gets brought up and it even has a major part in later events in the film but we're never really told anything about it. Often it seems as if something about this project was simply left on the editing room floor and it just seems like Judge spends the majority of his time in a hotel when he's suppose to be working. Outside of that this film has pretty much everything fans would expect and of course a lot of the comedy comes from Rooney who once again delivers a fast and fun performance. One of the highlights of the film happens when Andy seeks advice from his father on whether or not it's normal to want to kiss every beautiful girl you see. Another high mark for Rooney comes during a dance sequence where he tries to teach the French girl the Big Apple. Rooney handles all the charm without a hitch and his father-son stuff with Lewis are well done by the actors. Stone is terrific as usual and Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker and Ann Rutherford are all fine in their roles. Laurent didn't seem to have much of a career in America and only seems to have been in a few French films after this one but I found her to be very charming and a nice match for Rooney. Betty Ross Clarke plays Aunt Millie in this entry and doesn't have the same punch as Sara Haden but this is just a minor issue. Overall, JUDGE HARDY'S CHILDREN is a good entry in the series, which still had many high points to follow for the Hardy clan.

CitizenCaine Judge Hardy and family head to Washington where he and his two children get into trouble. The judge has trouble with the aqueduct situation that first arose in the first Andy Hardy film: A Family Affair. Marion Hardy, Andy's older sister, has romantic trouble with a political hack. Andy gets a crush on a French diplomat's daughter. Andy inadvertently helps the judge solve his own problem when explaining to his dad about his success with girls! Fay Holden frets about her loved ones as Mrs. Hardy. This is a typical, fun family film from the 1930's that is mostly dated today, but it's still entertaining in predictable formula fashion. Mickey Rooney is full of energy again as Andy Hardy, tripping on staircases several times and going bonkers over girls. Ann Rutherford is Polly, and Ruth Hussey has an early role as one of the individuals getting the judge in hot water. The highlight of the film is when Andy "shames" the French diplomat's daughter in front of her tutor, swinging to the "big apple" at a Washington society party for young people. **1/2 of 4 stars.