richspenc Grandpa, Charles Winninger, just should've toned it down a notch. He didn't have to become totally mild mannered. If he was to just be more of a lovable grouch type instead of totally bitter and abrasive, this film would've been a 10. Judy Garland herself was a 10++. She was wonderful in this film. In both roles, as Nelly Kelly sr. and Nelly Kelly Jr. In Ireland in 1922, Nelly sr. is in love with George Murphy, and accepts his marriage proposal and they marry. Grandpa is completely steamed up about this and wants nothing to do with George. As miserable and unpleasant Grandpa is though, he still holds an unconditional love towards his daughter, Nelly Sr. and his granddaughter, Nelly Jr. calling them both "the apple of me eye". One of the reasons Grandpa is so bitter towards George is that he is just so overprotective of his daughter. But there is no reason for him to try and stop them from falling in love and being happy. And there is no reason for him to continue to have such a high level of hatred towards George. Anyway, George and Nelly Sr., with grandpa in tow, sail ship to America, New York. Nelly sr. gives birth to a daughter, but sadly Nelly sr. dies from complications of giving birth. The daughter is named Nelly Kelly jr., in honor of her mother. Judy's death scene actually brought out tears in me. I don't shed tears in films that easily, but with Judy Garland, in this film and in "Me and my gal", I have formed a couple tears. In many of her movies I get somewhat close to that level. Judy is just so beautiful and sweet and charming with a voice from heaven. She is like, almost ethereal. Judy sings " A pretty girl milking her cow". She sings it twice, once as Jr. and once as Sr. She sings it beautifully, especially as Nelly Sr. during a very heartwarming scene near the beginning of the film with her adding a little Irish gaelic to the song. She is just so pure, charming, and wonderful here talking about believing in the stars, kissing and falling in love with George for the first time. Judy is a true angel. She also sings "Singing in the rain" and "Its a great day for the Irish", both as Nelly Jr., wonderfully. We see a montage as little Nelly is growing up. We see a few photographs of Nelly jr. as a child during the montage. Im quite sure that these were real photos of Judy, Frances Gumm as a child. In the present, well 1942, Judy as Nelly jr., is stunning and pretty when she's grown up. She meets and falls in love with Douglas Macphail. She's passionate and romantic with a lovely voice, just like her mother. The title song at the end with Judy on the dance floor is also wonderful. This film is just pure Hollywood golden age magic.

wes-connors Irish-accented Judy Garland (as Nellie) ignores the objections of lazy father Charles Winninger (as Michael "Mike" Noonan) and marries ambitious George Murphy (as Jerry Kelly). The trio immigrate to the United States and become citizens. The years pass quickly and center stage switches to identical singing daughter "Nellie" (also played by Ms. Garland). She is attracted to Irish import Douglas McPhail (as Dennis Fogarty). History repeats itself when Mr. Winninger strongly objects to granddaughter Garland's courtship...For most of this film, Winninger's character displays an intense hatred for his son-in-law. His other traits include laziness and drunkenness. This character is so relentlessly unflattering, the hopeful ending does not count for much. There is little Winninger can do with the script, but he manages. The real main attraction is Garland, who gets to emote and sing. Her incredible voice shines throughout, but especially on the amazing highlight "A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" and the MGM standard "Singin' in the Rain".***** Little Nellie Kelly (11/22/40) Norman Taurog ~ Judy Garland, Charles Winninger, George Murphy, Douglas McPhail

bkoganbing I have to confess some disappointment in Little Nellie Kelly. Not that I was disappointed with the performances of Judy Garland and the rest of the cast. But I was actually hoping to see an adaption of some kind of George M. Cohan's musical comedy that ran 276 performances during the 1922-23 season on Broadway. But other than the title song and another number, this is not what ran on Broadway at the time. Pity because I would like to have seen just what a George M. Cohan musical comedy was all about. Other than the straight drama/mystery Seven Keys To Baldpate none of Cohan's work was ever brought to the sound screen.I'm surprised that this film is not run as often as The Quiet Man in and around St. Patrick's Day every year. The story has Judy Garland playing a mother and daughter. Mother marries George Murphy over in Ireland to the distress of her father Charles Winninger. After all of them emigrate to America, Judy dies giving birth to Judy. So the young girl is raised by her father and maternal grandfather.Which wasn't easy to do because Winninger and Murphy quarrel rather stupidly and don't speak to each other even though they're living in the same household. If it wasn't for the fact that Winninger is helping to raise Garland his granddaughter by staying at home, Murphy would have and should have thrown him out years ago. Winninger is just plain allergic to work.In the scenes he's in Winninger's a lovable loafer and really steals everything he's in. Barry Fitzgerald must not have been available though his brother Arthur Shields is in the film as the father of Douglas MacPhail that the younger Garland falls for. Winninger is playing a part Barry would normally have been cast in. He and Garland clicked so well that they were cast as father and daughter again in Ziegfeld Girl the following year.The soundtrack is an odd mix of Cohan's songs, Irish ditties, and some new numbers and for Judy, a revival of Singing In The Rain which producer Arthur Freed coincidentally enough wrote the lyrics for. However her best number is with Douglas MacPhail, It's A Great Day For The Irish which she made a Decca record of as a solo backed by The Wearing Of The Green. It's a more modern version of the same type of song as MacNamara's Band.Judy's worldwide legion of fans will love Little Nellie Kelly. Still it might have been nice to have one of George M. Cohan's musicals done in some fashion.

marcslope MGM, as was its unfortunate habit, sure lays on the patriotism and sentiment with a trowel, but this handsome Arthur Freed production gets the main thing right: It provides the young, post-Dorothy Garland with a successful transition into adult roles. Playing a feisty Irish-American colleen and her own mother, she gets to be both girlish and womanly, does an affecting death scene (Garland was far more of an actress than most of her song-and-dance peers), and of course her vocals are tops (more music wouldn't have hurt, and why was only one Cohan song retained from the stage original?). She's pretty much the whole show, since her respective sweethearts George Murphy and Douglas MacPhail seem incapable of appreciating her sufficiently, and Charles Winninger's lazy-but-bellicose Irishman act was old hat even then. Highlight: The title song, fluidly staged and a real showcase for Judy, who's radiant.