I love Mickey Rooney and I especially love the Andy Hardy series of movies, recently I was able to get a copy of Andy Hardy's Private Secretary, that makes two now in my collection. I also have a copy of Love Laughs at Andy Hardy.I recently read one of Mickey's books, Lifes Too Short. And sure Mickey could have been a little more shall we say, less descriptive in regards to his wives. But Mickey, and we have to remember this has lead an extraordinary life, even more than most "film stars". Dragged out of poverty to be become for quite a number of years the top star of MGM, then the biggest and best in the business, and then sinking to backruptcy not once but several times throughout his life.
I think I know why I like Mickey so much. He is this wonderful link to the past. He was a star in the 30's and into the 40's when Private Secretary was made, and yet even today he still works. Have a look at IMDB and just see how much work he has planned and that's just he film work, I know he still does Theatre. I wish I could get the opportunity to see him perform, I never will because I doubt he will travel to Australia in the next few years. And I will not probably get to the USA for a while at best.
So in 1941 Mickey found himself making another of the very popular Andy Hardy movies, he felt that he was too old to play on screen a teenager (he was 21 or so at the time) but here he appears with Anne Rutherford (who is still alive today) as Polly Benedict she too was 21 at the time. But he would continue to play Andy until 1958 (although the last real Judge Hardy's Family movie was Love Laughs at Andy Hardy in 1946).
Andy Hardy movies divide the public into two camps, either you hate them or you love them. They are sugary sweet moralistic movies. Judge Hardy is always so right! Mrs Hardy is the perfect mother! Spinster Aunt Milly is so typically the spinster teacher type. Andy, so naughty but not really! I like them a lot, and for all the reasons that some people hate them. They are wonderful family viewing, yes they are dated, but they should be. LB Mayer called them he favourite movies, not because they were in any way improving the art of film, but were instead offering up good, honest, family viewing.
Of course I have not mentioned the wonderfully beautiful and talented Judy Garland who appeared in about 3 movies of the series, the last being Life Begins for Andy Hardy, which basically leaves off where Private Secretary finished, it is a sombre movie though different than the rest, he room mate suicides, very dark indeed.
But to watch Judy and Mickey together is heaven, I just wish that Judy would have done more of the Hardy series, but it was not to be.
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