Summer Stock
Directed by Charles Walters
Written by George Wells and Sy Gomberg; story by Gomberg
1950/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Jane Falbury: You really love this, don’t you?
Joe D. Ross: What? Show business? There’s nothing else in the world.[/box]
After many years, Judy Garland is right back where she started in a “let’s put on a show in a barn” musical. The lackluster plot is made up for by some great dancing and Judy’s “Get Happy” number.
Jane Fallberry’s (Garland) farm has fallen on hard times. Her hired hands have quit because they need to get paid. To round out Jane’s troubles she is worried about sister Abigail (Gloria De Haven) who has dropped out of art school to do who knows what. Jane resorts to asking the bossy father (Ray Collins) of long-term boyfriend Orville Wingait (Eddie Bracken) for a tractor. He obliges in hopes of putting more pressure on the couple to set a wedding date.
In the midst of this, Abigail shows up with boyfriend Joe Ross (Gene Kelly) in tow. Distressingly, she brings the entire company of Joe’s musical play with them. They have lost their rehearsal space and need the barn to prepare for and stage an out-of-town preview. Abigail is to star and Jane can’t bear to disappoint her so she reluctantly agrees to the plan on the condition that the cast and crew help her out on the farm.
These people are inexperienced farmhands to say the least and stage manager Herb Blake (Phil Silvers) is a positive walking disaster. Things become further complicated as Jane finds herself falling for Phil. Then Abigail becomes a total prima donna and walks out of the show. Three guesses as to what happens next. With Hans Conreid as the musical’s leading man.
This is utterly predictable and most of the songs aren’t too memorable. Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler’s old standard “Get Happy” is the exception and Garland’s performance here reminded me very much of the kind of thing daughter Liza would do years later. Kelly has some nice numbers. I especially liked the one where he kind of riffed with a newspaper.
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