Teenager Andy frantically tries to juggle two girlfriends at the same time over the Christmas season.
Little Judy Garland turns in a charming performance in her first outing as Betsy Booth in the Andy Hardy series. Even though she’s “just a child” (as Andy says), she manages to manipulate Andy into taking her to the Christmas dance where she wows him with her singing talent. Judy laments her awkward age in “In-Between,” and sings rousing renditions of “It Never Rains But What It Pours” and “Meet the Beat of My Heart.” Lana Turner also turns in a fine performance as Cynthia Potter.
The third of MGM’s Andy Hardy series (discounting the “pilot” film, A Family Affair) stars, as ever, Mickey Rooney as the teenaged protagonist. Andy finds himself in dutch with girlfriend Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) when he agrees to escort his best friend’s gal, Cynthia Potter (Lana Turner). Having gone out of town, Andy’s buddy wants Cynthia kept out of circulation, and pays Andy to make sure she stays that way. Andy is in no position to refuse: he needs the dough to pay for a car he’s just purchased. Further complications ensue when Andy falls for a third girl, Betsy Booth (Judy Garland). It is up to Betsy to play little miss fix-it when Andy’s romantic entanglements threaten to overwhelm him. Originally running shorter than its present 90 minutes, Love Finds Andy Hardy was expanded during filming to showcase the splendid singing talents of Judy Garland.
Maybe small town America was never this ideal and maybe nobody grew up in such a perfect family, but thanks to Andy Hardy and company we can always remember it that way. – Three Movie Buffs
Starring Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker.
Note: Andrew “Andy” Hardy is a fictional character played by Mickey Rooney in a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film series from 1937 to 1946. The Andy Hardy series of films from MGM is said to be the most successful and most popular series of films ever made in the US.