Watch Andy Hardy Meets Debutante For Free

You won't be disappointed!

Excellent but underrated film

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A lot had happened between Judy Garland's first appearance in the Judge Hardy's Family series-in 1938's Love Finds Andy Hardy-and her second appearance in this one that I'm now reviewing. The year before this one, she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz which, while not a blockbuster on the Gone with the Wind scale, would eventually become a classic perhaps due to CBS's annual showings from the '50s to the late '90s. She had also teamed equally with Mickey Rooney in the first of their "let's-put-on-a-show" musicals called Babes in Arms. So when she appeared as Betsy Booth again here, she seemed more poised and naturally sophisticated. And her scenes with Rooney were among the best in the movie culminating in a possible romance between them near the end. In fact, unlike previous entries, this one doesn't start with Judge Hardy in court session nor end with Andy reuniting with Polly by kissing her (though, of course, they do get back together). While Andy does seem to fall for Betsy though, most of the plot concerns his getting in trouble by lying about knowing New York socialite Daphne Fowler (Diana Lewis) and trying to get to her. The humor is more subdued here but it's still there like when Andy goes to a fancy restaurant and just orders the specials without considering the prices! It's especially noticeable when Andy and Marion don't argue like they usually do! Anyway, largely because of the special bond between Judy and Mickey and of hearing Judy's wonderful singing voice on two songs here, I highly recommend Andy Hardy Meets Debutante.

In the ideal Midwestern town of Carvel, high school teenager Andy (Mickey Rooney) uses books to hide pictures of New York socialite Diana Lewis (as Daphne Fowler). When friends discover his pin-up pictures in a botany book, Andy covers embarrassment by pretending to be intimately acquainted with the glamorous debutante. Meanwhile, Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) finds out that a local orphanage may lose its funding. Hoping to protect the orphanage's trust funds, Judge Hardy takes the family to Manhattan. Intending to strike up a real romance with Ms. Lewis and impress his classmates, Andy pretends to be wealthy...Andy does get to meet his female infatuation in New York, but the young woman getting most of the screen time with Mr. Rooney is Judy Garland (as Betsy Booth)...Returning from her appearance in the series' "Love Finds Andy Hardy" (1938), Ms. Garland is a little older and has "filled out" (like they used to day). Garland beautifully sings "Alone" and "I'm Nobody's Baby". She still likes Andy, although he doesn't seem to notice. It doesn't matter what they do, the chemistry is clearly evident. The story is a little thin for its length, but good. By the time this picture was released, Rooney and Garland were the top box office "teen idols" in the country. They made other films, but were never fresher. Their scene near the end, with Rooney and Garland riding in the back of a coach, is a career highlight.****** Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (7/5/40) George B. Seitz ~ Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lewis Stone, Ann Rutherford

ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (1940) is the ninth (9th) film of the series and it shows the direction it was inevitably headed into. Characters ANDY HARDY (Mickey Rooney) and JUDGE HARDY (Lewis Stone) were going to be front and center. The rest of the cast was going too just punch the clock and collect their checks. The series would rise to the occasion again and have its moments but a fatal decline had set in.Lewis Stone throughout the series would continue too portray the character of JUDGE HARDY in a sympathetic manner. The rest of the cast would be professional even though given less and less to do. Mickey Rooney on the other hand would continue his character as if there was no learning curve. ANDYs' reaction to any situation was in a naive and unbelievable way. Even after he returned as a veteran of World War II service in LOVE LAUGHS AT ANDY HARDY (1946) his reaction to any 'teapot tempest' was the same, juvenile.In this film it is clearly illustrated. ANDY gets himself into several unbelievable situations that with a simple explanation would have been resolved. This screen writing device was known as the 'idiot plot'. A means of stretching a poorly written scenario. Maybe it was less Mickey Rooneys' fault then the Director and the Writers. Most likely George B. Seitz had directed one too many and a firmer hand was needed too control Rooneys' excesses. To see our overview of the entire series go to YOU'RE ONLY YOUNG ONCE (1937).

I always thought people were a little too cynical about these old Andy Hardy films. A couple of them weren't bad. Modern film critics are not ones who usually prefer nice to nasty, so goody-two shoes movies like these rarely get praiseNonetheless, I can't defend this movie either. You can still have an dated dialog but still laugh and cry over the story. Watching this, you just shake your head ask yourself, "how stupid can you get?" This is cornier than corny, if you know what I mean. It is so corny I cannot fathom too many people actually sitting through the entire hour-and-a-half.The story basically is "Andy" (Mickey Rooney) trying to get out of jam because he makes up some story about involved with some débutante from New York City as if that was the ultimate. People were a lot more social-conscious in the old days. You'd hear the term "social-climber" as if knowing rich or beautiful people was the highest achievement you could make it life. It's all utter nonsense, of course, and looks even more so today.However, it's about as innocent and clean a story and series (there were a half dozen of these Andy Hardy films made) as you could find. Also, if you like to hear Judy Garland sing, then this is your ticket, as she sings a couple of songs in here and she croons her way into Andy's heart. Oh man, I almost throw up even writing about this!