mark.waltz Love may have found Andy Hardy, but for teenager Judy Bellaire (Judy Garland), it's a thin line between love and hate for her selfish family. Expelled from private boarding school (for turning her music class into a swing session), Judy comes home to find her family uninterested in her problems. Fluttery mom Billie Burke is too busy in hamming it up with the reading of a play with Reginald Gardiner; Papa Reginald Owen, not quite the Wizard of Wall Street, is barking at everybody after bad business deals which left them broke, and sister Lynne Carver is in love with the singing cook (Allan Jones). Garland only wants to help the family and a singing gig at the nightclub where Jones performs on the side leads her to want to pursue a career in the musical theater. She fools her family into thinking she's going to Europe on a school trip and gets into a Broadway show produced by Jones' employer (Henry Armetta), determined to be "Little Miss Fix It" to save a family others would be dying to get out of.Even with Jones and Fanny Brice (as the wise-cracking maid) top-billed, it's Garland's show all the way, swingin' out five songs and stealing her way into your heart, even if the movie surrounding her isn't one of her earlier best. Some of Brice's material comes off dated and does not reflect what Streisand would do as her in "Funny Girl" and "Funny Lady". Garland does a cute but semi-tacky black face number (to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" no less) and plays Little Lord Fauntleroy to Brice's Baby Snooks in the cute "Why? Because?" musical skit that is one of the highlights of the film. Poor Garland couldn't escape from MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer's description of her as his "little hunchback", being referred to by her character's mother Burke as "my poor ugly duckling".A nice surprise is the appearance of Monty Woolley literally playing "The Man Who Came to Dinner", actually the producer of a play that Burke longs to star in that gets a dinner invitation to share a squab which never arrives. As a result of all the noise, an irresponsible set of parents and a plot best described as not of this Broadway world, this film is only average, filled with some great moments, but an over-stuffed finale where an already wacky family goes even more batty.

David-1593 That's right. This movie is for die-hard Judy Garland fans only. Still there is a fascination with it seeing Judy and Billy Burke.What's nice is seeing an age where there were no cell phones and everyone seems to have been polite. Of course, the very poor must have been hidden somewhere in this economic structure...This is a movie which has glimmers of Judy's later (or was it earlier?) successes.It is interesting to watch her career take off.this is line 1 this is line 2 this is line 3 this is line 4 this is line 5 this is line 6 this is line 7 this is line 8 this is line 9 this is line 10

CitizenCaine Unlike her usual sing between scenes roles from her early period, Judy Garland has more of a featured role in this early film. It's about a wacky theatrical family going broke that's shown up by the servants and their expelled daughter, Judy. It's a typical corny plot for a 1930's musical, but it's made bearable by the outstanding host of talented supporting players. Reginald Owen and the delightfully dizzy Billie Burke are hilarious as the theatrical couple. Reginald Gardiner, Lynne Carver, and Allan Jones play the straight romantic parts. Allan Jones and Fanny Brice, in a rare film appearance, are the servants. Jones' operatic singing is not always endearing in his films, and Brice's Baby Snooks routine looks less appealing on stage than it probably sounded on the radio. The first half of the film moves by at a quick pace with witty dialog and general zaniness; however, the film,oddly enough, drags somewhat in the second half when the film turns to more of a musical focus. A few songs are repeated throughout the film in one form or another, giving us the idea that MGM's budget wasn't large enough. Judy Garland, as the young girl that wants to be on stage, is full of energy and bounce. This is fluffy, madcap entertainment from the Great Depression years. **1/2 of 4 stars.

TrpleThreat22 This is very fun Judy Garland movie before "Oz". It's neat to see Judy in so much trouble! I enjoyed seeing Billie Burke in this before she became immortalized as Glinda in "Oz" also. All the actors give fine performances, and it's a rare treat for Fanny Brice to be in this film. She is hilarious as the Russian maid. Judy steals every scene she's in! Allan Jones also was superb. I am a big Judy Garland fan, so this might seem biased! Sure, the Baby Snooks number might seem a little corny, but overall, I give this 9/10, because I wanted it longer!