Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble

source: Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble

This installment of the Andy Hardy series of films picks up where the last one left off. Andy is off to Wainwright College. On the train ride there, he meets another frosh-a female (Bonita Granville as Kay Wilson)-who tells him Wainwright is now coed (how convenient for young Hardy!). He also meets a flirty blonde whose erratic behavior is very confusing. When Andy arrives at Wainwright, he deals with the usual frosh concerns, like uncertainty , then settles into his usual problems-girls and money. Kay is a challenge for small-town Andy; she seems to like older men. The problematic blonde (L. Wilde as L. Walker) brings out the chivalry in Andy. The theme of this film is maturity. The rather subdued action fits the theme, with Andy becoming circumspect, learning to consider the perspectives of others. Herbert Marshall acts with restraint as a man who may play a significant part in Andy's education.

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble is a surprisingly long film starring Mickey Rooney as a kid going to college. The woman he likes (Bonita Granville) prefers Herbert Marshall, the college dean, to Mickey Rooney. And no wonder - Rooney is 24 in this film but looks and sounds about 14, and Granville is 21 and is styled to look like she's in her mid 30s. In the first scene I thought the "twist" was going to be that she was a professor rather than a student. As a result, visually, a Marshall-Granville romance is significantly more credible than a Rooney-Granville one, even though Marshall was 54. (The fact that he's the college dean and she is a freshman student never appears to be the slightest issue. Nor the fact that he's sleeping on the berth above her during the longest train journey since the Orient Express got stuck in the snow with a corpse). Had they axed the rather contrived side plot about two identical blonde twins rinsing Rooney for cash, they could have made a shorter and tighter movie. Plus all the family scenes with Rooney's father could easily have been swept away on the cutting room floor. But this film is part of a series of Hardy family films, which I suppose is why they're in there. There is one very touching scene with a Brooklyn-born Chinese American doctor, in dialogue very compelling for the 1940s (and even so today) he introduces himself with: "Oh I see you're wondering about my nationality. I'm Chinese, and I have a charming disposition, until someone pulls that old crack about 'Confucius say'. At which I go completely berserk and bite little children. Now let's have a look at that throat." Plus ça change, eight decades later. I would recommend this film as a curiosity, and to fans of any specific actors in it. The twins can apparently sing, so it's rather a shame we don't get more of that.

ANDY HARDY'S BLONDE TROUBLE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1944), directed by George B. Seitz, marks the 14th installment to the popular "Judge Hardy's Family/Andy Hardy" comedy series that all began as A FAMILY AFFAIR in 1937. Having graduated from Carvel High School with his classmates back in 1941, three years have lapsed since graduation day from ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY (1941), followed by a few installments before Andy finally heads out for college by the end of ANDY HARDY'S DOUBLE LIFE (1942). Rather than titling this as ANDY HARDY GOES TO COLLEGE, it becomes ANDY HARDY'S BLONDE TROUBLE, meaning the usual antics involving Andy and more girl trouble along the way to college. Starting off where the previous film, ANDY HARDY'S DOUBLE LIFE (1942) left off (over a year since its last release), Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) leaves parents, Judge James K. Hardy (Lewis Stone) and Emily (Fay Holden), his Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) and his hometown of Carvel on a train bound for Wainwright College, now a co-ed university. (The train sequence which follows lasts nearly 40 minutes). While on board, Andy meets Kay Wilson (Bonita Granville), a girl raised by her guardian; Doctor M.J. Standish (Herbert Marshall), a middle-aged gentleman who not only winds up being a former student at Wainwright College, and his father's old classmate, but to be his college dean; and blonde sisters, the flirtatious Lee (Lee Wilde) and serious-minded Lynn Walker (Lynn Wilde). It so happens that the Walker girls are identical twins traveling separately so not to give away their secret that their father, believing Lee is heading for Vermont, that his daughters should be spending more time apart than always together. Yet complications ensue as the confused Andy believes one of the girls to be an individual and not a twin, especially after having loaned one of them money needed for his college expenses. While back in Carvel, Judge Hardy is treated for his tonsilectomy by by Lee Wong How (Keye Luke), a Japanese doctor from Brooklyn (New York). After his recovery, Judge Hardy visits Wainwright College to see how his son is doing, with some surprises ahead. Other members in the cast are: Jean Porter (Kathy, Beezy Anderson's sister, who dumps her $8 car in the custody of Judge Hardy); Marta Linden (Mrs. Townsend); Connie Gilchrist (Mrs. Gordon); Tommy Dix (Mark); Jackie Moran (Spud); Irving Bacon, Eddie Acuff and Frank Sully (The Taxi Drivers). Series regulars as Marion Hardy (Cecilia Parker); Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) and Beezy Anderson (Georgie Breakstone) do not appear. With this strictly Andy Hardy material, Lewis Stone still resumes his star-billing over Mickey Rooney's name in the casting credits. A classic Cole Porter tune, "Easy to Love" is vocalized by The Wilde Twins. Aside from being the longest (107 minutes) of the entire 16-film series, ANDY HARDY'S BLONDE TROUBLE simply takes time resolving situations involved. The big surprise comes by the appearance of British-American actor, Herbert Marshall, known for his many movie roles dating back to 1930, in notable support, along with Keye Luke (of the "Charlie Chan" series) carrying on his role of Doctor Lee Wong How from the "Doctor Kildare" movie series starring Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore. While its extreme length might cause the movie to drag in spots, at least the cast members and Andy Hardy's blonde trouble simply add to its enjoyment. Never distributed on video cassette but available on DVD, ANDY HARDY'S BLONDE TROUBLE can be found broadcast on cable television's Turner Classic Movies. Next installment: LOVE LAUGHS AT ANDY HARDY (1946) reuniting Mickey with Bonita Granville and their further adventures at Wainwright College. (***)

Girls...trouble...Andy Hardy...duh! After a man-to-man talk, Judge Hardy(Lewis Stone) sends young Andrew off to the Judge's alma mater, Wainwright College. Andy wants to stand on his own two feet, but its a little hard to get started. On the train he meets and is infatuated with a pretty young woman, Kay Wilson(Bonita Granville)and his soon to be college adviser Dr. Standish(Herbert Marshall). Trouble begins when Andy finds that his father still has his train ticket; and it multiplies when he meets a young blonde that is also on her way to Wainwright. Hardy is confused with the blonde's hot and cold attitudes not knowing he's dealing with not one, but two blondes(Lyn and Lee Walker). Soon the new freshman realizes it is twins that collectively owe him $37.95. Another situation bothering Andy Hardy is the suspicion that there is a romantic situation with Kay and Dr. Standish. All is well that ends well; the twins arrive at the Hardy home to tell Andrew that their problems have been solved thanks to him...now Mrs. Hardy(Fay Holden) has a problem as she stares at not one but two plucked turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner.

Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) starts Wainwright College, his father's alma mater. He gets into trouble with a couple of mischievous blonde twins and clashes with the dean (Herbert Marshall) over a pretty coed (Bonita Granville) both are attracted to. Fourteenth entry in the Andy Hardy series. The last film from director George B. Seitz, who died a couple of months after this was released. Seitz had directed most of the Andy Hardy films up to this point. The Hardy series always had cute girls and this one is no exception. Bonita Granville is pretty and likable. Twins Lee and Lyn Wilde are absolutely adorable and very much steal the movie. Also features a crossover with the Dr. Gillespie series via the appearance of Keye Luke's Dr. Lee Wong Howe. The Hardy series and the Kildare/Gillespie series were MGM's best from the late '30s to the mid '40s so it's a nice bonus for fans of both. One of the lesser Andy Hardy movies. It goes on too long and is in desperate need of some trimming. The movie spends about twenty more minutes on the train to the school than it needed to, plus too much time spent on new characters and too little time spent on the Hardy family back home. Anyway, it's still enjoyable, innocent fun. If you're a fan you're likely to be pleased. But this isn't a good jumping-on point for new viewers.

"Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble" begins with Andy on a train bound for Wainwright College, as he just graduated high school in the previous film. The filmmakers made a poor choice here, as way too much of the story takes place aboard the train....making for a rather slow portion of the film. The bottom line is that he meets a lovely girl (Bonita Granville) and her guardian (Herbert Marshall) and strikes up a friendship....and not knowing that the guardian already knows Andy...or at least knows of him. Additionally, he meets two lovely blondes...not realizing they are identical twins and thinking they are one very odd girl. There's more to it than this but overall the story, while enjoyable, drags and certainly could have been better. Worth seeing if you love the series but not exactly a high point in the series. By the way, if you do watch it note the character Dr. Lee (Keye Luke)...he plays the same exact character in another long-running MGM series...the Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie films.

Young Andy (Mickey Rooney) spends much screen time on a train ride to Wainright College, the same school his dad once attended. On his journey he befriends a woman (Bonita Granville) who's more mature than he is, and who's also headed to Wainright as a Freshman. At the same time Andy gets constantly confused by a pair of adorable identical twin sisters (Lee and Lyn Wilde), one of whom likes to flirt with him while the other prefers to smack him across his face (providing some of the few fun moments). This installment seems to drag at 107 minutes, and once Mr. Hardy arrives on campus there seems to be far too much of everything going on at once with nothing really coming together. It's disappointing that Andy's dad (Lewis Stone) is not prominently featured this time; he's mostly stuck home with a bad case of tonsillitis, and is administered to by a Chinese doctor who was born and raised in Brooklyn (Keye Luke). These sequences don't seem to belong in this picture, and overall this is not one of the more consistently entertaining offerings I've seen from this series. ** out of ****

After what seemed an interminable stay at Carvel high school young Andy Hardy is finally packed up and headed for Wainwright College, the alma mater of dear old dad, Lewis Stone. Would you doubt that Andy would go anywhere else? A few years earlier Bud Abbott and Lou Costello when they were doing In The Navy there was a plot gambit involving Martha Raye as a pair of twins who were confusing both Bud and Lou. Nearly the whole film of Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble has Andy in a similar state of confusion involving fellow freshmen Lee and Lyn Wilde and what they put him through on the train to Wainwright. Them and Herbert Marshall who is the Dean of the college and an old pal of Lewis Stone's. Andy also meets Bonita Granville about whom he's going to get interested at least until this film of the series is over. The Hardy family was about running its course and even given his height Mickey was getting a bit old to be playing an eternal juvenile. And the twin gambit really wasn't enough to carry the whole film through. The Mick does a really nice impersonation of Herbert Marshall. Mimickry was one of his many talents. One more thing though, I cannot believe that freshman had to wear those stupid looking beanies back in the day. A custom I'm glad we grew out of.

After several movies teasing his admittance, Andy (Mickey Rooney) is finally going to Wainright College. MGM seemed very reluctant to have Andy in the college setting, which was promised several films ago. Here, Andy spends much of his time on the train to college; he had been on the train since December, 1942. All aboard, we meet the Wainright players. The most significant is attractive co-ed Bonita Granville (as Kay Wilson), who will become the girl for Andy. However, she also appears interested in other passenger, much older Wainright dean Herbert Marshall (as Standish). Also on the seemingly endless train ride are beautiful blonde twins Lee and Lyn Wilde (as Lee and Lyn Walker)... Meanwhile, back in Carvel, Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) develops tonsillitis... One of the problems with this movie series was length. These films had little business going over 90 minutes. Many of the weaker entries were over 100 minutes, when MGM should have been aiming for 70 minutes. Not only that, Andy's college life turns out to be a complete bore. "Blonde Trouble" is the a most disappointing episode. As seen previously, Mr. Rooney's lip ailment (possibly a "cold sore") returns for several scenes. He is able to tighten his lip to hide the blister, at times. Make-up, camera angles and re-takes could have solved the problem; obviously, Rooney's star power had diminished. The minor Carvel story involving Mr. Stone and Chinese doctor Keye Luke (as Lee Wong Howe) is commendable. *** Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (5/4/44) George B Seitz ~ Mickey Rooney, Bonita Granville, Herbert Marshall, Lewis Stone