Presenting Lily Mars (1943)

Despite how that review summary might sound, 'Presenting Lily Mars' is not an awful, or even a bad film. There's actually still a good deal to like about it, but at the same time it does have some big flaws and just falls short of Judy Garland's best films.There is nothing to complain about Judy Garland herself. In fact she is the best thing about 'Presenting Lily Mars' and her terrific performance is the reason to see it in the first place. She proves herself to be not just a sincerely touching presence but also quite the adept comedienne, handling the comedic and dramatic elements with aplomb. She looks wonderful, looking healthy and happy, and as always her voice is of the kind that one can listen to for hours and not get tired of it.Garland's not the only reason to see 'Presenting Lily Mars' this said. The film is very nicely photographed and the costumes and sets not one hundred percent opulence but still very elegant. The music and songs are above serviceable and often very good, if with few timeless standards. Faring best are "Every Little Movement" and "When I Think of You". The numbers are staged with enough grace and energy though with nothing standing out as enough to make one go wow.'Presenting Lily Mars' supporting cast fare well too. Connie Gilchrist and Richard Carlson are particularly delightful, and both Spring Byington and Fay Bainter make much of roles that don't give them much. Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra are always great value and come off very well here.Martha Eggerth didn't seem to fit, for operatic fans they may be able to tolerate her but if not she is going to be a form annoyance, am actually a huge fan of opera/operetta, but do feel Eggerth's singing and performing of the little seen of her has not gelled on film. There are far more appealing voices in the same or similar style than hers and the very broad way she plays the role grates. Also didn't really care for Van Heflin, his role to me ideally should have had a lighter and more sophisticated touch and Heflin seemed too boorishly heavy, stiff and charmless.His unconvincing chemistry with Garland is one of 'Presenting Lily Mars' biggest problems, there isn't much of any but it's more of the fault of how the romance is written in the film itself. The romance is just too forced and too rushed, and because the hostility is so strong in the early scenes and the transition from hostility to love happens suddenly rather than gradual or a more complex love/hate one never really believes it when they fall in love.One will argue that the story and script rarely is a strong suit in musicals, and that musicals aren't seen for them. In a way that is true, but it is all dependent on how well everything else is done and while people do judge films for what they are they also judge them for being a film full-stop. Even for the early 40s the story is non-existently lightweight and stale, and the distastefully corny and excessively cutesy writing makes the worst of the writing for the Garland/Mickey Rooney back-yard musicals (mostly enjoyable films but the writing was a weak link in at least two of those) more bearable. Then there is the finale that, even with the dynamic presence of Garland and Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, is an overblown tacky afterthought and is just at odds with the rest of the film.In summary, Judy herself personifies glamour but 'Presenting Lily Mars' as an overall film only has it in spurts. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I love Judy Garland and she's great in all of her films such as all of the backyard musicals with Mickey Rooney. Those films are wonderful. This one is great too as Judy as Lily Mars who really wanted to get the attention of Van Heflin, major Broadway producer who is from the same town Judy is from. Judy kept hounding him, as she was an ambitious young girl who really wanted to be a star, and she wouldn't give up. It got Van irritated and him not too fond of Judy, since he also stated he had no time for amateurs. He screamed at Judy and her little sister, calling her grubby. It's OK though, every film needs a character or two who's not all sweet and nice. "Babes on Broadway" had that miserable uptight director, the husband of that pleasant lady who loved Mickey and his friends when meeting at that small spaghetti restaurant. One thing I didn't get in this film was with Van suddenly unexplainably changing from disliking Judy to almost loving her in a heartbeat, without any particular reason. He explained that it was because he knew her mom and dad and that they were from the same town, but he'd already known that from the beginning. It didn't quite make sense. I quite enjoyed at the party Judy's climbing over the fence gesture while telling Van about how she went over the fence to get inside. Then Van repeating the gesture in an amusing way. I loved how Judy told Van about how he needs to boost her over that fence if he's really wanting her to go, and Van says "yes, I really am", then Judy says "that's why you treat me that way, because you're afraid to think of me as a woman". Van: "you need a spanking young lady". Judy: "just like a naughty little girl (in soft seductive voice)...OK, boost (in regular voice)". I loved that. I also loved how Van is so taken aback by that that he backs into a lawn chair saying "pardon me madam" before seeing he said that to an empty chair. That was where you could see how Van maybe actually fancied Judy. I also loved Judy singin "Tom the Piper son". Her singing "When I look at you" is also beautiful. She sings "When I look at you, I look at an angel". When I look at Judy, I look at an angel. In all of her films looking at her sing almost every song of hers. I liked a lot of the other characters in this film also. Mickey Rooney's father played a theater security guard. I found amusing how when Judy told the guard "Van's father brought me into the world" and the guard replied "if you bother his son during rehearsals, he'll do just the opposite for you". Judy had 3 little kid sisters and a brother (who collected doorknobs and often asked Judy to bring him back some whenever she went out). Some reviewers called the kids bratty. I disagree. I think her siblings all really cared about their big sister. They even cried when Judy cried, which I guess were sympathy pains. Families back then were more genuinely loving and caring towards each other than they are today. Who today would cry just because of sympathy pains? I liked the other stage girls at the theater and the Russian song they sang and danced to. The finale number in this film is amazing wonderful, with the heavenly girls, the same girls from the Russian number, and Judy beautifully dancing and singing. I've read a couple of reviews where people were totally complaining about the finale. I don't understand that. The finale was beautiful.

Finally caught up with this one on Turner Classic Movies, in a pristine video transfer, doing full justice to Joseph Ruttenberg's glowing black-and-white cinematography.Opinions on this one among other IMDb-ers seem, not surprisingly, rather mixed, since the clichés that form the basis for this script are not quite sufficiently redeemed by a generally excellent supporting cast, as well as very deluxe art and set decoration, including a stunning nightclub set. (It almost makes one want to exclaim, "Who needs Technicolor?!?")But Judy, looking really lovely, performs her heart out and more than holds her own amidst the sort of sentimental claptrap that Louis B. Mayer insisted be fashioned around her maturing femininity. It's also said that Mayer dictated that the final overblown production number should be tacked on to conclude the picture, with Charles Walters, later to be one of Garland's most congenial directors (after the bloom was off the rose of Vincente Minnelli's Svengali-like love affair with Judy), dancing up a storm with her, making one wish that he'd done quite a bit more performing in front of the camera .Any film, by the way, that gives the wonderful Connie Gilchrist a chance to appear for even only a few minutes of its running time is simply not to be missed. What a treasure she was!

Sweet story of a small-town girl who seeks fame and fortune on the stage. Judy Garland, like other ladies blessed with gorgeous voices, i.e. Celine Dion, Sarah Vaughan, Barbra Streisand, was not beautiful, but she looks pretty good here. I always liked Van Heflin, although due to the gaps in their ages and heights, when shot from certain angles he looks more paternal than like a love interest. I felt the romance developed too quickly and would have enjoyed seeing it happen more gradually. Judy's main song in this film, "When I Look at You," is a standout.