A Date with Judy (1948)

"A Date with Judy" is one of those throwaway titles that seems like the producers and director spent a whole 30 seconds coming up with, but the rest of the movie certainly isn't rushed. It's mainly about two 16-year-old best friends, Judy (Jane Powell) and Carol (Elizabeth Taylor), who navigate their love lives and argue with their parents, all the while organizing and performing at school functions. Scotty Beckett plays Carol's brother Ogden (or "Oogie", as he is awkwardly nicknamed), who has been dating Judy for some time but has been feeling like Judy's doormat lately. Carol suggests to Oogie that he not always be at Judy's beck and call so he can get some respect back, so he decides to stand Judy up at the next dance. Enter Robert Stack, who plays Stephen, the older man from out of state who comes to help out his uncle at the drug store soda counter for the summer. Because I guess in the forties it was perfectly natural for a man way out of high school to take a 16-year-old girl to a dance, the uncle asks Stephen to take Judy there to make her feel better. Stephen reluctantly agrees, and of course meets Carol. Kinda funny, but 16-year-old Jane is just a child to him, but 16-year-old Carol is just a two year holdout to romance. Granted, you have to check your remote when Elizabeth Taylor first hits the screen in this movie, because you'll swear that it automatically went to pause before you realize it is just you. MGM was obviously using this movie as a warmup for her more mature roles to come, but Taylor does play Carol as both worldly and naive. There is plenty of music and dancing throughout with Powell and Beckett, and you really have to be a fan of 40's crooner music to enjoy it, otherwise it can be tedious. Xavier Cugat and Carmen Miranda have smaller roles as performers at the main dance. Wallace Beery plays Judy's dad Melvin, who is old enough to really be Judy's grandfather, but is written into the script that he is an older Dad to hold down the eye rolling. There is a subplot where after being tired of not knowing how to dance, Melvin hires Miranda to teach him the Rhumba without telling his family. Beery seems to be having a blast with this part and it is a shame that this is one of his last films. The rest of the plot is really the same as most teen movies. If you had it on the beach and filmed it in the sixties, it would easily star Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Will Judy and Oogie make up? Is Stephen really interested in Judy and Carol or is he just humoring them? Watch and see!

This is a fine musical from the late 1940's starring Wallace Beery and the wonderful Jane Powell. She blows away Elizabeth Taylor in every way. I'm not sure how she became the bigger star than Jane did.Jane plays Judy and she is getting ready to go to a high school dance. She listens to her friend Carol(Elizabeth Taylor) about how to sing a song and what color of dress to wear. She does not know she is giving her advice to hurt her and not help her. She also gives advice to her brother Oogie(Scotty Beckett) to arrive late and wow Jane at the dance. Jane is furious when his little brother shows up to take her to the dance. She storms out and sees Stephen(Robert Stack) at the ice cream parlor. He is the nephew of the owner and he sets up Stephen to take her to the dance. She falls for him and he falls for Carol. Oogie is left looking on as he sees her kissing Stephen.Wallace Beery plays Jane's father and he has some funny scenes. He learns to dance the rumba from Carmen Miranda. he also has a good scene with Oogie where he gives him advice on how to get back Judy. Judy decides to give up on men because nothing is working out. Carol falls for Stephen, but he thinks she is spoiled and tells her father about it and blames him for ignoring her. He tries to do better. Judy gets help from Carol to spy on her dad. Judy thinks he is seeing another woman. She finds out he was only taking dancing lessons from Carmen Miranda. He dances at their wedding anniversary and Stephen ans Carol get together. Judy and Oogie are left up in the air. This is a good movie, but it could have been 20 minutes shorter.

I found it interesting that MGM's two leading sopranos (Kathryn Grayson and Jane Powell) performed the same song ("Love is Where You Find It")in two different movies that were released in 1948. I had first heard the song sung by Kathryn Grayson in "The Kissing Bandit" and the first thing I thought of was how the song would sound if sung by Jane Powell. When I saw "A Date with Judy" 5 days ago for the first time, I got my answer! I thought Elizabeth Taylor was a hoot as a sultry "come-hither" sophisticated type against Jane Powell's perinnial "good girl". It's a wholesome corny flick, but boy, they don't make them like that anymore! As always I wish there had been more singing. Can anyone tell me where to get song lyrics from all the great old MGM musicals. I would love to have the words to "Love is Where You Find It".

I first saw 'A Date With Judy' at the Radio City Music Hall in late August 1948 when I was eight years old.....what an epiphany!!! Years later I revisited the film via television...how could it ever hold up...but...it remains a total charmer!! Music via Powell is lovely, Elizabeth is breathtakingly beautiful...and charming.....then there is the rest of a super cast...Wallace Beery, Robert Stack, Selena Royale, George Cleveland (the wonderful grandfather from Lassie), Scotty Becket, Xavier Cugat...and lest we not forget, the superlative Carmen Miranda! "It's A Most Unusual Day" ( remember Hitchcock's use of this as Cary Grant walks through the Plaza just before his kidnapping?), Judaline, Love is Where You Find It" and most memorably of all.."Cuanto Le Gusto" (I have murdered the spelling but 'a rose is a rose'!) Super music and memories of the radio program and comic book of the same name.This is a delightful musical , and was very successful, in 1948 and is a treasure for today...and it's been released on DVD! It would look sumptuous in Blueray...maybe soon?