A year after playing a jockey over at Warner Brothers in "Down the Stretch", his home studio of MGM cast him in a similar role where he shamelessly overacts. The story actually focuses on a young British boy (Ronald Sinclair) who wants Rooney to ride his horse in an upcoming race, and top-bills Judy Garland as a "Little Miss Fix It" who is at first a thorn in their side but ends up being their biggest champion. Rooney is manipulated by his con-man father into throwing a race which, like in "Down the Stretch", gets him banished as a jockey. Sinclair takes over as jockey on his own horse after his beloved grandfather (the always lovable C. Aubrey Smith) passes away and leaves only the horse to him. Of course, in typical MGM fashion, everything is resolved in the nick of time.
People will mainly watch this to see the 15 year old Judy Garland who was rising as a young radio star who had made a couple of films and was yet two years away from film immortality as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz". Judy, of course, has more talent in her little finger than MGM had stars, so she is deserving of being the legend she is today. She especially shines while singing, and her song, "Gotta Pair of New Shoes", is right for her talents, although it appears in the film four times. The best performance of it is when she interrupts Mickey massaging the wounded Sinclair. It is comical to watch Rooney continuously pull down Sinclair's pants every time Judy tries to get into the room. This is an unintentional bit of humor that censors probably didn't catch, as is another scene with Rooney and Sinclair riding the same horse. Judy also is amusing in a scene where she "emotes" for her new pal, Sinclair.
As for the wonderful Sophie Tucker, it's great to see her in one of her few screen roles, and she works well with Judy. She has many funny lines, but her character is never fully developed. Her retort to an usher in a private box at the race track is priceless. The first half of the film is comical, while the second half is strictly dramatic. The scene where Judy searches through a crowded city for Rooney just seems absurd, but it's obvious that when Judy has her mind made up, she will accomplish what she has set out to do. Her fans will adore this movie to see her develop her screen style, but as a typical MGM programmer, it is simply passable. Rooney did better acting in "Down the Stretch", but Sinclair is very good. As a screen team, Mickey and Judy really didn't pick up steam until their follow-up picture, "Love Finds Andy Hardy", so this must count as their weakest teaming.
People will mainly watch this to see the 15 year old Judy Garland who was rising as a young radio star who had made a couple of films and was yet two years away from film immortality as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz". Judy, of course, has more talent in her little finger than MGM had stars, so she is deserving of being the legend she is today. She especially shines while singing, and her song, "Gotta Pair of New Shoes", is right for her talents, although it appears in the film four times. The best performance of it is when she interrupts Mickey massaging the wounded Sinclair. It is comical to watch Rooney continuously pull down Sinclair's pants every time Judy tries to get into the room. This is an unintentional bit of humor that censors probably didn't catch, as is another scene with Rooney and Sinclair riding the same horse. Judy also is amusing in a scene where she "emotes" for her new pal, Sinclair.
As for the wonderful Sophie Tucker, it's great to see her in one of her few screen roles, and she works well with Judy. She has many funny lines, but her character is never fully developed. Her retort to an usher in a private box at the race track is priceless. The first half of the film is comical, while the second half is strictly dramatic. The scene where Judy searches through a crowded city for Rooney just seems absurd, but it's obvious that when Judy has her mind made up, she will accomplish what she has set out to do. Her fans will adore this movie to see her develop her screen style, but as a typical MGM programmer, it is simply passable. Rooney did better acting in "Down the Stretch", but Sinclair is very good. As a screen team, Mickey and Judy really didn't pick up steam until their follow-up picture, "Love Finds Andy Hardy", so this must count as their weakest teaming.