Summer Stock [DVD] [1950] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Let's be honest - there are really only two reasons to see this film: Gene Kelly's solo dance on a deserted stage and Judy Garland's iconic "Get Happy" number. The rest of the film is rather pedestrian, uninspired, and old-fashioned - and not old-fashioned in a good way. The songs are unmemorable at best. Judy's physical appearance seems to vary wildly throughout (and she's not very well served by the costume department). The two leads try hard but Phil Silvers' over-the-top mugging is hopelessly outdated and who knows why Eddie Bracken was ever considered funny. Only Marjorie Main makes a favourable impression by being, well, Marjorie Main.

The storyline has more creaks than the stage Kelly dances on. Apparently the film was originally conceived as a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney reunion with another "hey, let's put on a show in the old barn" plot. What Summer Stock ended up with was a plot both flimsy and contrived. Don't get me wrong - I'm a lifelong lover of old musicals. But I found viewing Summer Stock in 2010 to be rather heaving going.

On the plus side, the film looks and sounds great and there are a few nice extras on the DVD. But, personally, if I want to see Garland and Kelly together, I'll watch The Pirate.

The filming of this movie may have been anything but smooth, and the plot not worthy of its two stars, but the overall impression one gets from watching this movie is one of joy and delight. Judy looks very good with a little extra weight: she looks healthy and happy. The colour is rich and warm. gene Kelly looks superb and dances brilliantly. Above all the film is joyful and melodic, right from the start. I especially love 'Happy harvest', which Judy sings on a tractor, Kelly's dance to 'Dig for your dinner' and 'Friendly star', which must be one of Judy's lovliest ballads. I am surprised no one gave this musical more stars - so here goes; a five star rating from me.

Summer Stock is a movie which has charm, but it's creation was unhappy and uneasy. It's the work of Hollywood pros, who knew how to put a musical together, but whose creativity and enthusiasm, in my opinion, had seen better days.

Judy Garland was on her long slide into emotional break-down. Gene Kelly had no interest in the movie and agreed to do it only because he wanted to help Garland. Phil Silvers was tired of being a second banana; there is nothing he does here with Kelly that he didn't do six years earlier in Cover Girl. Eddy Bracken was a uniquely gifted comic actor who hit it big with Hail the Conquering Hero and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. By 1950 his movie career was drying up; he was just too hard to cast. He'd soon be spending his time on television and in regional theater. In this movie Bracken is reduced to playing a character who is simply sour and disapproving. And any good musical has to have good songs. Most of these were composed by Harry Warren with lyrics by Mac Gordon. Warren was probably incapable of writing poor melodies, but his songs here are simply not top-rank Warren. In addition, we have songs contributed by Saul Chaplin and Jack Brooks and one classic by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler, Get Happy, which is shoe-horned in as a vehicle for Garland. These aren't good signs about how the score was developed. The comparison between these songs and the style, energy and originality of the Arlen/Koehler insert does them no good.

The story-line is simple and good-spirited. A theater director, Joe Ross (Gene Kelly), and his cast need a place to rehearse. Through a subplot they wind up at the farm owned by June Falbury (Judy Garland), which has a great, big barn. Boy meets girl. But complications arise. Boy loses girl. Complications are resolved and the show goes on in the barn. Not only that, June has to step in at the last minute and take over the lead role. She does a wonderful job, including a number or two with Joe. The show is a hit and boy gets girl. Could there by any doubt how unchallenged Kelly must have felt doing this film, or what a good friend he must have been to Garland. Kelly was ambitious and wanted to push boundaries. As soon as he finished Summer Stock he was working on An American in Paris. And then it was Singin' in the Rain.

Garland might look a little shaky at times and she's heavier than we're used to seeing her by at least 15 pounds. On her, it looks healthy. She was an extraordinary performer, able to put across a number, singing and dancing, no matter how she felt. She connected with an audience, they fed on each other, like few have before or since. MGM exploited this, and it's evident in the Get Happy number. It's the climax of the show and was shot several weeks after the movie was finished. Suddenly, here's Garland, sleek and sultry, 15 pounds lighter than we'd seen her 3 minutes before, black hat pushed over an eye, stockinged legs and a tux top. Watching Get Happy would be an uncomplicated delight if we didn't know what she was going through...and what MGM put her through for this one last scene.

If you can clear your mind of this unpleasantness, you might be able to enjoy what delights there are. The Happy Harvest number is optimistic and fun, and Garland on a tractor is endearing. You, Wonderful You is a minor Warren hit, and it makes a sweet song when Kelly sings it to Garland. Kelly later has a nice solo dance number to it. The square dance which becomes competition between the townsfolk and the show cast is high spirited. There's nothing wrong with the other songs and dances, they just don't seem very original to me. They are the work of Hollywood pros who needed to get the job done.

The DVD transfer is superb. There are a handful of extras.