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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Judy and Mickey's last and best musical together, October 19, 2004
This was not the first film version of this great George and Ira Gershwin musical, but it was the best. It had been a huge hit on Broadway, with Ginger Rogers in the lead role (a fact nodded at by changing the female lead from Molly Gray to Ginger Gray). It was the final and best of a half dozen or so musicals that Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney made together in a very short period of time. It isn't that the production was so much more lavish than the previous films, but the blending of several absolutely stellar Gershwin songs with the combined talents of Judy, Mickey, and Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra.
We have to be honest here: the plot is nothing to write home about, like a host of other musicals (until the late 1940s and early 1950s, the majority of film musicals were rather thin on plot). The story, such as it is, is a frame upon which to hang songs, and luckily there are a host of songs. This is not exactly the original songs as performed in the stage version of the show; some of the weaker numbers being replaced by stronger Gershwin numbers. At worse, the numbers are highly entertaining, but a few of them completely transcend the typical productions in most of the Garland-Rooney MGM musicals. Judy Garland had few moments in her career as splendid as when she sang "But Not for Me," and almost the same thing could be said for "Embraceable You." "I Got Rhythm" is one of the finest numbers that Judy and Mickey ever did together. I am not a fan of the big bands ( I mean the swing bands, not jazz orchestras such as Duke Ellington's), but I make a bit of an exception for Tommy Dorsey, and the numbers his orchestra covers in this film show why. "Fascinatin' Rhythm" features a marvelous arrangement, and gives wonderful moments for many of the wonderful soloists that filled his band. My lone complaint is that Dorsey himself doesn't do as much playing as I would have liked. Though he wasn't a great jazz innovator, his technique on trombone was simply amazing, and he managed to transform the instrument from a bleating horn to a subtle, beautiful, and lyrical instrument.
This film is also an important transition film in the careers of both Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. It was the last film that they would ever do together, after having starred together in a host of youth musicals in the previous few years. It signaled the beginning of the decline of Rooney's career. He would go on to make a huge number of films in his career, most of them rather minor parts, and he would from time to time score a very fine role, but from this point on his and Judy Garland's careers would be moving in opposite directions. In their first film together, Rooney was the big star and Garland the newcomer, but immediately after this film Garland would be catapulted to stardom in a host of great MGM films throughout the 1940s. But this also signaled the end of a period for Judy Garland. She is so pure and innocent looking in this film that it almost breaks your heart. It was essentially her last film as a teen (though she was 21 at the time). Her next film would be MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, and it was during this film that people began giving her the drugs that would play such a large role in the rest of her life. She would remain fresh and beautiful looking in her next several films such as THE CLOCK and THE HARVEY GIRLS, but eventually the strain would take its toll. But not in GIRL CRAZY. Her face is a marvel of innocence and loveliness. I'm not sure she was ever more beautiful than in this one.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Isn't this great!!!!, November 20, 2002
This CD just came in the mail today. Just popped it in the player and I love it already! Judy's major numbers on this disc are featured on several of her Decca studio recordings, which is where I heard them first. But the original soundtrack performances, as heard here, are the best yet! This is, without a doubt, the best recording of the fabulous Gershwin score (although the 1952 Mary Martin cast album, now the only version in print, is good too). Garland and Rooney always worked so well together. The sound on the disc is wonderful - you'd never know it was made in 1943! All selections are in STEREO (except the Main Title, in monaural), thanks to the (as always) wonderful remastering and remixing job by Rhino/Turner. Unfortunately this disc is out of print, and its a shame that it is (I got my copy via Ebay). Keep an eye open for it, though. No faults with this one; it's great! As another reviewer states, these are quite possibly some of the greatest numbers ever put on film and disc!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best of the Garland-Rooney Films, September 19, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Girl Crazy [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The last significant appearance of Garland and Rooney on screen is a delight. Garland, often subordinated to Rooney in previous efforts, sparkles as the unexpectedly sophistocated daughter of a western university's dean; Rooney's manic energy, which is often well-over the top in most of his films, is neatly subdued to the demands of the story. The score, which includes such favorites as "Not For Me," "Embraceable You," "I Got Rythmn," and "Bidin' My Time," is a classic; the script is charming; and the stars are expertly supported. Who could ask for anything more?
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