A 1949 remake of The Shop Around the Corner (which in turn would be remade again as You've Got Mail in 1998 w/Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan) starring Judy Garland & Van Johnson. Garland needs a job so she saunters into a music shop (this being the early part of the 20th century the store sells musical instruments & sheet music) where customers often request a song be sung before a purchase can be made. Garland, being the not too shabby singer that she is, starts ringing up customers left & right securing a spot under manager Johnson's supervision which makes things tense since they both have taken a dislike for each other. Little do they know they're successful pen pals w/each other (they don't know each other's identity) whose love soars on the written page all in the hopes they'll meet face to face some day. On one occasion, Johnson sets up a date at a restaurant he frequents to finally meet his object of affection only to be blindsided by who his sweetheart really is. And so goes the romance which is a true musical since songs are only warbled when requested (rather than the norm of being used to propel the story forward) which could be a decent entree to the non-musical aficionado who wants a way into the genre. Good natured & sweetly conceived, this film is a wonderful costumer which will send you away smiling. Co-starring S. Z. Sakall as the owner of the establishment & silent film giant Buster Keaton as Garland's co-worker.
Review of In the Good Old Summertime
