...and the Hardys seem as uncomfortable and out of place in 1946 as MGM did, with the changing times that they just couldn't seem to quite tap into from this point forward.
Andy comes home to Carvel after two years as a soldier, and he seems to have matrimony on his mind, specifically his college girlfriend Kay. They didn't call it the baby boom for nothing. There are several endearing and humorous moments, but something is just missing from the old formula. For one thing, everybody is noticeably older. Mickey Rooney is obviously a man in his mid twenties, and Lewis Stone is obviously elderly. They would look rather silly having their old man to man talks at this point, and to a large degree the film avoids that. It does tap into a conversation lots of returning soldiers were probably having with themselves - whether or not to take advantage of that GI bill and finish a college education, or go out into the world without it and start trying to make a mark right now, which everybody had usually done up to this point in time.
One rather humorous incident - Andy is fixed up on a date with a girl who is a foot taller than he is. How did this happen? The guy who did the fixing had them both in the swimming pool at the time, thus avoiding the issue of the height difference.
This will be the last Hardy family film for 12 years, so this is pretty much an end to the franchise.
Andy comes home to Carvel after two years as a soldier, and he seems to have matrimony on his mind, specifically his college girlfriend Kay. They didn't call it the baby boom for nothing. There are several endearing and humorous moments, but something is just missing from the old formula. For one thing, everybody is noticeably older. Mickey Rooney is obviously a man in his mid twenties, and Lewis Stone is obviously elderly. They would look rather silly having their old man to man talks at this point, and to a large degree the film avoids that. It does tap into a conversation lots of returning soldiers were probably having with themselves - whether or not to take advantage of that GI bill and finish a college education, or go out into the world without it and start trying to make a mark right now, which everybody had usually done up to this point in time.
One rather humorous incident - Andy is fixed up on a date with a girl who is a foot taller than he is. How did this happen? The guy who did the fixing had them both in the swimming pool at the time, thus avoiding the issue of the height difference.
This will be the last Hardy family film for 12 years, so this is pretty much an end to the franchise.