This was the first Arthur Freed (1939--MGM) production featuring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Even by the standards of 1930s--this--as well as the other three--were fairly miserable productions. Rooney must be the most annoying actor Hollywood ever produced. And this does not take away what talent he had for dancing, miming, singing. By contrast, Judy Garland produces excellence whenever she appears. The songs are more than memorable--they are worthy of the Great American Songbook. But like the other three, the film grows tiresome after one viewing--I'm good for another twenty years before I see it again. But one would never say "My Fair Lady", "Three Penny Opera", "Gigi", Rodgers & Hammerstein, or Kern & Hammerstein, or Astaire & Rogers ever are tiresome. Those films always seem enjoyable with every presentation.
Part of the problem and the film's leitmotif is high school students acting like grownups. Think a high school production of Hamlet. No matter how good it is, the production is still a high school production of Hamlet. And while both Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland were in fact teenagers in this film--that only added to the annoyance level. (Mickey was 17 or 18 when the film was made; Judy was about 15 or 16--so they were high school age kids.) And the viewer sorta had to wonder just how tall everyone was. Mickey at 5'2" and Judy a little taller; Guy Kibbee, etc...) During the Minstrel Show Mickey and Judy seemed to shine with excellence as dancers, such infectious enthusiasm. The Minstrel Show would have been part of the memory of most actors of that era. They had seen Minstrel shows as part of American Theatre. The Blackface of the Minstrel was not intended as an insult to Black Americans. (The Jim Crow laws were intended to insult Black Americans.) In the end, for me, the series of four films was more annoying than anything else. While the songs were great, while the production values were excellence--the combination of Freed and Busby Berkeley saw to that--while the talent was superb and rendition of songs was superb--the end product couldn't transcend the limitations of poor storyline, and Mickey Rooney's annoying personality. (And yet I can't think of anyone who should have played against Judy Garland in these vehicles.)
Part of the problem and the film's leitmotif is high school students acting like grownups. Think a high school production of Hamlet. No matter how good it is, the production is still a high school production of Hamlet. And while both Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland were in fact teenagers in this film--that only added to the annoyance level. (Mickey was 17 or 18 when the film was made; Judy was about 15 or 16--so they were high school age kids.) And the viewer sorta had to wonder just how tall everyone was. Mickey at 5'2" and Judy a little taller; Guy Kibbee, etc...) During the Minstrel Show Mickey and Judy seemed to shine with excellence as dancers, such infectious enthusiasm. The Minstrel Show would have been part of the memory of most actors of that era. They had seen Minstrel shows as part of American Theatre. The Blackface of the Minstrel was not intended as an insult to Black Americans. (The Jim Crow laws were intended to insult Black Americans.) In the end, for me, the series of four films was more annoying than anything else. While the songs were great, while the production values were excellence--the combination of Freed and Busby Berkeley saw to that--while the talent was superb and rendition of songs was superb--the end product couldn't transcend the limitations of poor storyline, and Mickey Rooney's annoying personality. (And yet I can't think of anyone who should have played against Judy Garland in these vehicles.)