I love this movie but I've noticed people are divided about they either love it or hate it as opposed to Meet Me in St Louis which seems to be one of the most beloved Judy Garland movies and a highly regarded musical as well.
Any thought about it?
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Angela did speak a bit about working on HARVEY GIRLS with Judy. I sat in on her TCM interview taping. This was an archival interview from which the network culls clips for their interstitials and never broadcast the interviews in their entirety. Angela was wonderful to listen to. On this film she remembered sharing a ride to the Valley location where they filmed the last sequence in the desert and remembered that Judy was really lovely and nice an quiet. In another interview, she remembered having a late dinner with Judy (circa 1968) at which Judy talked about how things once were and how she longed for the old days, which at the time, Angela could not understand why Judy would be in that frame of mind. But Angela seems to have only kind memories of Judy.
shareWhat a lovely post! Thanks for sharing it.
shareI have always loved it, but the one big criticism I have is that it needed more Judy! Ray Bolger did a solo dance, Virginia O'Brien did a solo number, Kenny Baker and Cyd Charisse did a number together, Angela Lansbury (dubbed but wonderful anyway) did a short one too. The movie needed more Judy with more focus on her.
Susan Bradley is a great character, strong and sassy and beautiful too. One of my favorite Judy characters.
I think the film starts off great, but then it seems to sag a bit.
Anyway, it is a fun film, no matter what!
I thought it was very good. I'm surprised more people haven't posted here. I liked it much more than "Meet Me in St. Louis". Thought the numbers were good, the acting good, and the dialouge too.
love the line
Alma: I sent my picture to one of those lonely heart clubs, they sent it back saying "we're not THAT lonely"
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I guess we have a small but devoted club,I like it better than MMISL as well.
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Yes, that was a great line. But I was like, wow, she's gorgeous. Why would they say that to her?
shareThis movie went through so many script drafts and severe editing. Originally Judy had at least three other songs where she was focus, and other scenes as well, including the rescuing of her wedding dress from the Harvey House fire.
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Two musical numbers featuring Garland were filmed and then cut after the first preview. "My Intuition" -- a duet with John Hodiak, and "March Of The Doagies" -- a big production number with Garland as the main focus. They are shown in their entirety in the Special Features section of the DVD. Also, a song called "Hayride" featuring Judy and Ray Bolger was pre-recorded (don't think it was filmed), which has the same melody as "The House Of Singing Bamboo" from "Pagan Love Song" with Esther Williams and Howard Keel.
shareMy favorite part was when she took the six-shooters into the bar looking for the steaks ("Where's the beef?" -j/k). She looked so tiny and defenseless wielding the pistols, great scenes.
I'm going to see MMISL tonight for the first time, this was also my first time seeing The Harvey Girls.
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I loved the line about, "Is this rare enough for you?" I still use that on people...ah to have been and worked with garland. Anyone else catch the Harvey Girls reference in the Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm Podcast this week????
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I liked this movie, but it's not better than MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS.
shareI love THG but it's not better than MMISL.
"Hema Malini is neither a goddess nor saint. But she is worshiped."
--Haribhai
Likewise. I love this film but Meet Me in St. Louis is tops (along with The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, on the Town etc...)! Love For Me and My Gal too!
shareDon't forget "In the Good Ole Summertime"...and the Andy Hardy films that had Judy featured..
Judy was showing signs of the psychological troubles ..addiction to pills, not sleeping....she was to suffer from in the future...in the Ballroom scenes with Marjorie Main and Ray Bolger, she was absent ..she was having problems just showing up, let alone performing.... in the Ballroom scene, they were actually playing around her while she recovered...
Love Judy Garland.... we'll never see the like of her again....
"Love Judy Garland.... we'll never see the like of her again...."
I did think she was great in this.... With regard to this being underrated, I agree. I saw that TCM was going to be showing this movie, but being unfamiliar with the title (although can name dozens of musical films), forgot about it, and just happened to stumbled on it already in progress.
Unsure why this isn't shown more, thought if it is not as good as other better known musicals shown more, it was about as good.
"I don't remember yesterday. Today it rained."
Overall I think MMISL is a better film...better songs and overall feel, etc. But I do love The Harvey Girls, and think it's definitely underrated.
Judy was such a great performer, and made quite a few terrific musicals. I think perhaps if she had been anyone but Judy Garland and had done The Harvey Girls, it would still be viewed as a tremendous musical today. However, she went on to do so much more, and that might be why it's not seen for what it is-- a great little musical.
Personally, I think I have too much bloom. Maybe that's the trouble with me.
The scene where Susan Bradley has to go rescue some steaks is a classic. I love this movie.
"Who's drivin' the car, Ben?" Lucas Buck
I agree, it does seem that way. I absolutely ADORE this film though.
shareI think the problem is that it's a good MGM musical, but it's not a good Judy Garland movie. Lots of talent everywhere amid lush sets, but the focus is not on Judy.
Her parts are beautifully-done, but there's too few of them to make this a veritable "Judy Garland" movie. I remember the first time watching this, and I was like "when is she going to sing again - and why are all these other people doing such time-consuming numbers?"
On the other hand, when I saw it again NOT expecting a "Judy Garland" film, I was impressed overall by all the performances (although ten minutes of Kenny Baker is 9 minutes too long), and felt it was a cut above most MGM musicals of the time.
"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"
nycruise-1 makes a great point. I have never seen this movie although I know of it as a 'Judy Garland movie'. I just turned it on TCM Demand and started watching it. What's my first thought? Judy Garland isn't a Harvey Girl? (Yes, I'm sure circumstances will make her one.) It's been about twenty minutes now and Judy is definitely not the focus. I'm enjoying it nonetheless but it's not a Judy Garland movie.
http://twitter.com/AManAndAMouse/
"It's not a Judy Garland movie." What UP with these daffy comments? WHAT, exactly, do you expect from a
Judy Garland movie? Turn the camera on her, and show nobody else talking, singing or dancing for two hours??
I argue it is VERY much a Judy Garland movie. She is, front and center, the character we care about, the character
who fights to win the battle of Sandrock. I personally love the fact that the film is more omnipresent, so as to give
it (like, say, "Oklahoma") a more ensemble feel.
However, I agree that both "My Intuition" and "March of the Doagies" should've been left in the film. It would've
turned a good picture into a very good picture.
I have a friend who uploaded my DVD of the film onto his computer and edited the numbers back in where they
belong. True, the missing dialogue that leads into the numbers makes it a hair choppy, but the film plays soooooo
much better, and also explains why all the Harvey girls come running back from the desert when the Harvey house
is set on fire. Also, John Hodiak had a very pleasant singing voice.