Summer Stock (1950)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Director: Charles Walters
Starring: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly

Honors:
#61 on AFI 100 Songs for “Get Happy”

After a period of battling personal issues Judy Garland returns to the screen is a classic “Paint the barn and put on a show” style musical. Paired again alongside devoted friend Gene Kelly she returns to the roots of simple, silly lighthearted comedies that helped make her a massive box office draw at MGM. A troubled project produced with many professional good intentions the film would contain of a couple of iconic musical numbers for its stars that would be long remembered fondly by their fans. Sadly, what was planned to be Garland’s big return after a troubling time proved to be her last with MGM.

Summer Stock is a musical comedy about a farmer pulled into show business when a theater company arrives to occupy her farm. Jane (Judy Garland) is a farm owner in a small New England town that is experiencing a poor financial period that is engaged to timid, nerdy Orville (Eddie Bracken), the son of the town’s general store owner. She is surprised when her sister Abigail (Gloria DeHaven) returns home with her entire New York theater troupe looking to use the barn as a possible performance space, led by theater director and Abigail’s fiancé Joe Ross (Gene Kelly). Jane agrees as long as the troupe helps with chores around the farm resulting in various unfortunate issues. The occupation of theater performers in the small, quiet town begins to generate friction between the very conservative townsfolk and Jane led by Orville and his father, bringing distress to their engagement. Through show preparations Joe and Jane experience the blossoming of a relationship while discovering Jane too has talent while Abigail and Joe experience spats over decisions. The sudden running away of Abigail forces Jane to fill in for her missing sister, culminating with the big night and Jane’s show-stopping number. Emotions overflow into Joe and Jane’s romance ending in a marriage proposal.

What begins as a perceived step back for one-time mega-star Judy Garland, Summer Stock proves to be a harmless and positive musical that harkens to her yesteryear successes alongside of Mickey Rooney in her juvenile years. One can tell Garland is not quite at full strength of movie stardom she once was, but still remains a massive appealing star in this rather simplified role. Even Gene Kelly is subdued in his performance considering the massive talent and energy we witnessed in his recent pictures. However, the feature is a fairly solid musical that does contain a pair of iconic numbers from its two stars that stand out from the run of the mill MGM feel-good musical of the day.

Judy Garland’s recent mental and physical breakdown that witnessed her causing issues on sets, get fired from Anne Get Your Gun (1950), and spend a period in a sanitarium had caused plenty of headaches for MGM with their once headlining star talent. However, Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM, believed that despite the complications the history success and money she helped make the studio that MGM owed it to Garland a chance return to production. The idea was film in the style of the classic musicals in line with the classic Mickey Rooney- Judy Garland pictures that helped ushered her into stardom. With Mickey being far being the top draw he once was Gene Kelly assumed the Rooney role in the film as the leading male star. Such a role was beneath Kelly who had become the massive leading man for the studio, but he saw it as an opportunity to help his old friend Judy get back in her feet.

Initial thoughts of Busby Berkley helming another MGM musical was altered to Charles Walters at the request of Garland . Just from viewing the picture it is evident how much had changed for Judy while she was away recovering. The star had gained weight which did not help with sagging confidence while returning to the screen. Sadly physically, emotionally, and psychologically she was not the same old Judy Garland she once was, but with guidance and sometimes literal physical support by Kelly and Walters she was steered to a classic performance.

On set her confidence was so jarred she fell back into drug dependences she had shaken while recovering. Physically she would not be able to keep up with her former high energy, sometimes having trouble with simple blocking of scenes and acting. Hidden supports and handles were constructed on set pieces to help her keep her standing and at times you may be able to see fellow castmates support her while performing. On top of that she once again sporadically started not showing up to sets, causing entire scenes to be restructured to shoot around the inconvenience. Numbers with Kelly were simplified, shots hide her inabilities, costumes made baggier to mask her weight, and songs were rerecorded to eliminate Garland due to her missing while filming. All this added to the costly troubles of production, but Walters was able to bring together a product that was nearly seamless.

With Garland being a fraction of her old self Kelly may have played down to help match the energy she could muster. However, on his own he shined as always, even producing a timeless solo number where he dances with simply a newspaper and noisy floorboard. Funnymen Eddie Bracken as Garlands nerdy fiancé and Phil Silvers and a accident prone member of the theater company perform in their classic manners provide layers of humor to the overall silliness. Gloria DeHaven is featured, albeit briefly as Garland’s younger sister manifesting how MGM once considered this young talent a star of the future in a role that does not come close to outshining the leading lady.

After production concluded it was decided that the film needed an additional musical number that supplies a significant punch and flash to conclude the picture. Judy suggested adding the song “Get Happy” which became the famous number with her performing in a tuxedo jacket, top hat, and black stockings. Filmed three months after principal photography Garland was noticeably thinner having shed nearly 20 pounds after consulting a hypnotist to lose weight. The scene does not mix with the rest of the movie, but it provided the flash the film wanted in a final song and dance, becoming the iconic performance of the picture and one of Garland’s best-known performances with it sly, subtle moves, and sex appeal. For years this would be a highlight of Garland’s new adult musical vision of herself she had long waited for, and it stands out from all her prior MGM work in a good way. Sadly, this would be the last thing Garland would film with MGM.

Summer Stock premiered on August 31^st to great reviews and delivered in decent box office numbers. However, with all the issues that delayed and elongated production the film did not make the profit the film hoped to. Judy was praised for her return, ut it did nothing to reassure MGM that she was able to continue as she once had at the studio. Initially plans cast Garland in Royal Wedding (1951), but her old demons and continued troubles led to MGM and Garland parting ways, terminating her contract. After 15 years Garland would no longer be employed by the studio that featured her in the Andy Hardy series, The Wizard of Oz (1939), and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).

n a way Summer Stock was a flop. It made a good amount of money, but not a lot considering MGM and its star power. Garland’s “Get Happy” and Gene Kelly’s “Wonderful You” dance numbers do provide both studio and stars with two of the most memorable musical numbers movie history, but the film marked the end of an era. Judy Garland and MGM were synonymous and that was no more. Tribute was paid to the picture in MGM’s 1974 feature That’s Entertainment when a different generation ran the studio looking to bank on the studio’s historical past. Garland would find a new path performing on the stage with a brief critically successful return to films in the mid-50s while Gene Kelly would continue to bloom as Hollywood’s number one musical star. In the end Summer Stock proved to be a compliment end to one woman’s career at the studio she long called home.