A Family Affair **** (1937, Lionel Barrymore, Spring Byington, Mickey Rooney, Eric Linden, Cecilia Parker) – Classic Movie Review 7358

The success of their sleeper hit Ah Wilderness! (1935) prompted MGM to re-use many of the cast in A Family Affair (1937), the first in its Andy Hardy series (1937-1946), including Lionel Barrymore, Spring Byington, Mickey Rooney, Eric Linden, Cecilia Parker and Charley Grapewin.

Director George B Seitz’s 1937 A Family Affair stars Lionel Barrymore as a stern but calm and understanding small-town judge, Judge Hardy, and father of precocious teenager Andy (Mickey Rooney).

Seitz’s amusing and talented support feature comedy started the incredibly popular, long-running Andy Hardy series. It is a sweet and lovely old down-home comedy drama, ideally cast, warmly acted and expertly handled.

The first of 16 Andy Hardy films starring Mickey Rooney, it is the only one to feature Barrymore, who was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his film career. Lewis Stone later took over from Barrymore as Judge Hardy and Fay Holden from Byington as mom, Mrs Hardy. Other series regulars, Cecilia Parker as Andy’s older sister Marion and Sara Haden as spinster aunt Milly started here. However, it is only movie to feature older sister Joan (Julie Haydon).

Also in the cast are Charley Grapewin, Allen Vincent, Margaret Marquis, Selmer Jackson and Harlan Briggs.

Kay Van Riper’s screenplay is based on the play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol, which had opened in New York on 21 May 1928.

MGM’s money-spinning series started with You’re Only Young Once in 1937 and ran till 1946’s Love Laughs at Andy Hardy, with a reprise in 1958, Andy Hardy Comes Home.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7358

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