Andy Hardy’s Double Life *** (1942, Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Ann Rutherford, Esther Williams, Fay Holden) – Classic Movie Review 8350

Esther Williams makes her feature film debut at the MGM studio in Andy Hardy’s Double Life (1942) and gets her first screen kiss from Mickey Rooney.

Director George B Seitz’s 1942 Andy Hardy’s Double Life is an amusing enough entry in the long-running MGM comedy series, greatly enlivened by the bright cast, who are its main attraction. It is the 13th installment in the series.

Andy Hardy (Rooney)’s first taste of college is enlivened when he gets into the swim of things with the 21-year-old movie newcomer Esther Williams, making an early splash in films. Impetuously, he makes marriage proposals to both his long-suffering sweetheart Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) and her seductive psychology student swimmer friend Sheila (Esther Williams).

Also in the cast are Lewis Stone as Judge Hardy, Cecilia Parker as Marian Hardy, Fay Holden as Mrs Hardy, Sara Haden as Aunt Milly, William Lundigan, Susan Peters, Robert Blake, Robert Pittard, Arthur Space, Howard Hickman, Mantan Moreland and Frank Coghlan Jr.

Agnes Christine Johnston wrote the screenplay, based upon the characters created by Aurania Rouverol.

Andy Hardy’s Double Life is directed by George B Seitz, runs 92 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Agnes Christine Johnson, based on the characters created by Aurania Rouverol, is shot in black and white by George J Folsey and John J Mescall, is produced by Gilbert Kurland (unit manager), is scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof and is designed by Cedric Gibbons.

It was the last Hardy film to feature Polly Benedict or the actress Ann Rutherford, who took over the role in the second film.

Cheap to make at $369,000, enormously popular at a $2,647,000 box office, it made a profit of $1,499,000 for MGM. The series was a little gold mine for the studio. Mickey Rooney was the star and the main attraction, but the now largely forgotten Lewis Stone maintained his top billing.

RIP Esther Williams (1921–2013).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8350

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com