You’re Only Young Once *** (1937, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Sara Haden) – Classic Movie Review 12,228

In 1937, Lewis Stone got his most famous role, the honest and kind-hearted Judge James Hardy in the Andy Hardy film series, appearing in 14 of the 16 Hardy movies, beginning with You’re Only Young Once (1937). Lionel Barrymore had played the judge in the first Hardy movie, and Stone died before the making of the last one, Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958), which mentions the judge’s death.

Director George B Seitz’s warm, good-hearted and cosy 1937 comedy film You’re Only Young Once is the second film of the Andy Hardy series, following A Family Affair (1937). Lewis Stone replaces Lionel Barrymore as Judge Hardy and Fay Holden replaces Spring Byington as his wife, supposedly because both Barrymore and Byington were too expensive for the sequel’s modest budget.

Mickey Rooney repeats his role as Andy, while Cecilia Parker, as his sister Marian, and Sara Haden, as Aunt Milly, also reprise their roles from the original film. They are the only cast members who made it to the series.

The Hardy family goes on vacation to Catalina, where Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) tries to catch a swordfish, Marian (Cecilia Parker) falls in love with married lawyer/ lifeguard Bill Rand (Ted Pearson), and Andy goes around with a sophisticated girl. They return home to Carvel to find that Judge Hardy might lose all their property to land speculator Hoyt Wells (Selmer Jackson).

The cast are Lewis Stone as Judge James K Hardy, Cecilia Parker as Marian Hardy, Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy, Fay Holden as Mrs. Emily Hardy, Frank Craven as Carvel newspaper owner Frank Redmond, Ann Rutherford as Polly Benedict, Eleanor Lynn as Geraldine ‘Jerry’ Lane, Ted Pearson as lifeguard Bill Rand, Sara Haden as Aunt Milly Forrest, Charles Judels as Captain Swenson of the Shorty II, and  Selmer Jackson as Hoyt Wells.

The Andy Hardy series: A Family Affair (1937), You’re Only Young Once (1937), Judge Hardy’s Children (1938), Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), Out West with the Hardys (1938), The Hardys Ride High (1939), Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever (1939), Judge Hardy and Son (1939), Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940), Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (1941), Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941), The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942), Andy Hardy’s Double Life (1942), Andy Hardy’s Blonde Trouble (1944), Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946) and Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958).

Lewis Stone spent 29 years as a contract player at MGM, the studio’s longest-contracted actor and the longest-ever contracted actor at any studio up to his death on September 12, 1953, aged 73. He appeared in seven films with Greta Garbo.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,228

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