(Image: Friday Moviez)
(Image: moviegoods.com)

The favorite film:
In the Good Old Summertime, a 1949 musical/romance directed by Robert Z. Leonard for MGM.

The synopsis:
Andrew and Veronica are instant enemies from the day they meet. When Veronica is hired as a saleswoman at Oberkugen’s, a music store where Andrew also works, their dislike for each other continues to grow.
But while they may hate each other in their in-person interactions, what they don’t realize is that they’ve been writing sweet letters to each other anonymously as pen pals.

The cast:
Judy Garland as Veronica
Van Johnson as Andrew
S.Z. Sakall as Otto Oberkugen
Spring Byington as Nellie
Buster Keaton as Hickey

Fun facts:

  • Retelling of The Shop Around the Corner (1940), which was also remade as You’ve Got Mail (1998)
  • Keaton’s first appearance in an MGM film since his firing in the early 1930s. He was hired on as Hickey after coming up with the brilliant fall that breaks the violin. The studio realized that he would be the only person who could pull off the fall believably.
  • Frank Sinatra, June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Gene Kelly and Gloria DeHaven were all considered for Andrew and Veronica before the roles went to Van and Judy.
  • This was one of Judy Garland’s final films with MGM.

Favorite things:

  • Judy, Buster and S.Z. alone are reason enough for me to watch and love this, but the whole cast is so wonderful!
  • Andy throwing his flower and going into the restaurant to trick Veronica.
  • Fantastic tension between Judy and Van (and great cuteness, too – eventually)
  • Wonderful songs
  • Buster and Judy dancing together
  • Follows the exact plot of its predecessor, but has its own special flair that makes it stand out (and makes it more enjoyable than the original, in my opinion)
  • Judy’s “I don’t care” arm flailing

    (.gif by tracylord @ Tumblr)
  • Buster breaking the fiddle
  • Andrew lying to Veronica about meeting her “fiance”
  • Super cute ending
  • Cameo from baby Liza!
  • There’s just something magical about Judy’s musicals, and this one is no exception.
  • Quotes
    • Veronica: “When I came here I was a very enthusiastic girl, and now look at me!”
    • Veronica: “Mr. Larkin, I DON’T LIKE YOU!”
    • Aunt Addie: “Having dinner in a public place with a strange man!”
    • Veronica to Andy, on his mind: “Instead of an intellect, I’d find a metronome that doesn’t work very well.”
    • Otto: “Get going, manager!”
    • Veronica to Andy: “Honestly, you’re the most insufferable man I’ve ever met!”
    • Andy: “Personally, I like that little tummy of his.”
    • Andy: “Please open box 237 and take me out of my envelope.”
    • Judy: “Psychologically I’m very confused, but personally I feel just wonderful.”