Summer Stock (DVD, 2006)

Summer Stock (1950) was Judy Garland's final film for M-G-M, and it is a must-see for every Garland fan. This movie also marks the third of three pairings of Judy and Gene Kelly. They starred together in Kelly's first picture, For Me and My Gal (1942), and Garland helped him out with lots of tips and encouragement then. This time, Kelly would be providing the support, as Judy was suffering from her drug addiction and consequent emotional and weight issues throughout filming. Despite Garland's sad situation, she turns in one of her best performances in the "Get Happy" number, which all fans of musicals ought to see.

Judy plays Jane, who is struggling to keep the family farm running, and who has a long-standing engagement to Orville (Eddie Bracken), the son of the other important family in town. Jane's sister Abigail (Gloria DeHaven) is a flighty actress who is dating Joe (Kelly), an actor and director of low-budget musical revues. When Joe's theater company needs a stage to open its new show, Abigail offers him use of Jane's barn, unbeknownst to Jane. Joe's wild theater gang, including the humorous Phil Silvers as Joe's right-hand man, wreak havoc on Jane's farm, throwing her life into disarray.

When Abigail abandons the show for a role in New York, Joe's left without a leading lady and an opening night quickly approaching. That's when he notices Jane can sing and dance, and after watching their rehearsals, she even knows Abigail's part. All she needs is the confidence to break out of her conservative life and take the stage, but her decision to do this will cause upheaval among the tradition-obsessed locals and Orville. Added to that, Jane no longer loves her fiance; she's falling for Joe.

Summer Stock has several great musical numbers, including "Dig, Dig, Dig for Your Dinner," "Get Happy," "You Wonderful You," and another of Kelly's more imaginative dances, in which he uses a creaky board and an old newspaper with amazing results. It's worth watching the movie just to see this performance by Kelly. Although the film doesn't rise above the genre of the "let's put on a show" musicals of Judy's younger days with Mickey Rooney, Summer Stock is still a very enjoyable picture that will keep you entertained.