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Summary: GARLAND`S BEST COMEDY ROLE
Review: This is not strictly a musical. It really is a comedy with s o m e songs included. In this film Judy Garland shows us a comic style not unlike the greatest ofèm all, JUDY HOLLIDAY (1922-1965) of "Born Yesterday"(1950)-fame. The film is well crafted with great supports from Van Johnson, S.Z. Sakall, Spring Byington and Clinton Sundberg. Poor Buster Keaton is wated in this film. It`s great for the Christmas season.
Rating: 
Summary: Judy at her best!
Review: This movie has everything going for it, great songs, good storyline, and likeable characters, and manages to keep you watching it all the way to the end. And I know this as I have watched it many times. And, as I'm a Judy Garland fan I think that this film is wonderful. Definately a MUST SEE film.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully Done But Conventional
Review: This story of two co-workers who loathe each other--and then perversely fall in love when they correspond anonymously through a lonelyhearts club--has been filmed three times, first in the 1930s as THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER with stars James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan and most recently in the 1990s as YOU'VE GOT MAIL with stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. This 1940s musical version, which sets the story in an early 1900s Chicago music shop, stars Judy Garland and Van Johnson.Although the score is not in the least memorable, Garland is in fine voice, and although they lack any real chemistry she and Van Johnson play well together. More appealing is a romantic subplot concerning shop owner S.Z. Sakall and his long time ladyfriend Spring Byington, who are extremely charming in their roles and quite a bit of fun to watch. Fans of Buster Keaton will also enjoy seeing him in a small cameo role, and film buffs will be delighted to see Garland's daughter Liza Minnelli make her film debut in the movie's closing moments. Although there is a great deal to enjoy here, the plot and presentation of the film is highly conventional, and the project would have benefited from a more gifted directorial vision. Four stars as a quality product with remarkable stars; don't expect too much and you'll enjoy it quite a bit. --GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--
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Summary: DVD debut of MGM classic
Review: This year 2004 marks the first appearance of this great Judy Garland film (one of her last for MGM) on DVD. This film is based upon an earlier James Stewart film THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER and was recently remade as YOU'VE GOT MAIL. This new restored print is an improvement over the previous VHS release. The picture has been cleaned up and colors look brighter and bolder than ever before, as we expect with 3-strip Technicolor, though there are still a FEW age related artifacts present, but I am forgiving enough to look beyond this. In general, the new transfer is beautiful. The soundtrack sounds equally as impressive and has been cleaned up very nicely for this release.
Included on the disc are trailers for this film, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, and YOU'VE GOT MAIL. I really don't know why the latter was included here, it lends nothing whatsoever to this release, and practically everyone in the country has seen it by now. There are no other "extras" to speak of. We wish that the deleted musical number, "Last Night When We Were Young," sung by Judy Garland, had been included as a bonus on this disc. Both the footage and soundtrack for this number survive, and it was included in the Outtakes section of the fourth disc of the new That's Entertainment 4-disc boxed set, released this past October. Why wasn't it included here?
On the whole, this is a very commendable release from Warner Home Video, but if you still have the VHS tape there's no real special reason to run out and buy the DVD.
Look for an 18 month old Liza Minnelli during the closing scenes, making her film debut.
Rating:
Summary: Judy Has it All Together
Review: Through Judy Garland's long MGM film career (1936 - 1950), one can often find her in good physical condition or singing beautifully or seeming happy and at ease with her material. But you don't find all three ducks lined up in a row all the time.
In the Good Old Summertime is one such happy occasion. Looking voluptuous but not fat, and remarkably healthy, Judy sings and
dances with gusto and appears to know she's in a winner. ITGOS IS a winner, resting primarily on Judy's shoulders, but gaining much wit and charm from the able support of Van Johnson, S.Z."Cuddles" Sakall (he of the Hungarian accent and slapping his face and exclaiming "Cheeee!"), adorable matron Spring Byington and deadpan legend Buster Keaton. Based tightly on The Shop Around the Corner, only a few changes are made to this story of pen-pal sweethearts who, unbeknownst to them, know and loathe each other as they work together in a music store. Of course, the outcome is predictable, so let's not go there. Suffice it to say that ITGOS is a little gem of a musical, worth owning and cracking open once in a while. And a pleasant surprise - maybe it shouldn't be- is Garland's skillful way with comedy.
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Summary: Charming period musical
Review: Why didn't WB include Garland's version of "Last Night When We Were Young," which was filmed but not used for this movie, on the DVD? It was released on LaserDisc but it's not on this DVD. One of Garland's best performances. Perhaps they're going to include it in the DVD version of the That's Entertainment! series - if not they should.
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Summary: This is the flick to see from Garland's MGM years!
Review: Why this movie is not heralded as the best of Garland's work from that era is a mystery to me. It is one of the few films where the material is up to the par of its magnificent star. Her renderings of the songs here is beyond great -- especially the joyous "Play That Barbershop Chord." Boy, could she put a number over, like nobody before or ever since! For an MGM flick, this movie is remarkably UNcloying, and the plot is pretty cute. Van Johnson actually generates electricity (!) in the second to final scene where he confesses his love to Garland. See this great film if you like Garland!
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Summary: Wonderfull muisical where two pen pals fall in love.
Review: Wonderful comade about a couple of pen pals who fall in love but meet in real life but dont know it! Van Johnson is a stern business man and Judy Garland is a eager to learn young woman
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