In the Good Old Summertime

Judy and Van have wonderful, even smoldering but innocent chemistry in this musical adaptation of Shop Around the Corner. Their unwilling attraction to each other is obvious and completely believable, unlike the James Stewart/Margaret Sullavan pairing, in which it is completely null and void. Every actor is superb: Cuddles Sakall, Spring Byington, Clinton Sundberg, and the legendary Buster Keaton. What a cast! This is a great movie, and the ending is better, funnier, and more satisfying than its predecessor.

I suppose the only fair way to review this movie is to watch it first without having already seen The Little Shop Around the Corner. I can't do that, however, and it leaves me comparing the two, which is never to Summertime's advantage. On the one hand, I don't like some of the things that were added, like Van Johnson's strange relationship with the violinist. On the other, when Summertime repeats Shop, sometimes with virtually the same dialogue, I'm disappointed that Van Johnson doesn't do the lines as well as James Stewart. And Sakall doesn't give the store owner the depth that Frank Morgan did in Shop. Yes, there are musical numbers here, but they aren't very interesting, though Garland gives her all to bring them off. In short, this is probably a pleasant movie for those who don't know Shop. For those who do, it's a series of disappointments.

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 material is highly conventional, and the project would have benefited from a more gifted directorial vision. A quality product with remarkable stars--don't expect too much and you'll enjoy it quite a bit. Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

What a charming, little, easy to watch movie this was. Nothing great, nothing heavy or new but simply just great easy entertainment with great performances from Judy Garland, Van Johnson and Buster Keaton in a small but fun role and apparently also Liza Minnelli in an even smaller, and her first role. The story is simple but charming and effective. It's an early version (but not the earliest) of "You've Got Mail". It's not really a musical, just merely a movie that just happen to have some songs in it. The songs are nothing spectacular like you would expect when you hear the word 'musical'. So, if you don't like musical movies this movie might still be very well worth your time as well. Don't let the year it was made in scare you of. This is a movie that doesn't ever get outdated, mainly thanks to its fun and easy to watch, kind of atmosphere. 7/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Given how Judy Garland scored so well in another period piece, Meet Me In St. Louis, it was a natural that she be cast in In The Good Old Summertime even if she was a replacement for June Allyson. It's called serendipity. The film is a musical adaption of MGM's The Shop Around The Corner in which James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan played the anonymous correspondents who love what each other write, but can't stand each other in person. It doesn't help that the two of them are co-workers in a department store. Van Johnson takes the Stewart part in In The Good Old Summertime and early 20th century Budapest is transferred to early 20th century Chicago. Johnson and Garland work in a music store with Spring Byington, Clinton Sundberg, and Buster Keaton and that's owned by S.Z. Sakall. Sakall is far more lovable as he always is than Frank Morgan in the same part in The Shop Around The Corner. A bit thick, but lovable. He does think he has talent on the violin, the same way Jack Benny did on his radio program. He plays it as well as Benny did and even playing it on a Stradivarius doesn't help. Except for one new song, Merry Christmas, the rest of the score is interpolated period favorites like Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland, I Never Knew, I Don't Care and of course the title song. Judy is really in her element doing these numbers. In fact two of the early century's great musical performers, Blanche Ring who introduced In The Good Old Summertime, and Eva Tanguay whose specialty song was I Don't Care, were still alive to see Judy do both of their numbers for the current audience. I've often wondered what they must have thought. Buster Keaton is strangely subdued in this film. He only gets one real comic moment doing a pratfall on a dance floor and breaking a violin in the process. I'm betting some of his material wound up on the cutting room floor. At the very end of the film, little Liza Minnelli all of three at the time made her screen debut. If you like period pieces as I do and the music of the era as I do or if you liked The Shop Around The Corner or the most current adaption of the piece, You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, than you will appreciate and enjoy In The Good Old Summertime. If you do like it, that's a very good sign.

First came "The Shop Around the Corner" with James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. Then "In the Good Old Summertime" with Judy Garland and Van Johnson, a musical remake. Then "She Loves Me", the Broadway musical with Barbara Cook and Daniel Massey based on the earlier version. Then "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks, which by no means was an original story idea but an update of all three previous versions. MGM must have been in an inspired mood when they made this one, with Judy and Van at their best, both playing off each other with great charm and humor. Judy even gets to warble a few wonderful songs ("I Don't Care", "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland", "Play That Barbershop Chord") aside from showing her gift for romantic comedy. The delightful supporting players are Spring Byington, S.Z. Sakall, Buster Keaton and Clinton Sundberg. Garland is a music store clerk corresponding with her unseen pen pal (Van Johnson) who also happens to be her boss. The happy ending features Judy's daughter, Liza, taking her first stroll before the cameras at 2 or so. One of those rare remakes that actually improves upon the original and manages to be just as charming with the addition of music. One of Judy's best--a complete delight. Too bad she and Van Johnson weren't teamed more often.

Back in 1940, Ernst Lubitsch directed the excellent film The Shop Around the Corner. Lubitsch is rightfully famous for his wonderful films, but somehow In the Good Old Summertime exceeds the original. This is rather surprising for me to admit, as I generally am not a big fan of musicals. However, the music never dominates the film, the supporting cast is GREAT (Cuddles Sakall, Spring Byington and Buster Keaton) and the mood of the picture is not as depressing and dark as Lubitsch's. The plot is this: Van Johnson has a pen pal with whom he carries on long and philosophical discussions--and eventually, the letters result in him falling head over heels for this mystery woman. Judy Garland stumbles into the music store where Johnson works and is hired by the owner (Sakall). Almost immediately, Garland and Johnson can't stand each other even though unknown to them, they are each other's pen pal! It may sound a little far-fetched, but it somehow manages to work. PS--this was recently made into the less stellar You've Got Mail. I wasn't as enamored with this re-make, as having BOTH characters emotionally and sexually involved with others during their correspondence seemed a little sleazy.

Quaint would really be the best way to describe this. Mild but colorful reworking of The Shop Around the Corner trades that films exquisite pathos for a sunny tone and loses something in translation but is miles ahead of the travesty that is You've Got Mail. The musical score is full of charming songs from the period socked across by the great Judy although she seems terribly jittery here. Of all her films this is the one where her resemblance to Liza Minnelli is the strongest so it seems fitting that Liza plays her daughter in a bit at the end. As for the rest of the cast, Spring Byington and Cuddles Sakall are cute and well matched in a much more gentle version of the shop keeper and his wife than the original film, but Buster Keaton is almost totally wasted in a small part.