Little Nellie Kelly

1940 Film - Musical Comedy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Directed by Norman Taurog. Judy Garland fresh after The Wizard of Oz performs her only on-screen death scene early in the proceedings of Little Nellie Kelly and what a tear-jerking scene it is. But despair not! Garland soon reappears as the daughter of the character she was playing in the film's first reels that were set in Ireland. Now a girl of 20, Garland has fallen in love with Douglas McPhail, much to the dismay of her father George Murphy (who later became a United States Senator) and Grandfather (Charles Winninger). However, Murphy and Winninger are too much at odds with each other to give proper attention to Garland. Going into her Miss Fixit act, Garland patches up the differences between pop and grandpop, and gets to keep her beau in the bargain. Based on the stage play by Irish American George M. Cohan, Little Nellie Kelly affords Judy Garland ample opportunity to sing a swing version of "Singin' in the Rain", as well as several newer songs, including the traditional "A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" with an updated swing delivery and two entertaining production numbers one at the New York City Policman's Ball which shows Garland off at her prettiest and the other written especially for Garland to belt out by Roger Edens, "It's A Great Day for the Irish" that is set while marching up New York's famed 5th Avenue during the St. Patrick's Day Parade. This song became one of Garland's biggest hits. Overall an entertaining movie because of Garland and the other cast's performances, patriotic and a bit thick with sentimental blarney but great to watch on St. Patrick's Day. Songs cut from the film include: "Rings on Your Fingers and Bells on Your Toes" (used later in Garland's Babes on Broadway film, "Danny Boy" and "How Can You Buy Killarney". Also starring Arthur Shields and Douglas McPhail. The early part of the film set in Ireland is quite similar to the story line of The Quiet Man based on the short story by Maurice Walsh e.g. man wants to marry pretty local girl but the father strongly objects and the fight continues. Black & White.

Related Topics:
1940 - Musical - Comedy - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Norman Taurog - Judy Garland - The Wizard of Oz - Ireland - George Murphy - United States Senator - Irish American - George M. Cohan - Sing - Traditional - New York City - Roger Edens - 5th Avenue - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Movie - Blarney - St. Patrick's Day - Babes on Broadway - Arthur Shields - Douglas McPhail - The Quiet Man - Maurice Walsh

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