It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.
This week’s musical:
Little Nellie Kelly (1940) – Musical #238
Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Director:
Norman Taurog
Starring:
Judy Garland, George Murphy, Charles Winninger, Douglas McPhail, Arthur Shields, Rita Page, Forrester Harvey, James Burke, George Watts, Joseph Crehan (uncredited), Milton Kibbee (uncredited), Sidney Miller (uncredited), Addison Richards (uncredited), John Raitt (uncredited), Mel Ruick (uncredited)
Plot:
Nellie (Garland) and Jerry (Murphy) want to marry and move to the United States from their home country of Ireland, but her father Michael (Winninger) doesn’t think Jerry is a proper suitor for his daughter. Nellie goes against her father’s wishes and marries Jerry anyways. All three move to the United States, where they become citizens and build a life, but with Jerry and Michael still at odds. Years later, when Nellie and Jerry’s daughter, little Nellie (also Garland) is a teenager, history repeats itself when Michael once again has strong opinions about the young men in his granddaughter’s life.
Trivia:
• Based on a play written by George M. Cohan, however, much of the stage story wasn’t translated to film and only two songs were used. Cohan’s play opened in New York City on Nov. 13, 1922, and was performed for 248 performances.
• This was considered Judy Garland’s first adult role, as she plays a married woman who gives birth. She also receives her first on-screen kiss in the film from Douglas McPhail.
• First film role of actor, singer John Raitt, who later went on to originate the role of Curly in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical, “Oklahoma!”Raitt plays an uncredited intern in “Little Nellie Kelly.”
• The photos of “Little Nellie Kelly” growing up through childhood are Judy Garland’s childhood photos.
• A few songs were cut from the film including, “Rings on Your Fingers and Bells on Your Toes,” “Danny Boy” and “How Can You Buy Killarney”.
Highlights:
• Judy Garland in a dual role, playing mother and daughter.
• The swing version of “Singin’ in the Rain” performed by Judy Garland.
Notable Songs:
• “St. Patrick was a Gentle Man” performed by Judy Garland
• “Singin’ in the Rain” performed by Judy Garland
• “Nellie is a Darling” performed by Charles Winninger
• “It’s a Great Day for the Irish” performed by Judy Garland and Douglas McPhail
• “A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow” performed by Judy Garland
• “Nelly Kelly I Love You” performed by Douglas McPhail and the chorus
My review:
SPOILER NOTE: Please be advised that I will make mention of a plot point that happens within the first 20 minutes into the movie that could be viewed as a spoiler. If you don’t want the film spoiled for you, I would recommend seeking out this film to watch before reading the review.
This isn’t your average Judy Garland film. When stacked up against her “Let’s put on a show” films with Mickey Rooney, glamorous extravaganzas like ZIEGFELD GIRL or sentimental family films like MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, LITTLE NELLIE KELLY doesn’t align with the rest in the mix of these films.
LITTLE NELLIE KELLY is good and entertaining, but quite different. Parts of the plot are dark, sad or bitter, while other parts are very touching and sweet. At 18-years-old, while Garland brought a depth to every role, she was cast in her first grown up role that allowed her to give a dramatic performance that differed from her other roles.
Judy Garland and George Murphy as Nellie and Jerry
The film follows Nellie Kelly (Garland) who lives in Ireland with her father, Michael Noonan (Winninger). Nellie’s sweetheart, Jerry (Murphy), wants to marry and move to the U.S.A., but her father disapproves of Jerry, saying he would both rather die than leave Ireland or have her marry Jerry. Going against her father’s wishes, Nellie marries Jerry and all three of them go to U.S.A. and eventually become citizens. Even after their marriage, Jerry and Michael Noonan never get alone.
On the same happy day that Jerry is being sworn in as a police officer, Nellie is giving birth to their daughter. While their daughter is healthy, Nellie dies during child birth. Michael helps raise his granddaughter with Jerry, who they name Nellie (Garland also) after her mother. When Nellie grows up to be 17 and has a steady beau (Douglas McPhail), Michael once again opposes the relationship.
Coming off the success of WIZARD OF OZ, when Garland was cast in LITTLE NELLIE KELLY, even MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer opposed to some of the plot points in the script.
“We simply can’t have that baby have a child,” Roger Edens later said Louis B. Mayer said, according to The Judy Room website.
The start of the film is quite sad, especially with Garland giving a wonderful performance as she says goodbye to Jerry, knowing she is dying.
George Murphy later said that the scene made everyone on set emotional. He also said it was one of the “greatest dramatic scenes” he had ever witnessed, Murphy wrote in his autobiography.
While the start of the film is very sad, once Judy’s “Little Nellie Kelly” grows up to age 17, it has a much more light-hearted feel. The second half of the film is filled with livelier songs, like a swing version of “Singin’ in the Rain” and more humor. There are still tender moments, like when Nellie sings a song for her father on her birthday that makes him remember his deceased wife.
I also love the semi-Cinderella storyline where Nellie has to return from a party before midnight … when her grandfather will be released from jail.
Per usual, Judy Garland is excellent. While having the opportunity to play a married woman who dies and a young girl, she adapts between the two characters with ease and it’s believable. My only critique is Garland’s Irish accent may not be the best, but if that’s her only crime, we can let it pass.
I always love to see the underrated George Murphy, and he’s perfect in the role of a caring father. I do wish we could have seen him sing and dance. He only sings once in the film very briefly.
Charles Winningr is also wonderful, per usual. He’s very funny, but he also does a great job of playing a stubborn, ornery old man. I started off liking him but he really got to be unlikable!
My only real complaint is that I wish Garland had a better love interest than Douglas McPhail. McPhail had a brief career at MGM from 1936 to 1942, where he primarily exhibited his excellent singing voice. Sadly, McPhail committed suicide in 1944. I don’t know who I would have preferred to see instead in this film, but I don’t think it would have been Mickey Rooney. It’s also interesting that McPhail only gets to sing twice in the film.
While devoted Judy Garland fans will know this film, I would say that LITTLE NELLIE KELLY (1940) is perhaps still not as well-known as her other films with mainstream or casual fans. However, Garland gives such a great performance and should be better recognized.