Because of an opinion rendered in a case involving public utilities Judge Hardy gets an offer he can't refuse, counsel to a Congressional committee investigating public utilities. So the whole family gets packed up to Washington, DC where they get exposed to a far more sophisticated crowd.This was a very topical topic in those New Deal years with among other things the founding of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Private utility companies resented being put under a microscope. The president of one such company became a candidate for president, that would be Wendell Wilkie. Audiences watching this on TCM can't appreciate that now in the way that ticket buyers could and did.Judge Hardy's iron integrity and homespun values from Carvel come up against a real DC operator in Jonathan Hale. Even daughter Cecilia Parker who spills some information unknowingly about the investigation gets dragged into a potential scandal.As for Mickey Rooney he gets involved with the French Ambassador's daughter Jacqueline Laurent and at a cotillion he's invited to shows that crowd what swing and the Big Apple is all about. Chaperone Janet Beecher is not amused.In the end the whole family thinks that Carvel is the place for them. They sure went back in time for the next Hardy family feature from MGM.

Third entry in MGM's wonderful Hardy series has Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) taking the family to Washington DC. The Judge has been hired by the federal government to preside over a commission investigating utility monopolies. Soon he learns all about Washington's ugly side when lobbyists use the words of his daughter Marian (Cecilia Parker) to blackmail him. Meanwhile, Andy (Mickey Rooney) falls for a French diplomat's daughter.Lewis Stone is good as the stoic Judge, but Mickey Rooney is the scene stealer. He brings boundless enthusiasm and humor to the picture but he also handles the dramatic moments quite well. He really was one of the all-time greats. In one of the movie's best scenes, he shows a bunch of rich kids how to do the Big Apple. My favorite moments from this series were the great father-son talks Stone and Rooney had. They have a couple here, one where Judge takes Andy to visit Washington landmarks and lectures him on rebellion and another where Andy unintentionally helps a defeated Judge figure out how to fight back against a frame-up.Fay Holden is extremely likable as the somewhat addled Mrs. Hardy. Her best moment comes when she and the Judge talk about a time when Andy had diphtheria as a baby and almost died, followed shortly after by her father passing. These little sentimental moments are the kinds of things MGM did so well, particularly in this series. Cecilia Parker has the unenviable job of playing the most flawed Hardy, Marian. Some modern viewers might like her character the most because she was so flawed but she's easily my least favorite and I can't help but think part of that is due to Parker's performance. Marian and Andy make similar mistakes in this one but where Rooney makes Andy rootable, Parker's Marian comes across as difficult and petulant. Betty Ross Clarke makes the first of two appearances as Aunt Millie. I'm not sure why Sara Haden missed these two but she would return to the cast in Out West with the Hardys. Adorable Ann Rutherford shines in her few scenes ("Don't you ever think of anything else but grabbing people in dark corners and kissing them?"). Nice support from Jonathan Hale and Ruth Hussey as the villainous lobbyists.An enjoyable entry in the series, mixing comedy and drama with a heaping dose of life lessons. Some of the issues examined here are patriotism, insurrection, and putting on airs to impress people. Judge Hardy does a fair amount of soapboxing, per usual. Many today won't care for what he has to say. Heck many back then probably didn't. But these sorts of views, be they old fashioned or not, are never heard in films today. It's one of the many things I find refreshing and even fascinating about this series, and "Louis B. Mayer's America" in general.

As this screenplay (based on characters created by Aurania Rouverol) is credited solely to Kay Van Riper, we now know who to blame for the judge's smart little speeches and his seemingly endless man-to-man talks. In this entry, Judge Hardy is called to Washington (a most unlikely scenario, but we'll let that pass) to head a commission on monopolies (at least that has the right Roosevelt flavor) for the handsome reward of $200 a day! The judge takes his family with him, of course. Mickey falls for a French girl while Marian is given a whirl by the villains, Hale and Hussey. Alas, this promising scenario is all but drowned in such a welter of verbiage, I unhesitatingly nominate this entry as the worst of the series, despite the valiant efforts of its players, and its attractive sets (Stan Rogers) and costumes (Jeanne).As usual, this one was yawnfully directed in a super bland style by George B. (for boring) Seitz.

Judge Hardy and family head to Washington where he and his two children get into trouble. The judge has trouble with the aqueduct situation that first arose in the first Andy Hardy film: A Family Affair. Marion Hardy, Andy's older sister, has romantic trouble with a political hack. Andy gets a crush on a French diplomat's daughter. Andy inadvertently helps the judge solve his own problem when explaining to his dad about his success with girls! Fay Holden frets about her loved ones as Mrs. Hardy. This is a typical, fun family film from the 1930's that is mostly dated today, but it's still entertaining in predictable formula fashion. Mickey Rooney is full of energy again as Andy Hardy, tripping on staircases several times and going bonkers over girls. Ann Rutherford is Polly, and Ruth Hussey has an early role as one of the individuals getting the judge in hot water. The highlight of the film is when Andy "shames" the French diplomat's daughter in front of her tutor, swinging to the "big apple" at a Washington society party for young people. **1/2 of 4 stars.