Assistant director: Tom Andre. Gag consultant: Buster Keaton. Sound recording: Douglas Shearer. Producers: Carey Wilson, Lou L. Ostrow. Copyright 13 July 1938 by Loew's Inc. Presented by Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer. New York opening at the Capitol, 21 July 1938 (ran 2 weeks). U.S. release: 2 July 1938. Australian release: 15 September 1938. 9 reels. 8,199 feet. 91 minutes.SYNOPSIS: A pal asks Andy Hardy to keep the wolves away from his sexy girlfriend.NOTES: Academy Award, Mickey Rooney, best male juvenile of 1938. Douglas McPhail had a major role, but his entire part ended up on the cutting-room floor. Number 9 in The Film Daily annual "Ten Best Pictures" poll of U.S. film critics. Negative cost: approx. $250,000. Initial domestic rental gross: $2 million. Number 4 in the series. COMMENT: Just about all critics regard this one as the best of the series, and it's not hard to realize why. In four words: Judy Garland, Lana Turner.To take Miss Garland first. Counting shorts, this one numbers as her 13th appearance before the cameras. She is an absolute delight. Not only does her personality and singing voice come across remarkably well, but in Lester White's glossy yet muted lighting, she looks most attractive into the bargain. Our only regret that her part was trimmed before release and that two of her songs, "Easy to Love" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen", were jettisoned. She's left with three, but five would have been a real treat, especially as, for once, her voice is so deftly recorded.And now Lana. Counting her work as a race crowd extra in A Star Is Born (1937) in which you can only see the back of her head, Love Finds... marks not only her fifth movie appearance, but the first time she essayed an unsympathetic characterization. She comes over with such astonishing effectiveness you remember her role long after you've forgotten the rest of the plot. True, she's handed some astringent lines, but she makes the most of them (thanks no doubt to off-screen coaching by Mervyn LeRoy to whom she was under personal contract at the time. Lana later acknowledged that LeRoy's guidance in the early stages of her career proved "invaluable").Unfortunately, as with Judy Garland's part, Lana's role has also been shortened in the cutting-room. The movie's emphasis now rests squarely upon Rooney and Stone who either share or are present in just about all the movie's scenes except for some wonderful solo footage involving Judy. Cecilia Parker hardly remains in the movie at all (her romantic involvement with Douglas MacPhail has been completely eliminated) except for an occasional squabble with Andy. And even Fay Holden now finds herself written out of the central action, with not even so much as a single cut to the Canadian setting in which her sick mother apparently recovers like magic.It's interesting that critical enthusiasm for this entry can be evenly divided among contemporary and present-day reviewers. In 1938, no less than 180 critics across the nation voted Love Finds... as the number one movie of the year. In 2017, just about all of us agree that here is the best of the entire 16-picture series. No masterpiece certainly, but Judy and Lana make it well worth watching.

Looking at the credits, one would think this would have been one of the stronger Hardy family films, but it is not. Not saying it's bad, but it's nothing special. Yet, there are the Hardy family, Judy Garland, and a young Lana Turner (filmed during here second year in films when she was sometimes still uncredited or had scenes deleted).Here, Andy (Mickey Rooney) has girl trouble -- too many girls. There's Polly Benedict, a somewhat loose REDHEAD (Lana), and a too young (really?) visitor next door (Judy). Of course, Andy was always having girl trouble...just not so many at one time. And he's trying to buy an old beat-up car. And his grandmother has had a stroke and Mother Hardy has to go to Canada.Why do I say this is not one of the stronger Hardy family films? First off, Andy Hardy is usually portrayed as a fairly nice kid with decent manners. Not here. He treats Judy Garland's character shabbily. He takes advantage of -- for money -- Lana Turner's character. And he's unfaithful to Polly Benedict (while the cat's away the mice will play). Second, I thought I bet Judy Garland will have a couple of swell numbers here. In my estimation, perhaps the worst musical numbers she had in any film.So, for me, I'd say that unless you're intent on watching all the Hardy films, pass this one by.

"Love finds Andy Hardy" is one of the best among three Hardy films. This films greatness is largely helped by Ann Rutherford, Lana Turner, and a wonderful young Judy Garland. Judy is the girl who adds the sweet wonder to so many of her films with her innocence, her passion, her beauty, and that voice of an angel. Judy's "I'm just an in between" is tear jerking. It makes me so frustrated with Andy for hurting her feelings. Lana Turner is also beautiful and charming as Andy's friend Siggy's girl when Siggy promises Andy $8 for pretending to go out with her to keep the other fellas away. Ann Rutherford is the other beautiful, charming gal. Fellas, gals. I just love the way young people talked back then, such a far cry away from the way they talk today. It was such a nicer, more innocent world. Anyway, Andy wants to buy a car but he only has twelve bucks out of the $20 he needs for it. Siggy promises Andy the other $8 if he keeps the other fellas away from Lana. Meanwhile, Ann, Andy's usual girl, is going out of town for a couple weeks. But we still get a couple of sweet scenes with her, including a touching scene with her and Andy when she's returned and found out what's been going on. The scenes with Judy are wonderful, as always with Judy in her films, including the soda shop. Judy and Andy then both act in such a good wholesome way that no one would ever see young people acting today. How much of a heart of gold does this girl have, when so kindly offering to give Andy the $8 he needs. Andy declines it, but that is understandable being a gentleman in those days. But still, Judy's offers, she is so pure and full off true goodness. And she offers to give Andy the $8 too, not lend it. $8 in 1938 was equal to over $100 today. And then Andy ignores Judy, and she sings her "In between" with tears. It is sad but Judy didn't understand that she was just too young. Andy's dad Judge Hardy also has some good scenes while at work, and with the family. Judge Hardy and son also have their heart to heart, a common theme of the Hardy films. There's also some sadness with a family member getting a stroke. I often wonder why human beings are so enormously different today than they were back then. Just saying "the times have changed" isn't enough. Its also this: nearly every person that was around back then is now gone, except a percentage of the very elderly, all over 80, and they were only the small children back then. And just about everyone in the world today, except those over 80 years old, didn't exist yet back then. People haven't changed, it's just different people.

Polly Benedict is leaving poor Andy alone for Christmas. Andy is also short the money he needs to buy a car from Mr. Dugan. So, for a fee, Andy agrees to date his friend Beezy's girl (Lana Turner) while he's away. The plan is that Andy will date her to keep other guys away, then when Beezy returns Andy will dump her and she'll go back to Beezy. At the same time, a slightly younger girl (Judy Garland) has moved in next door. She falls for Andy (naturally) but Andy sees her as just a kid. As usual, things start to go wrong for Andy and he has to have one of those famous talks with Judge Hardy.The regulars are all pitch-perfect. The writing is great, managing to juggle several plot lines, big & small, and tie them all together nicely. Of course, what would an Andy Hardy movie be without the lovely girls that were always infatuated with him? Here we have the ever-adorable Ann Rutherford, a beautiful and fun young Lana Turner, and the immensely likable Judy Garland in her first of three Andy Hardy appearances. She gets to sing too and is terrific, as one would expect. Highly enjoyable entry in the series. One of the best.