Of interest only to die-hard Garland fans. The story is a mish-mash between "42nd Street" and the Andy Hardy series. The musical numbers--with the exception of the finale--filmed as an afterthought--completely forgettable. I don't wish to be mean here, because I love MGM musicals, and in particular Judy Garland musicals, but this picture is nowhere up to the standard of what MGM was making at the time, nor what Garland would become in her signature musicals. I've watched this picture twice now, so I don't think I can attribute these comments to a bad evening. Let's just say, Miss Garland and the MGM musical wwnt on to legendary triumphs past this film.

The film itself is a lopsided affair with some heart and decent performances. It also features the Bob Crosby and Tommy Dorsey orchestras in a couple of notable musical sequences. Although this is Judy Garland's show, MGM strangely showcases operatic star Martha Eggerth a little too much and her presence mostly drags the film into headache territory. Thank God Garland makes up for it with a couple of terrific numbers of her own that show off her flair for comedy as well as singing and dancing.The story doesn't hit target centre overall but it's not terrible and things do move at a nice pace, and Van Heflin turns in his usual capable performance. Garland simply outshines the material and it's a shame the writers missed so many opportunities for a more balanced and meaningful story.Not a great film, or maybe even one of Garland's best, but she's great in it and her fans won't be disappointed.

Lily Mars, a smalltown girl living in Indiana, dreams of making it big on Broadway and her aspirations are given a lift when successful Broadway producer John Thornway returns to his hometown for a visit. Lily tries everything she can to get Thornway to notice her, but he just gets annoyed with her antics. When Thornway goes back to New York to stage his show, Lily follows (unknown to John of course) and Thornway eventually gives her a small role in his next show, only as a favor to her family, however Thornway starts to fall for this young girl and a romance blossoms, which makes the show's leading lady, Isabel Rekay, jealous. When Isabel gets fed up with the John-Lily romance causing friction with the show, she leaves, and John decides to make Lily the star. Isabel returns later, and Thornway is forced to tell Lily that she is back to her small bit role in the play, which also may jeopardize the romance. Very charming film, and a refreshing change to see Garland put the comedic touches into her role (her reading of Lady MacBeth, while supposed to be humorous, never threatened her singing career) I enjoyed Heflin's character (Thornway) more when he was annoyed with Lily rather than be the romantic. The film got to be somewhat predictable and the scenes weren't assembled that well together, but a very enjoyable film. Rating, 7.

First of all, she never looked better... sort of the apotheosis of all that evil energy MGM spent in turning Frances Gumm into Judy Garland. Blondish (and not a wig), thin (but not too thin), energized and comic (working her mannerisms rather than the reverse), and she sounds great. Moreover, Hollywood and Tarkington were made for each other, and the payoff works here as well. Clever americana, with truly inspired set pieces surrounding Judy's attempts to get "discovered" by "local boy makes good" producer, Heflin.The tacked-on, mega-production ending is a real clunker and can leave a bad aftertaste. Avoid the ending if you can pull yourself away. But for this grandiose, ill-fitting finale, an almost perfect Garland musical and as good as she gets (which is the best singing actress ever to grace the screen).One more point in Garland's favor: she plays the perfect "straight man" in two comic scenes with her on screen younger sister. Given Garland's reputation, let alone the instincts of any actor not to be upstaged, one can't but admire her generosity. Her self-confidence and generosity in these scenes make the film that much funnier and stronger.