bkoganbing 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.

utgard14 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.

tavm This was the third in the Hardy family series. It's also the third written by Kay Van Ripper who made an appearance in the trailer of this one with the other cast members in scenes made only for that short theatre ad-a rarity for a writer. In this one, Judge Hardy is invited to Washington, D.C. for a committee hearing so the rest of them come along too. As usual, that means Andy and Marian also meet members of the opposite sex they get smitten with there with most of the emphasis on Andy's courting a French diplomat's pretty daughter. Mickey Rooney is, as always, very funny as Andy and it's sooooo cool seeing him cut the rug here with that French girl! Oh, and Betty Ross Clarke takes over the Aunt Milly role in this and the next installment. Also, while I didn't recognize him here while watching, Jonathan Hale has a role in this as one of the corrupt politicians. Later in the year, he'd begin a regular role as J.C. Dithers in the Blondie series. I'll review those concurrently with these Hardy reviews chronologically by release dates. So on that note, Judge Hardy's Children is another winner in the Hardy series!

atlasmb In the third film in the series, the Hardy family take their act on the road--to Washington D.C. Judge Hardy, being an esteemed jurist, is serving on a commission which is to make a ruling regarding a utility company's monopolistic intentions.Meanwhile, Andy tries to woo the daughter of the French ambassador, under the constant scrutiny of a dedicated chaperone.The capital setting provides an opportunity for Judge Hardy to school Andy in the principles of freedom and democracy (as they were commonly perceived in the thirties).The other Hardy child--Marian (Cecilia Parker)--falls for the sophisticated ways of a questionable crowd, but the judge finds a way to set everything straight, natch.