''A Family Affair'' is a 1937 American comedy film. It was the first of 16 movies now known as the

Andy Hardy Andrew "Andy" Hardy is a fictional character best known for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer series of 16 films in which he was played by Mickey Rooney. The films were released from 1937 to 1946, except for a final one made in 1958 in an unsuccessful att ...

series, though Andy Hardy, played by

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

, did not become the main character in the series until a few more installments had been made. The movie features

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

as Judge Hardy and

Spring Byington Spring Dell Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971) was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of ''December Bride''. She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player who appeared in ...

as his wife, who are Andy's parents. Barrymore and Byington were replaced in their roles by

Lewis Stone Lewis Shepard Stone (November 15, 1879 – September 12, 1953) was an American film actor. He spent 29 years as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was best known for his portrayal of Judge James Hardy in the studio's popular '' Andy ...

and

Fay Holden Dorothy Fay Hammerton (26 September 1893 – 23 June 1973), known professionally as Fay Holden, was a British-born, American-based actress. She was known as Gaby Fay early in her career. Biography Holden was born in Birmingham, England. After ...

in the subsequent films. In this film, the highly respected judge has to deal with family and political problems. It was based on the 1928 play ''Skidding'' by

Aurania Rouverol Aurania Rouverol (''née'' Ellerbeck; August 13, 1886 – June 23, 1955) was an American writer best known for her play ''Skidding'', in which she created Andy Hardy and his family, who were turned into a popular series of sixteen movies from Me ...

Plot summary

Judge James K. Hardy (

) hopes to be re-elected, but his campaign is put in jeopardy by his opposition to a wasteful public works program. Hardy and his family—wife Emily, adult daughters Joan and Marion, and teenage son Andy (

)—live in Carvel, a small, fictional midwestern American town. Spurned contractor Hoyt Wells and newspaper publisher Frank Redmond swear to block Hardy's re-election campaign. Frank agrees to use his paper, ''The Carvel Star'', to publish disparaging stories about the family. That evening Judge Hardy's daughter Marion returns home from college. Older daughter Joan Hardy Martin moves in as well, after a secret separation from her husband Bill. The family throws a party for returning Marion. At the party they are warned by a ''Star'' gossip columnist that only negative stories are going to be published about the family. Later that night teenaged Andy Hardy reluctantly takes his childhood sweetheart Polly to a party, and is pleasantly surprised by what a beautiful woman she has grown into. Marion has found love in Wayne Trent, an engineer who has come to town to work on the aqueduct. Facing the possibility of her boyfriend losing his job, she questions her father's decision to block the construction. Meanwhile, Joan confesses to her father that she and Bill are separated after she went to a roadhouse with another man. Although the encounter was innocent, Bill was enraged, and they soon separated. ''The Carvel Star'' publishes an article stating that people are calling for Judge Hardy's impeachment. Judge Hardy attempts to bring contempt of court proceeding against the ''Star''.

Cast

as Judge James K. Hardy *

Cecilia Parker Cecilia Parker (April 26, 1914 – July 25, 1993) was a Canadian-born American film actress. She was best known for portraying Marian Hardy, the sister of Andy Hardy in eleven of the Andy Hardy film series. Early life and career Cecilia ...

as Marion Hardy *

Eric Linden Eric Linden (September 15, 1909 – July 14, 1994) was an American actor, primarily active during the 1930s. Early years Eric Linden was born in New York City to Phillip and Elvira (née Lundborg) Linden, both of Swedish descent. His father ...

as Wayne Trent III *

Charley Grapewin Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville and circus performer, a writer, and a stage and film actor. He worked in over 100 motion pictures during the silent and sound eras, most notably portr ...

as Frank Redmond *

as Mrs. Emily Hardy *

Julie Haydon Julie Haydon (born Donella Donaldson, June 10, 1910 – December 24, 1994) was an American Broadway, film and television actress who received second billing as the female lead in the Ben Hecht–Charles MacArthur 1935 film vehicle for Noël ...

as Joan Hardy Martin *

Sara Haden Sara Haden (born Catherine Haden, November 17, 1898 – September 15, 1981) was an American actress of the 1930s through the 1950s and in television into the mid-1960s. She may be best remembered for appearing as Aunt Milly Forrest in 14 entrie ...

as Aunt Milly Forrest *

Allen Vincent Allen Leffingwell Vincent (August 28, 1903 – November 30, 1979) was an American actor and Academy Awards, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. He started as a stage actor in New York City before moving to acting in motion pictures in the late ...

as William Booth Martin *

Margaret Marquis Margaret Alice Marquis (August 19, 1919 – January 19, 1993) was a Canadian-American film actress. Marquis was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Marquis. Personal life On November 1, 1937, Marquis married Universal Studios publicist David c. ...

as Polly Benedict *

Selmer Jackson Selmer Adolf Jackson (May 7, 1888 – March 30, 1971) was an American stage film and television actor. He appeared in nearly 400 films between 1921 and 1963. His name was sometimes spelled Selmar Jackson. Jackson was born in Lake Mills, Iowa an ...

as Hoyt Wells

Original play

The movie was based on the play ''Skidding'' by

Production

The film was made in the wake of the success of ''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'' (1936). Many of the same cast from that movie returned.Article on ''A Family Affair'' at ''Turner Classic Movies''
accessed 15 January 2014

Reception

The film made a profit of $153,000.

References

External links

* * * *
''A Family Affair''
at Andy Hardy Films * {{DEFAULTSORT:Family Affair, A 1937 films American black-and-white films 1937 comedy-drama films American films based on plays Films directed by George B. Seitz Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American comedy-drama films 1930s American films