''Andy Hardy's Private Secretary'' is a 1941 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

George B. Seitz George Brackett Seitz (January 3, 1888 – July 8, 1944) was an American playwright, screenwriter, film actor and director. He was known for his screenplays for action serials, such as '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1914) and ''The Exploits of ...

and starring

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 ...

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

Kathryn Grayson Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was an American actress and coloratura soprano. From the age of 12, Grayson trained as an opera singer. She was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ...

Ann Rutherford Therese Ann Rutherford (November 2, 1917 – June 11, 2012) was a Canadian-born American actress in film, radio, and television. She had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the An ...

and Fay Holden. It was the tenth of the 16-film

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 main film series was released from 1937 to 1946, with a final film made in 1958 in an unsuccessfu ...

series. Marian Hardy ( Cecelia Parker) does not appear in this film.

Plot

A week from the end of

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

, Andy (

) is keenly anticipating his graduation, but is putting more effort into running the various student committees – most of which he chairs – than studying for his examinations. His father, honorable judge Hardy (

) learns that Andy has been giving money for tuition to a fellow student, a girl named Kathryn Land (

). Judge Hardy also learns that Kathryn's father is poor. On his father's advice, Andy attempts to offload some of his own study work, and asks Kathryn Land to be his private

secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

, much to the chagrin of his steady girlfriend Polly Benedict (

). Polly gets quite jealous of Kathryn when she discovers that Andy's bought stockings for Kathryn to wear at graduation. Kathryn's brother Harry (

Todd Karns Roscoe Todd Karns (January 15, 1921 – February 5, 2000) was an American actor. He is perhaps best remembered for playing George Bailey's younger brother, Harry Bailey, in the 1946 film '' It's a Wonderful Life''. Early life Karns was the ...

) takes on the task of designing decorations for the graduation ceremony. The father, a down-on-his-luck international travel expert, is helped by Judge Hardy's connections in the US State Department to find a better job. While Andy is struggling with his English exams, Kathryn's brother Harry proves to be quite the scholar, showing no problems at all with his exams. Andy is devastated when he miserably fails his English examination, which means he cannot graduate. He admits his failure to the class and resigns from all committee work. Kathryn and Harry's father is offered a job in South America, which would mean money, but also that the family would have to leave before graduation was completed for the siblings. Andy wants them both to graduate, and "helps" them out by editing the telegram to the father about the date for traveling to the south, letting them stay a few days longer. Andy's attempt to help his friends attend commencement results in another disaster — the father's job offer is rescinded. But his friends persuade the school

principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

that the school rules allow him to retake the exam, given his high quality work during the past year. He passes – but only just. All ends well, of course. Andy graduates and is given a new car by his father; Kathryn sings at the ceremony, Harry wins the Governor's Prize and is offered a job, and their impoverished father Steven Land ( Ian Hunter) gets a job as a court interpreter.

Cast

as Judge Hardy *

as Andy Hardy * Fay Holden as Mrs. Hardy *

as Polly Benedict *

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 of the ...

as Aunt Milly Forrest *

as Kathryn Land * Ian Hunter as Steven V. Land *

Gene Reynolds Eugene Reynolds Blumenthal (April 4, 1923 – February 3, 2020) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He was one of the developers and producers of the TV series '' M*A*S*H''. Early life Reynolds was born on April 4, 1923 ...

as Jimmy McMahon * George Breakston as "Beezy" *

as Harry Land *

Addison Richards Addison Whittaker Richards, Jr. (October 20, 1902 – March 22, 1964) was an American actor of film and television. Richards appeared in more than 300 films between 1933 and his death in 1964. Biography A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Richard ...

as Mr. Benedict *

Margaret Early Margaret Early (December 25, 1919 – November 29, 2000) was an American film actress who was active in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. She is best remembered for her endearing Southern charm. Life and career Born on Christmas Day 191 ...

as Clarabelle Lee * Bertha Priestley as Susan Wiley *

Joseph Crehan Joseph A. Creaghan (July 15, 1883 – April 15, 1966) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1916 and 1965, and notably played Ulysses S. Grant nine times between 1939 and 1958, most memorably in ''Union Paci ...

as Peter Dugan *

Lee Phelps Lee Phelps (born Napoleon Bonaparte Kukuck; May 15, 1893 – March 19, 1953) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 600 films between 1917 and 1953, mainly in uncredited roles. He also appeared in three films that won the Acade ...

as Barnes * John Dilson as Mr. Davis * Charles Smith as Bob (uncredited)

Reception

''Andy Hardy's Private Secretary'' was the tenth most popular film at the US box office in 1941. According to MGM records it earned $1,526,000 in the US and Canada and $876,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $1,334,000.

Music

* :46Voices of Spring trauss(sung by Kathryn Grayson) * :26Graduation March * :27Ardon gl'incensi (Mad Scene from the opera LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR by G. Donizetti, sung by Kathryn Grayson) * :31I've Got My Eyes on You orter(sung by Kathryn Grayson)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Andy Hardy's Private Secretary 1941 films 1941 comedy films American coming-of-age comedy films American high school films American black-and-white films Films directed by George B. Seitz Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films with screenplays by Jane Murfin 1940s coming-of-age comedy films 1940s high school films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films