''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry'' is a 1937 American

musical comedy film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as break ...

directed by Alfred E. Green and starring

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 ...

and

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

in their first film together.

Plot

Cricket West is a hopeful actress with a pair of vocal cords that bring down the house. Her eccentric aunt runs a boarding house for the local jockeys, whose leader is the cocky but highly skilled Timmie Donovan, famous for his daring come-from-behind wins in the stretch. Into their lives comes Sir Peter Calverton and his young grandson Roger Calverton, who are titled but cash poor with only one asset, a prize-winning stakes horse called The Pookah. Donovan's the best there is at his profession, but he is fatally compromised because his no-good gambler of a father, Charles D. Brown, pretending he is at death's door, extorts a pledge from Donovan to throw the prep race The Pookah is running in, in order to obtain cash for a "cure". Donovan does it but then is warned by the stewards that they're suspicious of his actions. When The Pookah loses the race, the stress is too much for Sir Peter, and he dies of a heart attack. Roger doesn't have the money to enter The Pookah in The Cup, and plans to sell him. But Cricket tracks down Donovan, who has an attack of conscience and snatches the entrance fee from his conniving father. Roger wins the American Cup and Donovan's father is arrested.

Cast

as Timmie Donovan *

as Cricket West * Sophie Tucker as Mother Ralph * C. Aubrey Smith as Sir Peter Calverton * Ronald Sinclair as Roger Calverton *

Forrester Harvey Forrester Harvey (27 June 1884 – 14 December 1945) was an Irish film actor. Career From 1922 until his death year Harvey appeared in more than 115 films. He was credited for about two-thirds of his film appearances, but some of his roles ...

as Wilkins * Charles D. Brown as 'Click' Donovan * Frankie Darro as 'Dink' Reid *

Henry Kolker Joseph Henry Kolker (November 13, 1874 – July 15, 1947) was an American stage and film actor and film director, director. Early years Kolker was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1874. (Some sources say 1870.) He came to America at age five and w ...

as 'Doc' Godfrey * Helen Troy as Hilda * Francis X. Bushman as Racing Steward (uncredited) *

Robert Homans Robert Edward Homans (November 8, 1877 – July 28, 1947) was an American actor who entered films in 1923 after a lengthy stage career. Life and career Robert Homans was born November 8, 1877, in Malden, Massachusetts. Although he studied ...

as Police Officer Higgins (uncredited)

Production

Following the sensational audience reaction to Judy Garland singing "

You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It) "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revue '' The Honeymoon Express'' (1913), and used in the ...

" to a picture of

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

in '' Broadway Melody of 1938'' (1937), Garland was rushed into shooting two films back to back, this and the more musically elaborate '' Everybody Sing'', which was held for later release in 1938. This was the first film to team Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

Arthur Freed Arthur Freed (September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was an American lyricist and a Hollywood film producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture twice, in 1951 for ''An American in Paris'' and in 1958 for '' Gigi''. Both films were musicals ...

and

Nacio Herb Brown Ignacio Herbert "Nacio Herb" Brown (February 22, 1896 – September 28, 1964) was an American composer of popular songs, movie scores and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. Amongst his most enduring work is the sc ...

wrote two songs for Garland, but only one, "Got A Pair of New Shoes", made it into the final film. "Sun Showers" was also recorded by Garland, which still survives today."Sun Showers" (outtake from film) on YouTube
/ref> Ronald Sinclair substitutes for

Freddie Bartholomew Frederick Cecil Bartholomew (March 28, 1924 – January 23, 1992), known for his acting work as Freddie Bartholomew, was an English-American child actor who was very popular in 1930s Hollywood films. His most famous starring roles are in '' Cap ...

, for whom this role was originally intended, but whose voice had changed, according to accounts later told by Judy Garland. The chemistry between Mickey and Judy was readily apparent in this film and MGM would team them several more times until '' Words and Music'' in 1948. The film features a cameo appearance from Frankie Darro as Dink Reid.

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $426,000 in the US and Canada and $305,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $29,000.

References

External links