Synopsis:
In this musical remake of "The Shop Around the Corner," feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals.
Starring:
Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S.Z. Sakall, Spring Byington, Clinton Sundberg, Buster Keaton, Marcia Van Dyke, and Lillian Bronson
Genre:
Musical, Comedy, Romance
Premiered:
July 22, 1949 - Theatrical (United States)
🎄 2021 Christmas Binge Watch Movie #91 🎄
Despite the title of this movie it is mostly centered in and around Christmas time. Judy Garland sings Merry Christmas therefore it totally counts as a Christmas movie. 'In the Good Old Summertime' is a quasi musical remake of the 1940 film 'The Shop Around the Corner' which starred James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. That film was based upon the 1937 play 'Parfumerie.' Side note, for viewers who might not be familiar with these older films, this was remade again for the third time recently-ish in 1998 starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, 'You've Got Mail.'
To stand out from the original a name change was in order. It was now set in turn-of-the-century Chicago and not 1930's Budapest. The names of characters are also changed. Other then that it's pretty much the same. These two work together, they don't like each other, and the dude figures out their secret penpals and works his magic to make his once greatly disliked co-worker look at him in a new light. True love blooms. I haven't seen this movie since I was a kid, and I'd probably seen it way before I ever watched 'The Shop Around the Corner.' It was a good rewatch, felt like I was rediscovering it again. It's not one of the strongest musicals to come out of MGM for that era, but there's a whimsical charm to the film and it's quite enjoyable. I think out of the three film iterations of this play this movie falls defiantly in the number three spot, with the original at number one and 'You've Got Mail' in the number two slot. Judy Garland is at her best here, she sounds great, it's a pleasure to watch her perform. Van Johnson gives a solid performance, and I love the last shot of this movie, with the two of them together. It is so sexy for its time. At least for me. Van Johnson and Garland work very well together. The supporting cast is stellar, they really are the stand outs of this movie. The sets and costumes are the type of grandness you'd expect from an MGM film of this era. I just wish there were more musical numbers as is it doesn't really feel like a full blown musical. Buster Keaton was originally hired as gag writer for this movie, but eventually the powers that be realized he was the only one who could pull off that stunt. The man can destroy a priceless violin like no other. He's very funny, and you'd expect nothing less from Buster Keaton. This was the first film Keaton appeared in for the studio since they fired him in 1933, though he had become a gag writer for them since the early forties. Keep your eye out for the little girl at the end of the movie cause it's Liza Minnelli's first screen appearance. I think she was all of three years old.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
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