JUDY GARLAND “GET HAPPY“ (SUMMER STOCK, 1950)

JUDY GARLAND “GET HAPPY“ Though it’s called Summer Stock, this marvelous “let’s put on a show“ musical - the final one that showcased the peerless pair of Judy Garland and Gene Kelly - is a delight for all seasons. The story is simple: a homespun farm family allows a Broadway production company to rehearse its new show on their property - if the performers “pay“ their way by pitching in with all the farm chores! But the pleasures are abundant: a show-stopping, all-star “Battle of the Dances“ that starts out as a square dance and blossoms into a cavalcade of high-stepping dance favorites; Kelly’s marvelous song and later dance to “You, Wonderful You;“ four of the most popular comedic screen actors ever: Phil Silvers, Eddie Bracken, Hans Conried and Marjorie Main; and Garland’s incomparable “Get Happy,“ a smashing sequence that’s one of her peak movie moments.