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The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection:
The Utimate Collectors Edition Review Page
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The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection: The Utimate Collectors Edition is a 4 film, 5-disc boxed set.
The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection: The Utimate Collectors Edition features Mickey and Judy singing, dancing, clowning, and lifting the spirits in the four "backyard musical" extravaganzas that forever cemented their reputation as one of Hollywood's most beloved screen teams. The M-G-M musical classics in this collection, finally making their appearance on DVD, are the duo's most famous and successful teamings: Babes in Arms, Babes on Broadway, Strike Up the Band, and Girl Crazy.
This new five-disc DVD collection also includes a separate Bonus Disc of special features, with nearly three hours of essential viewing for Rooney and Garland fans, including Private Screenings with Mickey Rooney, an in-depth and deeply personal interview, hosted by TCM's Robert Osbourne and the Judy Garland Songbook, an unprecedented collection of 21 Garland movie musical numbers, both famous and rare, spanning nearly 20 years of her amazing screen career, with all songs presented in complete form. The bonus disc also features an extensive Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland trailer gallery.
Each movie in the collection has a newly-filmed, exclusive introduction by Mickey Rooney, as well as vintage comedy shorts, cartoons, and radio promos. Memorabilia that no fan will be able to resist rounds out the set with a portfolio of 20 collectible rare behind-the-scenes photos and a collectible guide to the set, featuring vintage memorabilia, promotional advertising, and other rarities, along with production notes written by noted film historian John Fricke. Fricke also provides commentary on two of the films.
This set follows two previous film musicals sets from Warner Home Video: Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory Volume One and Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory Volume Two. This is the long awaited boxed set of four Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musicals that includes a fifth bonus disc. The contents are as follows as described by a press release from Warner Home Video.
Babes in Arms (1939)
This is the first film the two did together and was adapted from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart Broadway hit of the same name. Busby Berkeley directed the film and also did the choreography. This film is being shown as it was in its initial release in 1939, complete with the minstrel numbers that might seem offensive today and a sequence involving the impersonation of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt that was cut shortly after FDR's death since MGM didn't want to appear disrespectful under the circumstances. The plot is simple - Rooney plays a kid trying to prove his musical talent and therefore decides to put on a show. Garland plays another talented youngster who decides to help him do it.
DVD Special Features:
Strike up the Band (1940)
This one has more of a plot than the first, plus some great music. Rooney plays self-involved musician Jimmy Conners who impresses bandleader Paul Whiteman so much that he offers him a job in New York City. However, a friend's medical emergency makes Rooney choose between his own plans and his friend's health, and he chooses his friend in the end. Rooney's character now has to come up with a way to replace the travel money. Busby Berkeley again provides the choreography and the direction in this film. Highlights include a big Busbv Berkeley production number called "Do The La Conga" and Rooney's "Drummer Boy" sequence. The film also features the Oscar-nominated song "Our Love Affair" and a rousing finale with the Gershwins' title tune.
DVD Special Features:
Babes on Broadway (1941)
Rooney plays Tommy Williams, a singer in a restaurant who wants a shot at Broadway. Garland plays Penny Morris, and Williams uses her interest in orphaned children to come up with the idea of "putting on a show" to send them on a vacation in the country. However, Williams really is only interested in self-promoting his talent, not the orphans. However, in the end, he learns his lesson. Musical highlights include the song "How About You', Rooney's impersonation of Carmen Miranda, and a massive Busby Berkeley finale which was featured in 1974's "That's Entertainment!".
DVD Special Features:
Girl Crazy (1943)
This is the strongest of the four included films. This time Norman Taurog shares direction duties with Busby Berkeley. Here Rooney plays Danny Churchill, a rich college kid that is partying more than he is studying. His father sends him to an all-male college in the middle of nowhere where he can regain his focus. However, Danny does fall for the one eligible female in the hundred mile radius of the school - the dean's granddaughter, Ginger Gray (Garland). Ginger, however, is more concerned that the college is in danger of closing than in Danny's advances. She enlists Danny's help to see that the school stays open. Songs include "Embraceable You," "Fascinating Rhythm," "Bidin' My Time," and a the Garland solo "But Not for Me." Of course there is a huge Busby Berkeley finale done to Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm", with Mickey, Judy, a large supporting cast, and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra.
DVD Special Features:
Finally there is a bonus disc with over three hours of extras that include:
This disc features more than 20 Garland performances spanning 1938 through 1954 as well as 10 trailers for the Garland-Rooney film collaborations & TCM's Robert Osbourne hosting his 'Private Screenings' interview with Rooney. This newest Judy-Mickey collection is no exception, it is a stunningly satisfying experience to read the 48 page (hardback) guide, and the very generous collection of 20 high-quality large postcards in the portfolio binder takes you back almost 70 years to when these films were made.
The hardback book includes reproductions of newspaper advertisements, lobby cards, miniature poster reproductions along with John Fricke's meticulous research and unparallaled knowledge of all-things-Garland lovingly stamped all over this collection before you even pop in the first DVD to watch. It just doesn't get any better for vintage film collectors, in terms of value and content. It's a total explosion for the senses to unwrap this package and take it all in; the extraordinary art design, layout, and such a brilliantly realized concept from the fonts used; to the glossy, higher-quality paper than one would expect in the 'Bonus DVD & Guide' book, this is a first class product all-around that deserves to be a huge success.
Warner Home Video/Turner Entertainment Co. and Mr. Fricke have all outdone themselves with this release. Easily the best value of any boxed set DVD of recent note, which should be used as a blueprint for any (or every!) upcoming DVD release, which so often doesn't include so much as an insert.
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As a special bonus, here are four video clips from this film, Girl Crazy, just click the link:
Car Ride
Car Trouble
No Riders
Pampered Enough
