Life Begins for Andy Hardy

Number ten in MGM's heart-warming (and immensely profitable) "Andy Hardy" series was the 1941 entry Life Begins for Andy Hardy . Upon his graduation from high school, Andy ( Mickey Rooney ) decides to seek his fortune in New York City without benefit of a college education, much to the consternation of his father Judge Hardy ( Lewis Stone ). Moving to the Big Apple, Andy lands a job in a stockbroker's office, where he falls in love (at least he thinks it's love) with fickle telephone operator Jennitt Hicks ( Patricia Dane ). Alas, Andy is unable to cope with life in the fast lane, but it takes the combined efforts of his father and his hometown sweetie Betsy Booth ( Judy Garland ) to convince him of this fact. For reasons that defy logic, each of Judy Garland 's four songs in Life Begins for Andy Hardy were cut from the final release print. — Hal Erickson