Andy Hardy's Private Secretary

Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941)

** (out of 4)

Drawn-out tenth entry in the series finds Andy Hardy (Mickey Rourke) messing up some school banking records so his father (Lewis Stone) recommends him hire a poor girl (Kathryn Grayson) as his secretary. With Andy having so many things going on his loses site of some of his school work and ends up failing his final test, which means he won't be able to graduate. While all of this is going on the Judge is trying to get the poor girl's father a job but Andy manages to mess this up as well. This tenth entry doesn't have the greatest reputation but I actually enjoyed it less than many other reviews I've read. I don't think it's a horrible movie but at the same time it's missing the laughs and drama that the best films in the series have going for them. I think the biggest problem is the screenplay, which just seemed to have too much going on and the issues on hand just seem extremely forced on the viewer. The film starts off with Andy getting a lesson on what it's like to be poor but of course the Judge steps in and soon the poor family are on the path of a great life. Then, out of no where, Andy messes up and costs the family the job. We then flash towards another drama as Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) is forced to ruin Andy's future and life by failing him. I'm sure many might be willing to believe that the Aunt would fail Andy but I must admit that I really, really hated this entire subplot. I'm sure the film was trying to show the Aunt as an honest person by failing her own nephew but I still had a very hard time believing that she would do this. It's clear from previous films that the family is letting her stay with them and not for a second did I believe that she'd be willing to ruin her nephew's entire life over one single test. I also didn't care too much for the plot involving the father's search for a job because it seems the screenplay was just using it as a way to get Rooney and Grayson together. As you'd expect, Rooney and Stone are at the top of their game here as both deliver fine performances. Ian Hunter nearly steals the film as the girl's brother who is fighting for a scholarship and we get Fay Holden in one scene as mother. Ann Rutherford is fun as usual as the one and only Polly. ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY isn't a really bad movie but at the same time I've come to expect more than what's offered up here.