Good concept, poorly executed.

An Exercise In Nonsense

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Because of an opinion rendered in a case involving public utilities Judge Hardy gets an offer he can't refuse, counsel to a Congressional committee investigating public utilities. So the whole family gets packed up to Washington, DC where they get exposed to a far more sophisticated crowd.This was a very topical topic in those New Deal years with among other things the founding of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Private utility companies resented being put under a microscope. The president of one such company became a candidate for president, that would be Wendell Wilkie. Audiences watching this on TCM can't appreciate that now in the way that ticket buyers could and did.Judge Hardy's iron integrity and homespun values from Carvel come up against a real DC operator in Jonathan Hale. Even daughter Cecilia Parker who spills some information unknowingly about the investigation gets dragged into a potential scandal.As for Mickey Rooney he gets involved with the French Ambassador's daughter Jacqueline Laurent and at a cotillion he's invited to shows that crowd what swing and the Big Apple is all about. Chaperone Janet Beecher is not amused.In the end the whole family thinks that Carvel is the place for them. They sure went back in time for the next Hardy family feature from MGM.

In the third film in the series, the Hardy family take their act on the road--to Washington D.C. Judge Hardy, being an esteemed jurist, is serving on a commission which is to make a ruling regarding a utility company's monopolistic intentions.Meanwhile, Andy tries to woo the daughter of the French ambassador, under the constant scrutiny of a dedicated chaperone.The capital setting provides an opportunity for Judge Hardy to school Andy in the principles of freedom and democracy (as they were commonly perceived in the thirties).The other Hardy child--Marian (Cecilia Parker)--falls for the sophisticated ways of a questionable crowd, but the judge finds a way to set everything straight, natch.

Judge Hardy and family head to Washington where he and his two children get into trouble. The judge has trouble with the aqueduct situation that first arose in the first Andy Hardy film: A Family Affair. Marion Hardy, Andy's older sister, has romantic trouble with a political hack. Andy gets a crush on a French diplomat's daughter. Andy inadvertently helps the judge solve his own problem when explaining to his dad about his success with girls! Fay Holden frets about her loved ones as Mrs. Hardy. This is a typical, fun family film from the 1930's that is mostly dated today, but it's still entertaining in predictable formula fashion. Mickey Rooney is full of energy again as Andy Hardy, tripping on staircases several times and going bonkers over girls. Ann Rutherford is Polly, and Ruth Hussey has an early role as one of the individuals getting the judge in hot water. The highlight of the film is when Andy "shames" the French diplomat's daughter in front of her tutor, swinging to the "big apple" at a Washington society party for young people. **1/2 of 4 stars.

Judge hardy, still wrangling over the Carvel Aquaduct project is sent to Washington D.C. and of course is joined by his family. Andy has girl trouble (surprise?) and sister Marion is led on by a political hack. Nothing here that a "man to man talk" can't fix!! Of course it is all good fun.