Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Excellent, a Must See

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Copyright 8 May 1937 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. New York opening at the Rialto, 19 April 1937. U.S. release: 19 March 1937. 8 reels. 6,202 feet. 68 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Carvel, Idaho. Judge Hardy inflames his fellow townsmen when he issues an injunction stopping construction work on a major aqueducts project.NOTES: Aurania Rouverol's second stage play, "Skidding", won the Drama League Prize of Pasadena, California, in 1926. It opened on Broadway at the Bijou on 21 May 1928, with Carleton Macy, Clara Blandick, Louise Carter, Charles Eaton, Marguerite Churchill and Walter Abel in the parts of Judge Hardy, Mrs Hardy, Aunt Milly, Andy Hardy, Marian Hardy and Wayne Trent III (sic.), respectively. In addition, the play featured a Grandpa Hardy (Burr Caruth) and two married daughters, Estelle (Isabel Dawn) and Myra (Joan Madison). For the screen version, Grandpa was eliminated and the two married daughters combined. Despite not overly enthusiastic reviews, the play ran a mightily impressive 469 performances. The film rights were bought by MGM, re- titled "A Family Affair", and brought in under a strict budget by the studio's "B" unit, using a screenplay that considerably altered the plot, while retaining the philosophic emphases of the original. Thus was born the most successful series in movie history. Domestic (including Canadian) theater grosses up to 1946: a staggering $73 million.Academy Award to MGM for "its achievement in representing the American Way of Life". (Presented at the 1942 Awards.)COMMENT: The first installment of the Hardy family proves more watchable than some of the others, despite a spurious sub-plot about Joan, the judge's daughter, being left high and dry by her churlish husband. Would you believe, this verbally abused dishrag of a girl actually wants her boorish spouse to forgive her for allowing an admirer to steal a kiss during a meal at a roadhouse? And even more irritatingly unbelievable, the smarmy old male chauvinist judge doesn't sympathize with his browbeaten daughter at all. Instead, he puts in his two cracker-barrel cents for her bullying husband. The hypocritical old coot seems determined to antagonize not only the good citizens of Carvel, but the audience as well. Fortunately, he has more success with the main plot when it turns out that the town's savior developers are not the godsends they appear. Nonetheless, a man of balance and sense would have voiced his concerns from the very beginning. Instead, the judge is portrayed as an obstinate stickler/spoiler who sets out to justify his actions for no other reason than sheer cussedness. He happens to stumble across a "joker" in the contract by sheer chance — and an extremely outside chance at that. What would he have done if the developers hadn't over-reached themselves?For additional comments, see my review of "You're Only Young Once".

"A Family Affair" takes us back to a less complicated time in America. It's sobering to see how different everything was back then. It was a more innocent era in our country and we watch a 'functional' family dealing in things together. The film also marks the beginning of the series featuring the Hardy family.The film, directed by George Seitz, is based on a successful play. Judge James Hardy, and his wife Emmily, are facing a domestic crisis that must be dealt with. Married daughter Joan comes home after she has committed a social blunder and her husband holds her responsible. At the same time, another daughter, Marion, brings home a beau, who is clear will clash with her father. The happy teen ager Andy, seems to be the only one without a problem until his mother makes him escort Polly to the dance, something he is reluctant to do.Needless to say, Judge Hardy will prove why he knows best as he puts a plan into action to get everyone together again. After all, he is a man that understands, not only the law, but how to deal with those outside forces that threatens his standing in the community and what will make his family happy.Lionel Barrymore plays Judge Hardy with conviction. He is the glue that holds everything together. Spring Byington is seen as Emily, the mother. Mickey Rooney has a small part in this film, but he is as always, fun to watch. Cecilia Parker and Julie Haydon appeared as the daughters, Marion and Joan. Sara Hayden and Margaret Marquis are also featured in the film as Aunt Milly and Polly, the girl that surprises Andy with her beauty."A Family Affair" is a good way to observe our past through the positive image painted of an American family.

This film is historically notable as the first Andy Hardy film; it's based on an original stage play. It's also part of the first film series that purports to portray the "nuclear" family. Lionel Barrymore is Judge Hardy, the role later made famous by Lewis Stone, and Spring Byington is Mrs. Hardy, the role later played by Fay Holden. Mickey Rooney is seen little as Andy Hardy in this film. The formula was not yet quite in place in this first film for the Hardy family. The story concerns Judge Hardy being blackmailed to remove himself from reelection. Along the way, the judge makes things right with his family and the townsfolk in typical 1930's, righteous, patriarchal fashion. Lionel Barrymore was too good an actor to remain in B-movie fare such as this, and did not return for any of the sequels that followed. The film is a typical example of a Depression era, feel-good, comedy of small town family life. It's mostly dated now, but it's not without its funny moments. **1/2 of 4 stars.

This was a charming movie which I unfortunately tuned into half way through, shown on Turner Classic Movies in the wee hours on May 19, 2004. I'll look for it again and tape it. I was surprised to see Lionel Barrymore as Judge Hardy. Very creditable performance. Probably he wasn't used again in the resultant series because of his ill health, but I'm just guessing. It was indeed a treat to see pre-December Bride Spring Byngton (how many of you readers can name her co-stars in that sit com?). And who can name the Western series she was featured in some 40 years ago? I digress. Turner has just started Judge Hardy's Children with Lewis Stone taking his rightful place as Judge Hardy. It's 4:32 am and I think I'm hooked on the students of Carvel High. Check out A Family Affair, you'll like it. Ted Turner must own the rights, so how about an Andy Hardy DVD box?