Best movie ever!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

George M. Cohan has the last laugh on me. His hit Broadway musical Little Nellie Kelly was adapted into a film in 1940, and I almost turned it off. Judy Garland with an Irish accent? Charles Winninger as her stubborn, unreasonable, ridiculously Irish father? I thought I was in for 98 minutes of silliness. It turns out, Little Nellie Kelly almost made me cry! It's a very touching story, a perfect movie to rent on St. Patrick's Day or Father's Day.Charles Winninger is extremely stubborn and protective over his only child, Judy Garland. When George Murphy wants to court her, Charles forbids it. When she and George marry, he practically disowns her. He's going to seem outrageous at that part of the movie, and you'll think to yourself, "I hope he doesn't have a big part in the movie." Well, he does have a big part in the movie. Don't let the silly title fool you; this is a heavy family affair. It shows how fathers cope with the transition from daughter to woman, and the impact a stubbornness or hatred can have on the younger generation.I don't want to tell you too much more about the plot, but I recommend you rent it if father-daughter movies make you cry. You won't believe it at the start, but Charles becomes a relatable character, and when George becomes a father himself, he gives a very good performance. Judy gets less irritating as the film progresses, and during the title song, she gets dolled up and dressed in a gorgeous gown by Dolly Tree, looking prettier than she's ever looked.So, call your dad and invite him over for lunch and a movie. Even if you don't cry, I guarantee he will!

When the film begins, Nellie (Judy Garland) is living with her father, Michael (Charles Winninger), in Ireland. Inexplicably, Michael is against Nellie marrying Jerry Kelly (George Murphy)--and the reason for this is never explained in the film. Soon after Jerry and Nellie marry, they head to America--and Michael follows (even though he vowed never to leave Ireland). Then, Michael moves in with them--though this makes no sense. Michael refuses to talk to Jerry and is a nasty old b--, I mean, 'jerk'. Later, Nellie dies during childbirth--and still Michael won't talk to Jerry---yet he continues to live with him! The child, also called Nellie, grows up to be...Judy Garland!! Yes, Judy plays both her mother and daughter--a bad Hollywood cliché. And, during all this time, STILL Michael won't talk to Jerry--yet is allowed to live with them. Considering all the divisiveness caused by Michael, the film made no sense--Jerry SHOULD have thrown the old jerk out long ago. Oh, and did I mention that Michael refuses to get a job and doesn't work for decades?! Overall, he's a terribly written and completely unsympathetic character who seemed to take pleasure in ruining his daughter's and granddaughter's lives. He really needed to be written better--a serious weakness in the film AND people in the film shouldn't have put up with his abusiveness. He should have been written as a lovable grouch--instead he comes off as a nasty creep who you want to see get hit by a bus or beaten to death by all the people this nightmare of a character insults during the course of the film!!! It's a shame because Winninger's boorish character completely overpowers Garland's nice performance. At only 18, she is very poised--especially when playing the mother. And, while I didn't love the song selection, she did a great job. This film didn't seem to hurt her career any--but it SHOULD have been a much better showcase for her amazing talents, not a showcase for poor writing and a hateful character.By the way, although it didn't hurt the film any, George Murphy's Irish accent was amazingly absent. With a name like Murphy, you'd have thought he could have done better. Additionally, on a sad note, Judy's love interest later in the film, Dennis (Douglas McPhail), killed himself just a few years after making this picture. He had an incredible voice.

Not a great movie, by any means, but with judicious use of your fast forward button, you can enjoy a delectable performance by Judy Garland, both as actress and singer. Up to this point in her career--with the exception of "The Wizard of Oz"- -Judy Garland had been playing second fiddle to Mickey Rooney pretty much non-stop. Now, without him, she comes into her own, and becomes the belle of the ball.The rest of the cast is mildly appealing, with the exception of Charles Winninger. He plays a man so selfish that everyone else's indulgence of him seems astounding.My advice: fast forward to Judy as young Nelly Kelly.

"Little Nellie Kelly" is a huge burst of Irish pride, filmed in glorious black and white. Judy Garland plays the double role of Nellie Kelly Sr. and Nellie Kelly Jr. Nelly Kelly and her husband, whom she married against her father's wishes, decide to move to America, despite their deep love for Ireland. Nellie's father follows them over, though he hardly says a word to Jerry (the husband), he lives off of them. Not long after settling in New York, Nelly has a child but dies soon after the labor. After a tear jerking performance, we see a charming montage of the baby Nellie growing up into a pretty seventeen year old.Though husband and father never stop their fighting, with both Nellies acting as referee, the family is fine until Nellie becomes interested in boys. The incidents that take place after that are mostly centered around getting the grandpa to grow up and forget his stubborness. This was Judy's first true "grown-up" role -- she plays it to the hilt, giving two incredibly sweet renditions of an old Irish folk song, "A Pretty Girl Milking her Cow," once as the original Nellie, and again as the young Nellie -- with lots of Garland swing. There are so many fantastic performances here.It's an absolutely delightful film -- a real joy to see young Judy in what most consider her prime. The rest of the cast, despite a few sketchy versions of Irish accents, positively shines. The plot itself is better than most musicals -- much thought is given to the immigrant experience -- more than you'd expect from a musical.Though the movie is out-of-print, it's well worth a rental -- happy hunting!