Judy by the Numbers: "For Me And My Gal"
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 8:00AM 
Anne Marie is tracking Judy Garland's career through musical numbers...
In 1942, Judy Garland met a man who would come to be one of her biggest onscreen costars and supporters at MGM. When he was cast in For Me and My Gal opposite Garland, Gene Kelly was as upstart Broadway star, hot off Pal Joey and trying to make the transition to Hollywood stardom. According to Kelly, Judy Garland eased that transition; she was gracious, she was giving, and she was a consummate professional. Gene Kelly, stage dancer, learned how to perform for the camera by watching Judy Garland.
The Movie: For Me And My Gal (1942)
The Songwriters: Edgar Leslie & E. Ray Goetz (lyrics) and George W. Meyer (music)
The Players: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, George Murphy directed by Busby Berkeley
The Story: The title number of For Me And My Gal shows off the unique partnership Garland and Kelly shared. The two costars sing at the piano, a staging familiar to Garland fans who'd watched her share a similar scene with Mickey Rooney many times in the past. But Kelly is no Rooney. Where Mickey would mug, Gene floats. Where Mickey would riff, Gene croons. This isn't to say that Kelly can't be funny, but his relationship to Garland is different. Mickey and Judy were a couple of firecracker kids; he gave her zing and she gave him class. Judy and Gene are two contrasting talents; his dancing complements her songs. Each provides where the other is weak, creating a harmonious musical union. It's no wonder than Judy and Gene would go on to share another three movies together.
Reader Comments (9)
If this clip doesn't make you smile, you might be dead. Go to a hospital immediately.
This is the first time Judy really seemed like a grown woman on screen-she looks great, if VERY thin-and you're right she and Kelly interact on a completely different level than she does with Rooney. Plus it gives her a chance to show what she can do in the star spot with a dramatic thrust, the scene where she sends her brother off to war in the nightclub is a heartbreaker.
That's a good point about Rooney mugging and riffing when they perform together, I think it's a large part of why his stardom faltered when he reached adulthood. That sort of overwhelming unctuousness might be appealing in an eager earnest teenager but is out of place for a romantic leading man.
This is a charming number but I prefer their performance of Ballin' the Jack. It's a great chance for them both to really punch a number across. The movie overall is a good one though the ultra dramatic redemptive ending is a bit much.
tfw you love two stars so much you think your heart might explode. Seriously, we need more joyful movie stars again. Yes, Judy's legacy has all this undertow but she was also so great at expressing joy. and Gene obviously soared with it.
Judy post-Rooney, mid-marriage. Now things get really interesting. This is my favorite phase of her career (1942-1954) despite the personal and professional challenges she endured.
One of my faves with Judy....
It's the best choice even though "Ball" is a dynamite number. You can see the introduction of the character. More acting. A little less flash. It's good to compare this first Kelly who is still a little stage broad with Judy's ease,. Gene has not yet developed the intimacy you see in later films. YouTube Ball in the Jack but this is a treasure
Gene and Judy are also great in The Pirate(1948),
a very funny movie that didn't go well
in the box office because the audience expected an adventure
and not a musical
comedy with incredible songs by Cole Porter,
and also in Summer Stock(1950).
Both filmed with the best colors of MGM - they had at that time
the best colors with
20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures.
Summer Stock is my favorite Judy and Gene movie.
The big leap here is there is (dare I say it?) sexual tension/appeal between Judy and Gene, the kind that she never had with Mickey, but that is a function of Judy moving into adult roles.
And although there are many many reasons to appreciate Gene Kelly, one huge one for me is how kind and supportive he was to Judy during Summer Stock, partly as payback for her kindness to him here, but also because he was a decent person. .