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Thoroughbreds Don't Cry
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by MGM (Video & DVD)
Sales Rank: 5742
Price: $19.98
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Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney were both incredibly popular with the movie-going masses and extremely lucrative for MGM Studios. In <I>Thoroughbreds Don't Cry</I> (1937), Garland plays Cricket West, an aspiring singer who helps her Aunt Edie (Sophie Tucker) run a boarding house for jockeys. Rooney is Timmie Donovan, the best jockey on the turf--and he ain't afraid to tell you so (Timmie's known as a "swellhead" around town). When young Englishman Roger Calverson (Ronald Sinclair) arrives with his grandfather Sir Peter (C. Aubrey Smith), Cricket is taken. Roger and Sir Peter intend to race their prize stallion, "the Pookah," and want Timmie as jockey. The genteel Roger and cocky Timmie get off to a rough start, but soon bond over their love of the turf.<p> But all is not as smooth as it seems. Timmie's rascally father "Click" Donovan wants a piece of the action and tests Timmie's loyalties to both Roger and racing. When Sir Peter dies suddenly, Roger is left destitute and must sell the Pookah unless he can somehow get the $1,000 entry fee for the Cup--and get Timmie to ride for him again. The intrepid Cricket tracks down a remorseful Timmie and convinces him to help Roger. But a last-minute maneuver by Click throws their plans out of whack, forcing Roger to make an unexpected decision about the big race.<p> Though not a musical, Garland gets to display her powerful pipes with the recurring "Goin' to Town." <I>Thoroughbreds Don't Cry</I> ends with the three friends happily riding their horse trailer into the British sunset. <I>--Dana Van Nest</I>
Viewer Reviews
Thoroughbreds Don't Cry provides us with the first look at the wonderful pairing of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. The plot moves along at a good pace and there are a few twists and turns to hold your attention as well.
The action begins in England when Sir Peter Calverton (C. Aubrey Smith) decides to take his racehorse, The Pookah, to America to enter the horse in a race. Sir Calverton takes along his grandson Roger Calverton (Ronald Sinclair) for the trip. They arrive in America and want to engage the rather arrogant Timmie Donovan (Mickey Rooney) to be the horse's jockey. At first Timmie and Roger don't exactly hit it off; but after a little finesse and diplomacy on Sir Calverton's part, Timmie decides to be the jockey for The Pookah.
The Pookah doesn't win because Timmie believes his father is ill and they need to "throw the race." When Sir Calverton sees his horse lose the race he suffers a fatal heart attack. From here on in it becomes anybody's guess as to what will happen next. Will Timmie ever legally ride again? Will Roger be forced to sell The Pookah and return to England almost broke? What about Cricket (Judy Garland)? Will she be able to influence Roger and Timmie to find a solution? What about Cricket's Aunt Edie (Sophie Tucker)? How will she be able to help things--if at all?
No spoilers here, folks, you'll just have to watch the movie to find out!
The movie, filmed in glorious black and white, offers great cinematography in the racing scenes and the choreography in the scenes in Aunt Edie's home impressed me very much.
Overall, Thoroughbreds Don't Cry isn't exactly my pick for the best Garland/Rooney MGM movie ever made--in fact, Cricket (Judy Garland) scarcely gets a chance to sing much in this film except the song "Got A Pair Of New Shoes." Nevertheless, the plot moves along well and the actors never let you down--they do a fine job with the material they are given.
I highly recommend this movie for fans of classic movies from Hollywood's golden age; and fans of the MGM Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland vehicles will enjoy this movie, too.
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