I showed this film to my critical viewing class because I figured if they didn't know who Judy Garland and Gene Kelly were, they didn't really understand Hollywood musicals. I was gratified to find that so many of them liked it. I warned them it was corny and implausible right at the onset, but most of them actually liked the corniness. Class was divided on Garland--some didn't like her singing and others--uncharitably, I thought--commented on her heftiness for most of the film, but they were unanimous in their admiration for Gene Kelly. They thought he was coolness personified and to my surprise actually thought his dance with the newspaper was excellent. With kids nowadays, used to quick cutting and high action, I thought it would seem tame, but they thought it was clever. And Phil Silvers was a big hit. One students commented on how versatile those "old actors" were, compared to today--they seemed to be able to do it all. And for some reason I couldn't understand, they howled with laughter at the end when Abigail and Orville got together, causing one student to turn around and say to me "this film was awesome!" What a treat it was to introduce them to such icons of cinema and know that they could appreciate it.
Review of Summer Stock
