Loosely based on the 1933 Booth Tarkington novel of the same name, the 1943 PRESENTING LILY MARS can only be described as Americana at its most excessive. The flyweight story concerns a small town teenager (Judy Garland) who has been bitten by the acting bug--and who sees an opportunity when a Broadway producer and director (Van Heflin) hits town on a family visit. She accordingly lays siege to him, and when he rejects her efforts even goes so far as to follow him to New York, begging for a role in current play.
Garland is a knockout in this film, not only at the height of her teenage beauty, but showing considerable comic gifts as well--and then, of course, there is that voice. Van Heflin and a memorable supporting cast are also very attractive, director Norman Taurog keeps everything moving at a nice clip, and everything is done with bang-up production values you expect from MGM. But the movie doesn't have much in the way of either script or plot, nor is the score greatly memorable.
The cast carries their roles quite well, but they are constantly thrown into bits of business and dialogue that are so excessively cute that at times the movie becomes down-right cringe-inducing. The score is pleasant enough, but there's actually very little of it, and the inevitable end-of-the-movie production number has a tacked-on quality. When all is said and done, Garland and company make it worth the trip--but this is one film that will likely give even the most hardcore Garland fan pause.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Garland is a knockout in this film, not only at the height of her teenage beauty, but showing considerable comic gifts as well--and then, of course, there is that voice. Van Heflin and a memorable supporting cast are also very attractive, director Norman Taurog keeps everything moving at a nice clip, and everything is done with bang-up production values you expect from MGM. But the movie doesn't have much in the way of either script or plot, nor is the score greatly memorable.
The cast carries their roles quite well, but they are constantly thrown into bits of business and dialogue that are so excessively cute that at times the movie becomes down-right cringe-inducing. The score is pleasant enough, but there's actually very little of it, and the inevitable end-of-the-movie production number has a tacked-on quality. When all is said and done, Garland and company make it worth the trip--but this is one film that will likely give even the most hardcore Garland fan pause.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer