Summer Stock facts for kids

Summer Stock is a fun musical movie from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made in 1950. It was directed by Charles Walters. The movie stars famous actors like Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers. Nicholas Castle Sr. created all the dance moves.

This movie was the last time Judy Garland and Gene Kelly appeared together on screen. It was also Judy Garland's final movie with the MGM studio.

What the Movie Is About

The story of Summer Stock takes place on a farm. Jane Falbury (played by Judy Garland) owns this farm. Her sister, Abigail (played by Gloria DeHaven), is an actress. Abigail arrives at the farm with her whole theater group. They need a place to practice their show.

Jane and her housekeeper, Esme (played by Marjorie Main), are not sure at first. But they finally agree to let the actors use their barn. The actors, including their director Joe Ross (played by Gene Kelly), help out on the farm. They do chores to thank Jane for her kindness.

Joe is engaged to Abigail, but things change. Abigail gets angry and leaves. Joe then starts to fall in love with Jane. Jane is engaged to Orville (played by Eddie Bracken). But she also finds herself falling for Joe. The movie ends with a fantastic show right there in the barn. Jane becomes the new main star of the show!

Movie Songs

The songs in Summer Stock are a big part of the movie. Most of them were written by Harry Warren (music) and Mack Gordon (lyrics). Here are some of the songs you'll hear:

• "If You Feel Like Singing, Sing" – Sung by Judy Garland
• "(Howdy Neighbor) Happy Harvest" – Sung by Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Phil Silvers, and the other actors
• "Dig-Dig-Dig Dig For Your Dinner" – Sung by Gene Kelly
• "Mem'ry Island" – Sung by Gloria DeHaven and Hans Conried
• "Portland Fancy" – This is a traditional dance tune. The actors, Gene Kelly, and Judy Garland perform it.
• "You, Wonderful You" – Sung by Gene Kelly and Judy Garland
• "Friendly Star" – Sung by Judy Garland
• Newspaper Dance ("You, Wonderful You") – Performed by Gene Kelly
• "All for You" – Sung by Gene Kelly and Judy Garland
• "Heavenly Music" – Sung by Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers, and even some dogs!
• "Get Happy" – Sung by Judy Garland and a chorus
• "(Howdy Neighbor) Happy Harvest" (finale) – Sung by Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Phil Silvers, and the whole cast

Fun Facts About Filming

Making Summer Stock was a big project. It took about six months to film the entire movie. Even with all the hard work, the movie was a big hit at the box office. This means many people went to see it!

One of the most famous parts of the movie is the final song and dance. It's called "Get Happy". Judy Garland performs this number wearing a tuxedo jacket and a black hat. This scene was filmed two months after the rest of the movie. Judy Garland looked and performed her best in this part.

Another special scene features Gene Kelly. He does a solo dance in a dark barn. He uses a newspaper and a creaky board as his dance partners. The music for this dance is "You Wonderful You". This dance became one of the most famous performances of his career.

Images for kids

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  Judy Garland with her daughter Liza Minnelli on the movie set