Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection

“Let's put on a show!” The original teen idols—Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland—are showcased in this delightful boxed set compiling the four musicals they costarred in for MGM between 1939-43, all but one directed by choreographer genius Busby Berkeley. The plots of each—Babes in Arms (1939), Strike Up the Band (1940), Babes on Broadway (1941), and Girl Crazy (1943), the last directed by Norman Taurog, but featuring a wonderfully weird Wild West show number staged by Berkeley—are very similar: musically-talented but struggling Rooney heads up a group putting on a show for some worthy cause, but is invariably nearly lured away by the professional bright lights, until Garland pricks his conscience and he does the right thing (Girl Crazy, in which Rooney stars as a playboy heir, takes a slightly different tack—although Mickey and Judy still end up putting on the proverbial show). Many viewers will assume that Garland is the superstar here (and she certainly shines on songs such as “Good Morning,” “Our Love Affair,” “How About You,” and “I Got Rhythm”), but it's Rooney who emerges as the greater all-around talent: he's a master of comedy (his impersonations of Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore are priceless), a fine dancer, and an impressive musician (on drums, piano, ukulele, etc.). The only unfortunate sour note here is the pair of minstrel show numbers in the two Babes films. The impressive set of DVD extras include new introductions by Rooney, audio commentaries on Babes in Arms and Girl Crazy by film historian John Fricke, an assortment of classic cartoons and shorts, and bonus radio shows/promos and alternate song takes. In addition, the set includes a fifth disc featuring both an extended interview with Rooney by TCM's Robert Osbourne and a generous Judy Garland songbook compiling 21 film/song clips. Finally, the collection includes a handsome 50-page hardcover guidebook to the films, and a portfolio of b&w stills. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)