This Feature Is, v2.01

Rating: Null/10 (30 July 2007)

A story that scared me 55 years ago, around age four, but not as much as Peter Pan scared me.
A story that I enjoyed during a school holiday, aged around 9, around 50 years ago.
I now find that I could watch the budget DVD version, a triplet with Singin In The Rain and High Society, without going to sleep, that it held my attention better than most, even better than many recent features and the standard has improved massively since 1939.
An unusual film.
Interesting that Judy Garland, age sixteen, reminded me of Ashley Johnson, age ten.
*
Early 2008 I found an affordable copy of Easter Parade 1948.
I know this is rated as a classic, but not many of these early ones that I used to rate a lot still have the fascination that they once had for me. This is one of the exceptions.
A big plus for me is the commentary, by Ava Astaire McKenzie, Fred's daughter, and John Fricke, Judy's biographer. It brings out the warmth in the feature. It is supportive to this feature being one of the exceptions.
I start to wonder if I should be a Judy Garland fan. The background notes for Oz put me off, but this swings things around.
*
April 2008, I try a search for affordable early Garland and the little that was there was rather high priced by my standards. A bit later I try an Amazon search and found Love Finds Andy Hardy 1938, Judy at age 15, shortly before Oz, but playing a12.
A story with several strands so it is easy to not notice that Judy maybe has the second most important slot as regards screen time. I feel drawn to enjoying it and to considering it as an unusually interesting feature for that epoch. Early Garland seems yes, if and when available.