Every Sunday (1936)

Short subject; about 10 minutes; black and white

"Every Sunday" is a short film, that most agree was only shown at an exhibitor's convention, that shows Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin shortly after they were signed at MGM. It is the first film of Garland's after she was signed, though she did appear in one MGM short with her sisters a year prior to this.

Judy (Garland) and Edna (Durbin) are trying to save Edna's grandfather's job conducting an orchestra at a local park. They try to convince everybody in town to attend the concert the next Sunday, but alas, no crowd shows up. In one last desperate chance, Edna takes the stage and sings opera, and people begin to come. After she finishes, Judy sings jazz, and does it very well. Her version of "Waltz With a Swing" and "Americana", which were arranged by her teacher, Roger Edens, show her to be full of life and musically correct at the age of thirteen. The girls conclude by singing a duet, the seats now full with an excited audience, and Edna's grandfather gets to keep his job after all.

Legend is that this was a test devised by Louis B. Mayer, and that one girl would be dropped after its completion. Obviously, Garland stayed and Durbin went to Universal, but one account claims that Universal was noted for changing Edna Mae Durbin's name to Deanna before the film was even made, and that it was in Durbin's contract to do this before she switched. Some people say that Mayer said to "drop the fat one" (meaning Garland) and a mistake was made at the front office, and others say that Durbin was chosen to go. Whatever the reason for making this short, it's a good thing it survived, for it contains a rare rave performance by two thirteen-year-olds. It is included on the special features of the DVD "For Me and My Gal".

You will like this if: you want to see Judy's earliest MGM performance (which is amazing), you are interested in opera and classical music, or you want a cute diversion for the kids.

You might not like it if: short subjects with a silly plot irritate you.

Rating: ***
Judy Score: **