Little Nellie Kelly
| Little Nellie Kelly | |
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Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Norman Taurog |
| Produced by | Arthur Freed |
| Written by | Jack McGowan Based on the play by George M. Cohan |
| Starring |
Judy Garland George Murphy |
| Music by |
Roger Edens William Axt |
| Cinematography | Ray June |
| Edited by | Fredrick Y. Smith |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1940, original) Warner Bros. (2011, DVD) |
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Release date
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $718,000 |
| Box office | $2,046,000 |
Little Nellie Kelly is a 1940 musical comedy film based on the stage musical of the same name by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog. Its cast included Judy Garland, George Murphy, Charles Winninger and Douglas McPhail.
The film is notable for containing Judy Garland's only on-screen death scene, although she re-appears in the film as the daughter of the character who died.
A DVD of the movie was released on March 15, 2011.
In Ireland, Jerry Kelly (George Murphy) marries his sweetheart, Nellie Noonan (Judy Garland) over the objections of her ne'er-do-well father, Michael Noonan (Charles Winninger), who swears never to speak to Jerry again, even though he reluctantly accompanies the newlyweds to America, where Jerry becomes a policeman, and all three become citizens. Michael continues to hold his grudge against Jerry, even when Nellie dies while giving birth to little Nellie.
Years later, Jerry is now a captain on the police force, and little Nellie (also played by Judy Garland) has grown up as the spitting image of her mother. When Nellie becomes enamored of Dennis Fogarty (Douglas McPhail), the son of Michael's old friend Timothy Fogarty (Arthur Shields), the squabbling between Nellie's father and grandfather intensifies, as Michael objects to the romance, and finally leaves home because of it.
Eventually, the three generations are reconciled, and Nellie and Dennis remain a couple.
Little Nellie Kelly offers Judy Garland the opportunity to sing a swing version of "Singin' in the Rain", more than 10 years before Gene Kelly more famously sang it in his film Singin' in the Rain (1952), as well as several newer songs, including the traditional "A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" sung partly in Irish-Gaelic. There are also two entertaining production numbers, one set at the New York City Policeman's Ball, which showcases Garland at her most attractive, and the other written by Roger Edens so that Garland can belt out "It's A Great Day for the Irish" while marching up New York's famed 5th Avenue during the St. Patrick's Day Parade. This song became one of Garland's biggest hits.
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