This was on the same disc as Andy Hardy's Double Life and took off from the end of that one in which Mickey Rooney's character was on the train to go to his father's alma mater of Wainwright College and talking to a woman also on the way there-the formerly all-male institution was now co-ed! That woman was played by Susan Peters but here, it's now Bonita Granville. Also on the way is a blond woman who seems to go hot-and-cold when encountering Andrew but it's actually twins (Lyn and Lee Wilde) passing as one. Meanwhile, at home his father the judge (Lewis Stone) is sick and gets cared for by a new doctor played by Keye Luke who initially gets looks because of his race. Anyway, this was my third viewing of an Andy Hardy picture. Like the other two, I liked Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble. P.S. Since I always like to cite when a player from my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life-is in something else, here it's Frank Faylen-Ernie the taxi driver in that-as Taxi Driver # 2 (Was that typecasting on Frank Capra's part when he did that for him in IAWL?).

And Susan Peters, seen in the last moments of "Andy Hardy's Double Trouble", has become Bonita Granville.

We only find out that the action has really not changed time because Andy is hearing in his head his father's last speech to him, one not in the previous film. Also, Judge Hardy has forgotten to give Andy his ticket which leaves Andy strapped. So with over 20 minutes of train time, it gives the opportunity to set up a big plot involving Granville, urbane doctor Herbert Marshall who turns out to be the dean. Judge Hardy, having decided not to accompany Andy to school at his request, does visit, so it's a limited appearance for Stone, Fay Holden and Sara Haden. Cecilia Parker is still in the opening credits in that scary serious family portrait but is absent and not mentioned, as is Polly, Andy's ex.

Then there's the Wilde twins who seem to get their jollies fooling people by pretending to be one. At one moment, one of them is flirting with Andy and when he responds to the other one later, they slap him across the face. It's obvious that the double trouble is really here which makes you wonder if the double trouble title of the previous entry gave the writer the idea for this one. Unfortunately, the twins are complete opportunists which removes any interest in their story. Then there's two male students on the train giving him a hard time being a freshman with money, setting Andy to become paranoid about hazing.

A crossover with the Dr. Kildare Series has Keye Luke playing the same character from that film here, as feisty as ever and determined to knock any type of stereotype out of the town of Carvel resident's minds. But good old Judge Hardy proves how liberal he is just so his heroic reputation won't be besmirched as a racist. Granville seems too mature to be a college freshman and Mickey overdoes the nervousness as he adjusts to college life. This is more dramatic than comic, and the attempts at comedy with the Wilde twin gag is not a pleasant one. It's obvious that this was trying to be somewhat topical but fails miserably.

After what seemed an interminable stay at Carvel high school young Andy Hardy is finally packed up and headed for Wainwright College, the alma mater of dear old dad, Lewis Stone. Would you doubt that Andy would go anywhere else?

A few years earlier Bud Abbott and Lou Costello when they were doing In The Navy there was a plot gambit involving Martha Raye as a pair of twins who were confusing both Bud and Lou. Nearly the whole film of Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble has Andy in a similar state of confusion involving fellow freshmen Lee and Lyn Wilde and what they put him through on the train to Wainwright. Them and Herbert Marshall who is the Dean of the college and an old pal of Lewis Stone's.

Andy also meets Bonita Granville about whom he's going to get interested at least until this film of the series is over.

The Hardy family was about running its course and even given his height Mickey was getting a bit old to be playing an eternal juvenile. And the twin gambit really wasn't enough to carry the whole film through. The Mick does a really nice impersonation of Herbert Marshall. Mimickry was one of his many talents.

One more thing though, I cannot believe that freshman had to wear those stupid looking beanies back in the day. A custom I'm glad we grew out of.