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      Presenting Lily Mars

      Released Apr 29, 1943 1 hr. 44 min. Musical List
      Reviews 77% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Lily Mars (Judy Garland) is a girl who has grown up dreaming of starring on Broadway. When she happens to meet producer John Thornway (Van Heflin), she believes it's fate and begs him to cast her in his latest show. But Thornway rejects her, insisting he doesn't cast amateurs. Not to be deterred, Lily follows him to New York City, where she desperately auditions all over town. Despite his tough exterior, Thornway's heart begins to melt for this determined ingenue. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Sep 01 Buy Now

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      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member A fair Judy Garland movie. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/10/21 Full Review ashley h Presenting Lily Mars is an okay film. It is about small-town girl, Lily Mars, who dreams to be a stage actress. Judy Garland and Van Heflin give decent performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Norman Taurog did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the music and romance. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member How did I never see this movie before. I know some may see this movie as cliched or hackneyed but to see Judy Garland a few years after the Wizard of Oz, it’s easy to see that she was going to be more than just a “child star”. I will also add that despite the personal issues that kept her sidelined in her career I think about how wonderful she would have been in “Annie Get Your Gun” and later, if it had been in the cards, what a phenomenal Mama Rose she could have been in “Gypsy” Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/18 Full Review Audience Member There is no recreating the glamor in movies such as Presenting Lily Mars......thoroughly enjoyed watching the young Judy Garland in this film before all the fame and hard lived life took its toll on her. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Judy is always wonderful but the plot is predictable and the songs aren't that great, either. Best scene: Garland's duet with Connie Gilchrist to "Ev'ry Little Movement." Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Judy Garland in one of her early 'grown-up' roles is a mesmerizing talent and the first half of the film, where she persues a Broadway producer (played by Van Heflin) in pursuit of stardom carries plenty of charm. The problem here is that once she finds stardom they put her in a ballgown on a big glitzy stage with a full orchestra - and that's not getting the best of Garland. Perhaps MGM was a little nervous about Garland in this transitional period - they've heaped on two big bands - Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby unnecessarily to add some weight, but that simply over-cooks it. "Tom, Tom the Pipers Son" - a jazz piece she performs 'on the hop' with a small band is easily the stand-out musical moment; if we could have had more of that, this would have been a big winner; as it is it's nothing amazing, but still quite pleasing. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Is filled with enough cliches to fill all the potholes in Manhattan. Rated: C+ Jun 10, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Lily Mars (Judy Garland) is a girl who has grown up dreaming of starring on Broadway. When she happens to meet producer John Thornway (Van Heflin), she believes it's fate and begs him to cast her in his latest show. But Thornway rejects her, insisting he doesn't cast amateurs. Not to be deterred, Lily follows him to New York City, where she desperately auditions all over town. Despite his tough exterior, Thornway's heart begins to melt for this determined ingenue.
      Director
      Norman Taurog
      Screenwriter
      Richard Connell, Gladys Lehman
      Production Co
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Genre
      Musical
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Apr 29, 1943, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Sep 1, 2009
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