Strike Up the Band

Released Sep 27, 1940

2 hr. 0 min.

Musical

Comedy

List

Reviews

79%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Teenage drummer Jimmy Connors (Mickey Rooney) dreams of winning the contest for school bands hosted by popular band leader Paul Whiteman (himself). In order to enter, Jimmy and his pals, including charming vocalist Mary Holden (Judy Garland), must accumulate $200 for the train ride to Chicago, where the contest will be held. Jimmy and his friends decide to put on an epic student play to raise the funds they need, but a sudden illness threatens to cost the band their chance.

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Audience Member

Director Busby Berkeley brings his talent to this teenage musical. He was always good at bringing early musicals to life. Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland star as high school kids who want to bring their band to the big times. In order to get noticed they stage an ambitious school musical. Of course the high school production looks a lot more like a Broadway musical. Its hokey and corny, but I was impressed with the lavish musical numbers and energetic casting. Not my kind of movie, but decent for what it is,

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Audience Member

willie was really the best character. he deserved to get mary and beat up jimmy. tbh he deserved to be the main character. love, judygarlandfan3469

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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william d

Great flick. For the first time MGM gave Berkeley, Rooney and Garland a budget worthy of their immense talent. The Conga number may be their finest work.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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ashley h

Strike Up the Band is a decent film. It is about Jimmy Connors and his girlfriend want to take part in Paul Whiteman's high school's band contest. Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Busby Berkeley did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the humor and romance.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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s r

A bit over the top, but a grand production. Props for highlighting New Rochelle.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

How can you not fall in love with these two?!???!?! Such an amazing pair. One of the best of Hollywood in my opinion. There are never teams like this on the big screen anymore. Judy Garland sings so amazing (as always) in this. Mickey Rooney is so good and can hold his own across Garland. Yes it is a musical and yes its awesome! The music is great, the singing is cute and the dancing is fun. I loved every second. :)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Busby Berkeley

Director

Mickey Rooney

James 'Jimmy' Connors

Judy Garland

Mary Holden

Paul Whiteman

Self

Fred F. Finklehoffe

Writer

Herbert Fields

Writer

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

It's always a pleasure to hear Garland sing, and the fevered and frenzied Rooney is something to behold. But the story is awfully thin.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 20, 2020

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Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

Rooney and Garland are full of effervescent charm, and Berkeley delivers some of his strongest numbers of his MGM period.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 15, 2020

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Despite the tiresome plot, it's highly entertaining because of the snappy young duo and their big band music.

Rated: B

Aug 7, 2014

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

One of the most popular Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland teamings of lets put on a show, directed by Busby Berkeley

Rated: B

Jul 23, 2012

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Synopsis

Teenage drummer Jimmy Connors (Mickey Rooney) dreams of winning the contest for school bands hosted by popular band leader Paul Whiteman (himself). In order to enter, Jimmy and his pals, including charming vocalist Mary Holden (Judy Garland), must accumulate $200 for the train ride to Chicago, where the contest will be held. Jimmy and his friends decide to put on an epic student play to raise the funds they need, but a sudden illness threatens to cost the band their chance.

Director: Busby Berkeley
Screenwriter: Fred F. Finklehoffe, Herbert Fields
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Loew's Inc.
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Loew's Inc.
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 27, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2012

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