Summer Holiday

Released Jun 16, 1948

1h 32m

Musical

List

71%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

A publisher's (Walter Huston) son (Mickey Rooney) courts a girl (Gloria De Haven) in circa-1900 Connecticut.

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Steve D

Not remotely entertaining.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/14/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Poor musical re-make of "Ah, Wilderness" (1933) doesn't work. Most actors were miscast, even veteran giants like Frank Morgan. Mickey Rooney tries and fails to be a high school senior, when he really is 28 years old. Agnes Moorehead, coming from an exemplary part in the "Magnificent Ambersons" does her best here as the spinster sister, but she has little to do with the plot. The music is poor and the plot is wrung out in such a way that it collapses and dies from confusion. A failure on every account.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Alot of people can't stand this film or have alot of mixed feelings on it-- I think its a fantastic watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a good oldie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

year s/b 1948 not 1964

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

There was a time when Mickey Rooney was the biggest box office draw , his movies are essentials! Love this as great Saturday afternoon fair !! Terrific!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

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Rouben Mamoulian

Director

Mickey Rooney

Richard Miller

Gloria DeHaven

Muriel McComber

Walter Huston

Mr. Nat Miller

Frank Morgan

Uncle Sid

Jackie "Butch" Jenkins

Tommy Miller

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Where Mr. O'Neill's reminiscence of adolescent youth back in the days of peg-top trousers, of the Rubaiyat craze and the five-cent schooner of beer was a subtle and sensitive understanding, this picture is largely a big lark.

Dec 14, 2019

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

The Eugene O'Neill play, Ah. Wilderness with its account of a turn-of-the-century smalltown New England family, provides admirable setting, story, color and mood for the musical numbers and script.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Nelson Burns (Te Pana)

Courier Mail (Australia)

It must be conceded that the film is a gay enough lark, with fine production numbers and good songs -- one in particular, "Stanley Stamer" being outstanding.

Dec 14, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A pleasant turn of the century musical remake of the hit 1935 MGM comedy-drama Ah, Wilderness!

Rated: B

Oct 24, 2014

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Mickey Rooney may not be the ideal actor to play Eugene O'Neill's alter ego, but as a nostalgic evocation of small town life at the turn of the century, Mamoulian's musical version of Ah, Wilderness is evocative, charming and nice to look at.

Rated: B+

Jul 22, 2009

Full Review

TV Guide Staff

TV Guide

A sweet movie with good work by all the actors, Summer Holiday benefits immeasurably from director Mamoulian's inventiveness and the handsome cinematography and production values.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 25, 2006

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Synopsis

A publisher's (Walter Huston) son (Mickey Rooney) courts a girl (Gloria De Haven) in circa-1900 Connecticut.

Director: Rouben Mamoulian
Screenwriter: Irving Brecher, Jean Holloway, Eugene O'Neill, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 16, 1948, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Jul 20, 2010
Runtime: 1h 32m