A Date with Judy (film)

In Santa Barbara, California, snobbish teenager Carol Pringle tells her best friend Judy Foster that famous bandleader Xavier Cugat will be the guest of honor at their high school dance that night. Carol convinces her younger brother Ogden "Oogie" Pringle to cancel his dance date with Judy, claiming that women are more drawn to men who ignore them. When Judy learns that Oogie has decided not to take her to the dance, she becomes infuriated and vows to end their friendship. Dejected, Judy visits "Pop" Sam Scully's drugstore, where she meets Pop's handsome nephew Stephen Andrews. He agrees to escort her to the dance as a favor to Pop. At the dance, Oogie sees Judy with Stephen and becomes jealous. While Oogie tries to divert Judy's attention away from Stephen, Stephen meets Carol and they dance together.

Realizing how much Judy means to Oogie, Carol schemes to reunite them by telling Judy that she has convinced her wealthy father to give Judy and Oogie a program on his radio station. At a dinner arranged by Carol, Oogie tries to make amends with Judy, but when Judy accidentally falls, she wrongly accuses him of pushing her. Although Stephen assures Oogie that he would never take Judy from him, she tells her father that she is in love with Stephen and intends to marry him.

After a circumstantial misunderstanding, Judy believes that her father Melvin is having an affair with rumba instructor Rosita Conchellas. Judy runs home and gives her mother a beauty makeover to make her more appealing to her father.

Upon learning that Carol is in love with Stephen, her widowed father Lucien performs a background check on Stephen. Stephen confronts Lucien, declaring that he now understands why Carol is spoiled and egotistical. Lucien pledges to be more attentive to Oogie and Carol. Oogie visits Judy's house and tries to serenade her, but they argue when he says that he is taking a fishing trip with his father and might not return in time for their radio show.

The next day, Judy and Carol see Melvin escorting Rosita to his car. That night, at Judy's parents' anniversary celebration, Judy and Carol accuse Rosita of having an affair with a married man. Rosita misunderstands the accusation and believes that they are talking about Cugat, her fiancé. Rosita explains that she was teaching Judy's father the rumba as a surprise for his wife and children. Judy and Carol realize their mistake and apologize to Rosita. Judy reconciles with Oogie after she learns that Carol is in love with Stephen, and Stephen agrees to resume his romance with Carol in a few years when she is older.

• "It's a Most Unusual Day" (Jimmy McHugh, Harold Adamson), performed by Jane Powell
• "Judaline" (Don Raye, Gene de Paul), performed by Jane Powell, Scotty Beckett & Quartet
• "I'm Strictly on the Corny Side" (Stella Unger, Alec Templeton), performed by Jane Powell & Scotty Beckett
• "Cuanto Le Gusta" (Gabriel Ruiz, Ray Gilbert), performed by Carmen Miranda with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
• "Cooking with Gas", performed by Carmen Miranda with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
• "Love Is Where You Find It" (Earl K. Brent, Nacio Herb Brown), performed by Jane Powell, Jerry Hunter & Selena Royle
• "Home Sweet Home" (H.R. Bishop), performed by Jane Powell, Jerry Hunter & Selena Royle
• "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Wallace Willis), performed by Lillian Yarbo

A Date with Judy was produced by Joe Pasternak. The film was a great success, particularly highlighted by the musical number "Cuanto Le Gusta," performed by Carmen Miranda.^[5]

Thomas E. Breen was initially cast to co-star in the film alongside Jane Powell, while Leslie Kardos was assigned as director. Actress Selena Royle replaced Mary Astor, who withdrew due to health issues. Vincente Minnelli's biography mentions that a musical number titled "Mulligatawny," created by Stanley Donen, was cut from the final version of the film.

Robert Stack was almost twice as old as Elizabeth Taylor, who played his romantic interest. The last day of filming was January 27, 1948; at that time Stack was 29 and Taylor was 15.

The screenplay is based on a radio program that aired from 1941 to 1949 on NBC, and then from 1949 to 1950 on ABC. The character "Judy Foster" was portrayed on the radio by Dellie Ellis, Louise Erickson, and Ann Gillis. Later, actress Patricia Crowley played "Judy Foster" in the eponymous television series, which aired on ABC from 1951 to 1953.^[6]

The film spent four weeks at the top of the U.S. box office,^[7] earning theatrical rentals of $3,431,000 in the United States and Canada and $1,155,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $1,495,000.^[1][8]