Little Nellie Kelly

In this whimsical bit o' blarney from George M. Cohan's 1922 hit, Judy Garland plays dual roles: plucky Irish immigrant Nellie (Judy's first grownup part) and her daughter, Little Nellie. Both Nellies contend with the same cantankerous coot, the laze-about father (Charles Winninger) who fusses mightily when Nellie marries an upstanding lad (George Murphy) and repeats the process years later when Little Nellie falls in love. Radiant and winning, Garland sings It's a Great Day for the Irish, Singin' in the Rain and more classic tunes. But the film's finest moment may be the heartrending hospital scene in which Garland's touching, emotionally subtle performance gives promise of the superb dramatic actress she would become.

• musical
• romance