Independent Films, Film Profiles

Little Nellie Kelly
by Norman Taurog

Little Nellie Kelly is a 1940 musical comedy film based on the stage musical by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog, stars Judy Garland and George Murphy and features Charles Winninger and Douglas McPhail.The film is notable as having in it Judy Garland's only on-screen death scene, although she re-appears in the film as the daughter of the character who died. This was the first film Garland made after completing The Wizard of Oz.In Ireland, Jerry Kelly (George Murphy) marries his sweetheart, Nellie Noonan (Judy Garland) over the objections of her ne'er-do-well father, Michael Noonan (Charles Winninger), who swears never to speak to Jerry again, even though he reluctantly accompanies the newlyweds to America, where Jerry becomes a policeman, and all three become citizens. Michael continues to hold his grudge against Jerry, even when Nellie dies in childbirth.Years later, Jerry is now a captain on the police force, captain, and little Nellie Kelly (Judy Garland) has grown up as the spitting image of her mother. When Nellie starts to fall in love with Dennis Fogarty (Douglas McPhail), the son of Michael's old friend Timothy Fogarty (Arthur Shields), the squabbling between Nellie's father and grandfather intensifies, as Michael objects to the romance, and leave home because of it.Eventually, the three generations are reconciled, and Nellie and Dennis remain a couple.[3][4]