MovieChat Forums > You're Only Young Once (1937) Discussion > Andy's other sisters

Andy's other sisters

posted 13 years ago by liscarkat-2
3 replies | jump to latest

In the first Andy Hardy movie, "A Family Affair," Andy has two older sisters.

By the time the second film, "You're Only Young Once," was made, the oldest one had disappeared and there was no mention of her. But when Judge and Mrs. Hardy go to visit their old house, Mrs. Hardy says "Remember the night our first child was born, and left us? You know, James, I've always secretly believed that she stayed right here in this house, a loving little ghost."

So Andy had three sisters: one who died the night she was born, another who seems to have been forgotten, and the one we still see who enters into ill-advised romances with men twice her age, comes home plastered at dawn, and verbally torments Andy at every opportunity. Was there ever any explanation given, in any of the Hardy movies, of what happened to the oldest sister (the one who was in the first movie)?

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

I haven't seen all the Hardy movies so no idea if she's ever mentioned again, but according to wikipedia, the first movie was the only one she appeared in.

I'm assuming, since she was already married in the first one, that she lives with her husband somewhere else and doesn't visit the family at all or at least not in any of the movies. Maybe in between the timeline of the movies she does visit 

Very good. But brick not hit back!

[–] vinidici 9 years ago

Or maybe the first movie isn't entirely canonical, since Lionel Barrymore was the first Judge Hardy but was replaced by Lewis Stone for the next dozen or so entries in the series. So the one older daughter who's never seen or heard from again might not even exist anymore.

[–] jfd0210 7 years ago

I agree with you.
The older sister is never explained, the same way it isn't explained why "Judge Hardy" goes from being Lionel Barrymore to Lewis Stone, or "Polly Benedict" is played by another actress, and then she is always Ann Rutherford.
Even during the "real" series, "Aunt Millie" is played by at least two different actresses.