In the Good Old Summertime

In the Good Old Summertime is a 1949 American Technicolor musical romantic comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It stars Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. Sakall, Spring Byington, Clinton Sundberg, and Buster Keaton in his first featured film role at MGM since 1933.

The film is a musical adaptation of the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner, which was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, and Frank Morgan, and written by Miklós László, based on his 1937 play Parfumerie. For In the Good Old Summertime, the locale has been changed from 1930s Budapest to turn-of-the-century Chicago, but the plot remains the same. The plot was also revived in the 1998 film You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

On a spring day in Chicago, in the early 1900s, Andrew Larkin is the top salesman at Otto Oberkugen's music store. On his way to work, he runs into Veronica Fisher. When Andrew arrives, he rushes to the post office and reads a letter from his secret pen pal, known as "Box Number 237." That same day, Veronica arrives at the store requesting a job there. Mr. Oberkugen initially refuses to hire Veronica, but he hires her after she persuades a customer to buy a harp. Several months pass and the store's sales dwindle, in which Veronica and Andrew's professional relationship turns contentious. Regardless, their pen pal relationship turns romantic.

During the wintertime, Andrew and Veronica, unbeknownst to each other, arrange to have dinner together. However, Oberkugen has the staff to stay overtime to take a store inventory, upsetting both Andrew and Veronica. Their coworker Nellie Burke manages to have Oberkurgen change his mind after she confesses her love towards him. Outside the restaurant, Andrew learns Veronica is his secret pen pal. Disappointed at first, he returns to the restaurant, but does not reveal to Veronica that he is her pen pal. Instead, he intentionally irritates Veronica, and they fall into a heated argument. Andrew leaves, and Veronica returns home thinking her date failed to show. The next day, Veronica calls in sick. Andrew comes to visit Veronica and invites her to Otto and Nellie's engagement party.

Back at work, Oberkugen hands Andrew his prized Stradivarius violin to safeguard for the party. Instead, Andrew loans the violin to his friend Louise to perform at a recital. At the engagement party, Veronica performs two musical numbers, one with a barbershop quartet and a solo number. For the next number, Oberkugen asks for his violin, to which his nephew Hickey clumsily breaks. Oberkugen is distraught at first, but Andrew tells him that his real violin is with Louise. Andrew and Oberkugen arrive at Louise's recital, and Oberkugen fires him for loaning Louise his violin.

On Christmas Eve, when Andrew returns to collect his belongings, his coworkers tell him their goodbyes. Nellie arranges Oberkugen to write a letter of recommendation for Andrew. However, Oberkugen changes his mind, and promotes Andrew as the new store manager giving him a raise. He also allows for Louise to keep his violin. During the store hours, Oberkugen gives Veronica her bonus, although she intends to quit in protest to Andrew's promotion. When the store closes, Andrew reveals to Veronica that he is her secret pen pal. They kiss, and she consents to marry him.

In the Good Old Summertime is a film remake of Ernst Lubitsch's 1940 comedy The Shop Around the Corner, which starred James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. In early October 1948, the Los Angeles Times reported that Judy Garland, Peter Lawford, and June Allyson had been mentioned for potential roles. In his autobiography, Joe Pasternak stated when he came on board as producer, Allyson and Van Johnson were set to appear in the film. However, Allyson became unavailable, and MGM executive Benjamin Thau recommended Judy Garland as a replacement. Pasternak had previously produced Garland's 1943 film Presenting Lily Mars.

At the time, Garland had been removed from The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) when she became ill during rehearsals. MGM studio executive Arthur Freed made the decision to suspend her without pay on July 18, 1948. She was replaced in the film by Ginger Rogers. During the interim, Garland made a cameo appearance in Words and Music (1948) and was allowed to make radio appearances during the autumn. Inside Thau's office, Pasternak offered Garland the lead female role, to which she replied: "Why, Joe, I'd love to do the picture with you." Garland's suspension was lifted on October 20, 1948. That same day, the Los Angeles Times reported Garland and Van Johnson had been cast, with Robert Z. Leonard as the director. Leonard had previously directed Garland in Ziegfeld Girl (1941).