A Date with Judy 1948 The upper class Pringles and middle class Fosters are two Santa Barbara families Widowed businessman Lucien T Pringles Leon Ames interests, including a bank and a radio station, keep him absent from his childrens lives Melvin Colner Foster Wallace Beery owns and operates a seafood packing plant, an offshoot of his days as a fisherman Unlike Lucien, Melvin is very present in his familys lives Judy Foster Jane Powell and siblings Ogden Oogie Pringle Scotty Beckett and Carol Pringle Dame Elizabeth Taylor are seniors at the local high school and have known each other all of their lives Judy, the schools songbird, and Oogie, conductor of the schools orchestra, are musical collaborators and consider themselves more than friends Judy and Carol are best friends, although Judy and Oogie are oblivious to Carols actions being in her best interest, often at their expense Events before, during, and after the senior class dance have major repercussions on Carols advice, Judys last minute escort is Stephen I Andrews Robert Stack, nephew of local druggist Pop Sam Scully Lloyd Corrigan Stephen, a war veteran in town for the summer earning college money as Pops soda jerk, becomes Judys new love interest, although shes unaware whether its just to make Oogie jealous or if its an idolization of an older man Carol falls for him too and does whatever she can to steal him from Judy without Judy even knowing But Stephen is aware of the rivalry and knows about Carols entitled nature and the probable reason behind it Oogie tries to win Judy back by following the advice of people he trusts What happens amongst this quartet is complicated by a misunderstanding about Melvins 20th Anniversary surprise for his wife Dora Foster Selena Royle