For my next redesigned and lettered title card in my series, I was inspired by the super-condensed sans serif typography found in the theatrical trailer produced for the third film in Garland’s filmography.
The main title lettering is a very simple art deco sans serif seen below.
Here’s the condensed type from the trailer as well as the type introducing the three top-billed actors of the film which was a very simple and very deco lettering style.
Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry has the distinction of being the first film to team up Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. The story concerns an English boy, Roger Calverton (Ronald Sinclair), who travels to America with his grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith) to race their beloved horse, Pookah. Mickey Rooney plays the smug but talented jockey Timmie Donovan, whom Roger wants to ride Pookah to victory. Judy Garland plays Cricket, the precocious niece of Mother Ralph (Sophie Tucker), who runs a boarding house for jockeys where Timmie lives.
At first, the film didn't include a role for a young female lead, however, MGM was eager to showcase their rising young singing star who had just made a memorable hit in Broadway Melody of 1938 where she performed her iconic and very charming “You Made Me Love You (Dear Mr. Gable)” number.
Here’s the very strange but entertaining theatrical trailer: