Own the rights?
NOBODY'S BABY is the only feature film to star the short-lived comedy team of Patsy Kelly and Lyda Roberti. (They also starred in two shorts.) Roberti replaced the late Thelma Todd as Kelly's partner. Viewing the delightful chemistry between Patsy and Lyda, one regrets this team never had the chance to work again after this picture. (Roberti died soon after.) They provide amusing personalities that smoothly play off each other: Roberti as a well-meaning but bumbling ditz and Kelly as a hard-boiled wisecracker exasperated by the messes her partner inadvertently embroils them in. Lyda brings a childlike sweetness to her character, thus providing a lovable and forgivable vacuity in the best Stan Laurel tradition. Kelly's smart alecky brusqueness is humorously pungent but never abrasive, suggesting an essential amiability beneath her brassy exterior.The farcical plot involving mistaken identity of a newborn baby is slight but amusing. The comedy material is generally unexceptional but Roberti and Kelly elevate it with their appealing personas. Kelly exhibits her tap dancing skills and Roberti her singing talent in a comedy number that unfortunately is too brief. Rosina Lawrence as the romantic ingenue also gets to sing and dance. She proves herself a gifted musical performer with an affecting winsomeness, but she comes across as too subdued for "star" potential. For additional musical entertainment, The Avalon Boys and the Rhythm Rascals each provide a pleasant if unremarkable number.Patsy Kelly and Lyda Roberti were talented and vivacious comediennes who could always be relied on to enliven the films they appeared in. NOBODY'S BABY is no classic, but it's a rare and rewarding opportunity to see these two gifted actresses work together as a team.
You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.
