MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Down 5,023 this week

Babes in Arms (1939)

6.5
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.5/10 from 1,210 users  
Reviews: 22 user | 17 critic

The struggle of two talented young artists, to make their own way in the show business.

Director:

Writers:

(screen play), (screen play), 8 more credits »
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 1006 titles created 7 months ago
 
a list of 1001 titles created 31 Dec 2011
 
a list of 5779 titles created 5 months ago
 
a list of 1001 titles created 30 May 2011
 
a list of 1005 titles created 9 months ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Babes in Arms (1939)

Babes in Arms (1939) on IMDb 6.5/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Babes in Arms.
Nominated for 2 Oscars. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Mickey Moran
...
Patsy Barton
Charles Winninger ...
Joe Moran
Guy Kibbee ...
Judge Black
June Preisser ...
Rosalie Essex
Grace Hayes ...
Florrie Moran
Betty Jaynes ...
Molly Moran
Douglas McPhail ...
Don Brice
...
Jeff Steele
Leni Lynn ...
Dody Martini
Johnny Sheffield ...
Bobs (as John Sheffield)
...
Madox
Barnett Parker ...
William
Ann Shoemaker ...
Mrs. Barton
...
Martha Steele
Edit

Storyline

Mickey Moran, a talented singer and musician, son of a veteran from the show business. Mickey has a partner, Patsi Barton, a pretty girl and also a very talented singer. One day, a big opportunity arrives for Mickey, a big contract to set up his own show. However, things don't go well, and in order to avoid being sent to a work farm, he'll improvise a show in the country, despite the awful weather conditions. Patsi's in love with Mickey, he loves her too, but for him the show must go on, and his big dream maybe will come true: formally stage his play in a big scenario, with a huge production. Written by Alejandro Frias

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

The big musical fun show!

Genres:

Comedy | Musical

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

13 October 1939 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Los hijos de la farándula  »

Box Office

Budget:

$748,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Sound System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Footage from earlier Mickey Rooney film, _Broadway to Hollywood (1933)_, is seen to show flashbacks of Mickey Moran, Rooney's character, as a child performing in vaudeville, in this film. See more »

Goofs

Camera shadow on front row of violin players just before Mickey covers his ears. See more »

Quotes

Michael C. 'Mickey' Moran: Here we are together, a couple of stayer uppers. Our day is done at breakfast time, and starts it with our suppers. Here we are together, but the best of friends must party. So let me sing this parting song from the bottom of my hearty.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

"Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo"
(1939) (uncredited)
Words and Music by Roger Edens
Performed by Douglas McPhail, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and chorus
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Strange currents make it more creepy than beloved
8 July 2012 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

It's an early Freed Unit picture, and among other Freed staples it has the work of Roger Edens, snatches of "Singing in the Rain" and "Good Morning," plus a whisper of "Broadway Rhythm." But it's kind of cuckoo. The director is Busby Berkeley, who wanted everything BIG even when the movie was supposed to be SMALL. Thus BB encourages the Mickster to go into his full Eugene O'Neill mode and he out-shouts everyone in the movie, including the hurricane! That is, when he's not on the verge of tears. If a woman had so over-heated, you'd say it's her time of the month; I can only guess Mick's ego went nuclear and BB wasn't interested enough to rein him in. He may not have even noticed. The most absurd stroke is that Rooney clearly believed he was a great impressionist too, and BB let him do crude impersonations of Gable and Barrymore, among others, that seem pointless and self- congratulatory. Judy is early Judy: shy, more Dorothy Gale than the windstorm of talent she'd become in later Freed masterpieces like "Meet Me in St. Louis" and so forth. Some other oddities, or at least they seem odd now: a big number in which Mick and the "kids" march through the streets of a Long Island coastal town, carrying torches and proclaiming that they are the future has an odd Nazi vibe to it. Creepy. Then there's baritone Doug McPhail who was five years from suicide; he's the next Nelson Eddy except there was no next Nelson Eddy which may be why he poisoned himself. Johhny Sheffield, later to be "Boy" to Johnny Weismuller's Tarzan, is briefly glimpsed and such MGM regs as Guy Kibbee and Margaret Hamilston are around to ground the movie in solid professionalism. It's sure watchable, even today, but now you think: these people thought they were riding the wave and the wave was coming in to crush THEM.


3 of 4 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
DVD please! Francois-Antoine
Cammie King BriZanna
good morning kcrazycl
Betty Jaynes haley86_2004
Looking for the Script of Babes in Arms susan-jodon
Discuss Babes in Arms (1939) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?