Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958)

A Movie star has triplets, but does not want her beloved public to find out. Has she made a mistake in hiring Jerry Lewis as the babysitter ?

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

Frank Tashlin (screen story and screenplay), Preston Sturges (screenplay)

Stars:

Jerry Lewis, Marilyn Maxwell, Reginald Gardiner

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jerry Lewis	...	Clayton Poole
Marilyn Maxwell	...	Carla Naples
Reginald Gardiner	...	Harold Hermann
Salvatore Baccaloni	...	Gigi 'Papa' Naples (as Baccaloni)
Hans Conried	...	Mr. Wright
Isobel Elsom	...	Mrs. Van Cleeve
James Gleason	...	Doc Simpkins
Ida Moore	...	Miss Bessie Polk
Gary Lewis	...	Young Clayton
Hope Emerson	...	Mrs. Rogers
Alex Gerry	...	Judge Jenkins
Mary Treen	...	Nurse
Judy Franklin	...	Young Clara Naples
Connie Stevens	...	Sandra Naples
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Sanders	...	Danny Poole (scenes deleted)

Storyline

About the only thing kept in this film from Preston Sturges original story for "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" is a girl that gets drunk, gets married, gets pregnant and doesn't even remember any of it. A major difference is that "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" was a classic comedy and "Rock-a-Bye Baby" isn't. This time out, Clayton Poole is a small town TV repairman who is still in love with his former hometown sweetheart, Carla Naples, who is now a famous movie queen. When Carla becomes pregnant due to a hasty marriage in Mexico, which she has forgotten about, the studio tells her a baby will ruin her career so she turns to Clayton, the only person she can trust, and he agrees to care for the baby when it is born. Carla gives birth to triplets and Clayton finds he must get married before he can adopt them. He marries Sandy, Carla's younger sister who has always loved him. The press learns about Carla's triplets and she tells reporters she is secretly married to Clayton. Clayton, ...

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Plot Keywords:

triplets | star | marriage | quintuplets | mexico | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Babysitter

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, York Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was re-released on a double bill with Don't Give Up the Ship in 1963.

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Connections

Remake of The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

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Soundtracks

"The Land of La-La-La"
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Sung by Jerry Lewis

User Reviews

A classic of the period

I've read the preceding comments and they pretty much tell the story of why this is a classic Jerry Lewis film. However, I think one of the reasons I love this one so much is that it also captures a feel for what life was like growing up in the fifties (as I did). In many ways it typifies the fifties mindset, but also exemplifies the entertainment of the period. Things were so much more family-oriented. Sex wasn't non-existence in films, but it was more often handled tastefully. Language was wholesome and the humor didn't depend on "shock" (such as the name of Navin Johnson's dog in The Jerk).

I find the segment in Hill Valley of the fifties in Back to the Future especially enjoyable as Robert Zemeckis does a great job of re-creating the era. Watching Rock a Bye Baby, which is authentically of the era confirms that. (In fact, the court house and town square in both of these films appear to have a striking similarity to one another.)

Although the story owes a lot to The Miracle of Morgan's Creek as inspiration (and even gives Preston Sturges credit), it really has its own unique flavor as well. Like a son who bears a resemblance to his father but also has his own personality. In many ways I think that Frank Tashlin has improved upon it. The subplot with the sister and its resolution are wonderful additions.

Over all I think it is a great film and can't wait till it's available on DVD (Is anybody listening?).