This was a former entry in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it was certainly an easy title to remember, and because of the cast I was looking forward to watching it, directed by Busby Berkley. Basically, Mickey Moran was born in 1921 to parents Joe (Charles Winninger) and Florrie (Grace Hayes), popular and well-known vaudevillian performers. When Mickey (Oscar nominated Mickey Rooney) reaches his late teens, vaudeville is dying out as an entertainment genre, competing against the more popular revolution of talking pictures. Mickey writes his own songs and is hoping for great success. His beautiful girlfriend Patsy Barton (Judy Garland), daughter of vaudeville performer Lillian Barton (Ann Shoemaker), is a singer. Mickey and Patsy perform his latest song "Good Morning" for a producer, and Mickey manages sell the song for $100. Mickey learns that his parents Joe and Florrie are going on the road to resurrect their vaudeville careers with their own travelling show. The parents of Mickey and Patsy feel that their children's style of entertainment doesn't fit in with the old vaudeville acts. Patsy and Mickey's sister Molly (Betty Jaynes) sing "You Are My Lucky Star" and "Broadway Rhythm" to try and convince the parents to change their minds, but it does not work. So, Mickey decides to write and produce his own show featuring Patsy, himself and their friends. Don Brice (Douglas McPhail) sings "Babes in Arms" as they march and make their presence known, making a bonfire. Martha Steele (Margaret Hamilton) and her nephew Jeff (Rand Brooks) complain to Judge Black (Guy Kibbee) about the Vaudeville kids. Mickey and Patsy meet movie star "Baby" Rosalie Essex (June Preisser) whilst in a drugstore one day. This encounter is interrupted when Mickey gets into a fight with Jeff. While Mickey's parents show flops, he is given thirty days by Judge Black to pay the damages. Don and Molly sing "Where or When" with an orchestra of children. Mickey has a date with Baby and dines in her house. Mickey wants Baby in the show, which needs $287. She offers to pay it. Mickey smokes a cigar and leaves sick. Don and Molly sing "Where or When" with an orchestra of children. Mickey has a date with Baby, hoping she will be in the show. She offers to pay the money that he needs toward the production. Mickey tells Patsy that Baby has to play the lead because of the money. Mickey directs rehearsal with Baby and Don, imitating Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore. Patsy sees Mickey kiss Baby and wrongly thinks he has fallen for her, she boards a bus and sings "I Cried for You". Patsy goes to a theatre to see her mother, after hearing about what happened Patsy's mother tells her not to quit her show. Baby's father takes her out of the show, and Mickey asks Patsy to go on. In the show, Patsy sings "Daddy Was a Minstrel Man". Mickey and Patsy put on blackface and sing a medley with Don. Patsy sings "I'm Just Wild About Harry", but a storm rages and forces the audience to leave. Mickey learns that his father quit theatre and got another job. After reconciling with Patsy, he gets a letter from producer Maddox (Henry Hull), who liked the show and offers to produce it. Mickey introduces the show by singing "God's Country", he and Patsy and everybody dance as the show finishes. Also starring Leni Lynn as Dody Martini and Johnny Sheffield as Bobs. Rooney is really likeable, as is Garland, they became a very popular movie duo, and rightly so. There are some memorable songs and dance numbers in this film, obviously "Good Morning" (famously featured in Singin' in the Rain) being best, it is disturbing to see Rooney and Garland dressed as minstrels at one point, but apart from that, it is a mostly enjoyable classic musical. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Music, Scoring. Good!
Review of Babes in Arms
