Tommy Williams desperately wants to get to Broadway, but as he is only singing in a spaghetti house for tips he is a long way off. He meets Penny Morris, herself no mean singer, and through...
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Title: Babes on Broadway (1941)
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Nominated for
1
Oscar.
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Mickey Rooney | ... | Tommy Williams | |
| Judy Garland | ... | Penny Morris | |
| Fay Bainter | ... | Miss Jones | |
| Virginia Weidler | ... | Barbara Jo | |
| Ray McDonald | ... | Ray Lambert | |
| Richard Quine | ... | Morton Hammond | |
| Donald Meek | ... | Mr. Stone | |
 |
Alexander Woollcott | ... | Alexander Woollcott |
| Luis Alberni | ... | Nick | |
| James Gleason | ... | Thornton Reed | |
| Emma Dunn | ... | Mrs. Williams | |
| Frederick Burton | ... | Mr. Morris | |
| Cliff Clark | ... | Inspector Moriarity | |
| William Post Jr. | ... | Announcer | |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Carl Stockdale | ... | Man (scenes deleted) | |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Storyline
Tommy Williams desperately wants to get to Broadway, but as he is only singing in a spaghetti house for tips he is a long way off. He meets Penny Morris, herself no mean singer, and through her gets the idea to promote a show to send orphaned children on a country holiday. But he is only using the kids to get on himself, which Penny soon realises. With his romance off, an engagement in Philadelphia he can't get to, and, indeed, war in Europe, life can be difficult. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Plot Keywords:
reference to robert taylor | financial crisis | female impersonation | block party | mother son relationship |Taglines:
The fastest musical show on Earth, biggest song and dance spectacle of all time! See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
January 1942 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Débuts à Broadway See more »Filming Locations:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USAEdit
Box Office
Budget:
$940,068 (estimated)Gross USA:
$3,850,000, 11 August 1946Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Penny Morris: How do you know I can?
Tommy 'Tom' Williams: Because you sing when you talk. When you walk. Why your eyes, why their singing right now
Penny Morris: They are? Well I'll be darned
See more »
(uncredited)
Music by Burton Lane
Lyrics by Ralph Freed
Sung and danced to by Mickey Rooney, Ray McDonald and Richard Quine
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Vincente Minnelli conceived and supervised the "Ghost Theater" sequence where Garland and Rooney imitate theatrical notables of the past. See more »Goofs
In the "Hoe Down" number, during Ray McDonald's tap dance, his foot movement does not match the sound of the taps. See more »Quotes
Tommy 'Tom' Williams: Will ya sing me a song?Penny Morris: How do you know I can?
Tommy 'Tom' Williams: Because you sing when you talk. When you walk. Why your eyes, why their singing right now
Penny Morris: They are? Well I'll be darned
See more »
Alternate Versions
Some older television prints of the film delete the minstrel show finale. See more »Soundtracks
Anything Can Happen in New York(uncredited)
Music by Burton Lane
Lyrics by Ralph Freed
Sung and danced to by Mickey Rooney, Ray McDonald and Richard Quine
See more »
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If you like fast paced Hollywood musicals from yesteryear, then this movie is for you. The story is dated and hokey, but there is a lot of singing and dancing. Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and the rest of the cast is excellent. Rooney demonstrates his versatility as a song-and-dance man and pairs well with Judy Garland who sings several songs and is quite engaging. The finale includes a several-minutes long minstrel sequence which some may find insensitive as it is performed in black face. That notwithstanding, Garland performs a number in black face and in drag (i.e. dressed as a male), which is remarkable. The cinematography is excellent, capturing the dance sequences in all their glory. If judged by current tastes, the movie's style is a curio, an antique. But what is not dated is the energy, vitality and the music itself which would resonate with today's audience.