Babes in Arms (1939)

A Pre-Cursor to Greatness
Babes in Arms is notable as the first smash hit Garland and Rooney teaming. It was adapated from a stage play for the screen, and probably lost some appeal in the transition. What stands is an okay film with a great cast and some interesting musical numbers.

A group of vaudevillians led by Joe Moran (Charles Winninger) are planning a big comeback to the stage, although vaudeville is losing its audience. Their kids want to help, but are brushed away. Moran's son Mickey (Mickey Rooney) brings the kids together to perform their own show and to prove to the adults that they can hold their own on a stage. Mickey's girl Patsy (Judy Garland) intends to play the lead, but Mickey thinks "Baby Rosalie" (June Preisser) might draw a bigger audience. And they have to battle Mrs. Steele (Margaret Hamilton) who wants to put them all into school.

There are lots of notable songs. The first is "Good Morning," a song used later for Singin' in the Rain. It's in its best form here with the jazz stylings of Garland's vocals and Rooney's piano playing. It's the catchiest song of the film, and the one you'll find yourself singing later. Most of the others are medleys with good and bad parts. Betty Jaynes and Douglas McPhail sing a few songs in their operatic style, which will be less appealing to mass audiences. The blackface routine might offend some audiences today, but it is really a tribute to the minstrel shows that Mickey's father started his career in. Rooney does an impression of Eddie Cantor in blackface, and also his impersonation of Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore. However, none of the medleys have the energy that most Garland/Rooney numbers have, so they disappoint, possibly because the spotlight is shared with the lesser talented members of the cast.

Babes in Arms
Great old movie, good watching for the times we live in. A lot of good music.

Excellent Mickey and Judy!
This classic film stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland as teenagers living in Seaport, Long Island, NY just before the Great Depression struck. Vaudeville is dying; thus Rooney's family business as show biz perfomers is very much at stake. When the older folks leave Seaport to put on a show and prove to the world that Vaudeville is not dead yet; they leave the younger folks behind. What to do? Put on a show! Rooney's character trys to woo some fading child star so she can put up the money for the show and bumps Garland from the lead. She inevitably retakes the lead in the show and everything ends happily ever after when out of nowhere some hot-shot producer likes what he saw in the barn show scene. (By the way, one cautionary note: the barn show scene includes a minstrel show; although typical of that era it is not only dated but potentially ofensive to some viewers.) The viewer also gets an extra treat: Margaret Hamilton has a small role as the nasty old lady who runs welfare in the town and wants to send the kids off to a vocational school. All in all, this really is a very goood movie and great fun to watch. I would add that this is an obvious must-have for any Garland or Rooney fan. A BUY!