1939·Comedy·1h 33m
7.0
★
Mickey Moran, son of two vaudeville veterans, decides to put up his own vaudeville show with his girlfriend Patsy Barton. But child actress Rosalie wants to make a comeback and replace Patsy both professionally and as Mickey's girl.
Directed by Busby Berkeley
show business
vaudeville
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Moran
Judy Garland
Patsy Barton
Charles Winninger
Joe Moran
Guy Kibbee
Judge Black
June Preisser
Rosalie Essex
Margaret Hamilton
Martha Steele
Grace Hayes
Florrie Moran
Betty Jaynes
Molly Moran
Douglas McPhail
Don Brice
Rand Brooks
Jeff Steele
Leni Lynn
Dody Martini
Johnny Sheffield
Bobs (as John Sheffield)
Crew
Busby Berkeley
Director
George Stoll
Original Music Composer
Cedric Gibbons
Art Direction
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
Douglas Shearer
Sound
Richard Rodgers
Songs
Lorenz Hart
Lyricist
Richard Rodgers
Theatre Play
Lorenz Hart
Theatre Play
Anita Loos
Additional Writing
Noel Langley
Additional Writing
John Meehan
Additional Writing
Popular Reviews
15 reviews
darina
7.0★ · 07/28/24
The songs didn’t age better, neither did the movie.
If they didn’t include all those racist jokes and of course, them doing “blackface”, it would’ve been perfect.
Apart from that, this movie is full of cute scenes- especially the one under the tree :)
I love seeing chemistry between the lead actors. Mickey and Judy outdid themselves.
If they didn’t include all those racist jokes and of course, them doing “blackface”, it would’ve been perfect.
Apart from that, this movie is full of cute scenes- especially the one under the tree :)
I love seeing chemistry between the lead actors. Mickey and Judy outdid themselves.
The songs didn’t age better, neither did the movie.
If they didn’t include all those racist jokes and of course, them doing “blackface”, it would’ve been perfect.
Apart from that, this movie is full of cute scenes- especially the one under the tree :)
I love seeing chemistry between the lead actors. Mickey and Judy outdid themselves.
If they didn’t include all those racist jokes and of course, them doing “blackface”, it would’ve been perfect.
Apart from that, this movie is full of cute scenes- especially the one under the tree :)
I love seeing chemistry between the lead actors. Mickey and Judy outdid themselves.
1
Greg Mako
6.0★ · 04/08/16
It's all fun and games until there's blackface
It's all fun and games until there's blackface
1
Alfred HitchTOK
5.0★ · 02/28/26
After watching Blue Moon, Richard Linklater’s day-in-the-life exploration of famed lyricist Lorenz Hart, I sought out a viewing of Rogers and Hart musical adaption Babes in Arms!
Well sort of. The movie version, the first solo directorial effort from famed movie musical choreographer Busby Berkeley, retains only two of Rogers and Hart numbers from their original stage production but the most memorable song is Good Morning by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, which while nicely performed here by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, is used to greater effect in the later Singing in the Rain.
Plot wise, this is more like Nepo-Babes in Arm, with a bunch of vaudeville performer’s kids, lead by Rooney and Garland determined to show their parents, that they have the chops to make it big in show biz. In face they get so riled up about it they take to the streets, carrying lit torches and start breaking up boxes! And people complain when the kids today protest against genocide?
Truthfully the smug, self congratulatory, back slapping from the kids is pretty annoying. Looking down on common folks like Elevator car operators, in their all important quest to sparkle stardust in life’s dirty old pan. Good grief.
And to top it all off their grand new vision to revolutionise musical theatre…is a revamp of a fucking Minstrel show? Complete with black face!?!
Well sort of. The movie version, the first solo directorial effort from famed movie musical choreographer Busby Berkeley, retains only two of Rogers and Hart numbers from their original stage production but the most memorable song is Good Morning by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, which while nicely performed here by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, is used to greater effect in the later Singing in the Rain.
Plot wise, this is more like Nepo-Babes in Arm, with a bunch of vaudeville performer’s kids, lead by Rooney and Garland determined to show their parents, that they have the chops to make it big in show biz. In face they get so riled up about it they take to the streets, carrying lit torches and start breaking up boxes! And people complain when the kids today protest against genocide?
Truthfully the smug, self congratulatory, back slapping from the kids is pretty annoying. Looking down on common folks like Elevator car operators, in their all important quest to sparkle stardust in life’s dirty old pan. Good grief.
And to top it all off their grand new vision to revolutionise musical theatre…is a revamp of a fucking Minstrel show? Complete with black face!?!
After watching Blue Moon, Richard Linklater’s day-in-the-life exploration of famed lyricist Lorenz Hart, I sought out a viewing of Rogers and Hart musical adaption Babes in Arms!
Well sort of. The movie version, the first solo directorial effort from famed movie musical choreographer Busby Berkeley, retains only two of Rogers and Hart numbers from their original stage production but the most memorable song is Good Morning by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, which while nicely performed here by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, is used to greater effect in the later Singing in the Rain.
Plot wise, this is more like Nepo-Babes in Arm, with a bunch of vaudeville performer’s kids, lead by Rooney and Garland determined to show their parents, that they have the chops to make it big in show biz. In face they get so riled up about it they take to the streets, carrying lit torches and start breaking up boxes! And people complain when the kids today protest against genocide?
Truthfully the smug, self congratulatory, back slapping from the kids is pretty annoying. Looking down on common folks like Elevator car operators, in their all important quest to sparkle stardust in life’s dirty old pan. Good grief.
And to top it all off their grand new vision to revolutionise musical theatre…is a revamp of a fucking Minstrel show? Complete with black face!?!
Well sort of. The movie version, the first solo directorial effort from famed movie musical choreographer Busby Berkeley, retains only two of Rogers and Hart numbers from their original stage production but the most memorable song is Good Morning by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, which while nicely performed here by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, is used to greater effect in the later Singing in the Rain.
Plot wise, this is more like Nepo-Babes in Arm, with a bunch of vaudeville performer’s kids, lead by Rooney and Garland determined to show their parents, that they have the chops to make it big in show biz. In face they get so riled up about it they take to the streets, carrying lit torches and start breaking up boxes! And people complain when the kids today protest against genocide?
Truthfully the smug, self congratulatory, back slapping from the kids is pretty annoying. Looking down on common folks like Elevator car operators, in their all important quest to sparkle stardust in life’s dirty old pan. Good grief.
And to top it all off their grand new vision to revolutionise musical theatre…is a revamp of a fucking Minstrel show? Complete with black face!?!
Maud Gone
6.0★ · 01/25/26
Judy Garland is beautiful and amazing, but unfortunately I don't find Mickey Rooney that funny. Also incredibly conservative, pro american dream and nostalgia fueled. Despite all this I somehow still enjoyed it
Judy Garland is beautiful and amazing, but unfortunately I don't find Mickey Rooney that funny. Also incredibly conservative, pro american dream and nostalgia fueled. Despite all this I somehow still enjoyed it
Erik Olsson
6.0★ · 11/28/24
Most of the movie is a pretty decent "kids put on a show" story with all the charming silliness that you'd expect, though it definitely may lean towards being annoying to modern viewers. But then the minstrel number happens and the dozens of kids we've been watching, including Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, all show up in blackface... and then your soul dies. It's of its era if anything...
Most of the movie is a pretty decent "kids put on a show" story with all the charming silliness that you'd expect, though it definitely may lean towards being annoying to modern viewers. But then the minstrel number happens and the dozens of kids we've been watching, including Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, all show up in blackface... and then your soul dies. It's of its era if anything...