(1939)
4
Richard Gilliam
Babes in Arms is a prime example of the "let's put on a show" musical popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The nominal plot is little more than a means of connecting the elaborate production numbers; the supporting cast are little more than props for stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Busby Berkeley's direction is able and functional: like the audience, he's just eager to get to the next dance set. MGM had other priorities at the time of Babes' production -- most notably Garland's classic The Wizard of Oz, on which the studio lost money, and the expensive, lucrative Gone With the Wind -- so the budget for the Berkeley musical was surprisingly low. What Babes in Arms lacks in production grandeur, however, it amply compensates with the captivating star turns from Rooney and Garland.
cast-crew for Babes in Arms on AllMovie
Babes in Arms (1939)
/_derived_jpg_q90_80x60_m0/744-66.jpg?partner=allrovi.com){kind=small}
/_derived_jpg_q90_80x60_m0/FriscoKid1935-Still2.jpg?partner=allrovi.com){kind=small}
