(1938)
2
Craig Butler
A mediocre musical stew from MGM, Everybody Sing is primarily of interest as a chance to see Judy Garland while she (and MGM) was still trying to figure out just who Judy Garland was, and as a rare chance to see Fanny Brice, legendary stage and radio comedienne/singer known to modern audiences mostly through Barbra Streisand's not-accurate recreation of her in Funny Girl and Funny Lady. Garland is well worth watching. She's still raw and rough around the edges, pushing a little hard in places; but the voice is full of the Garland magic, a brass bell coated in cream and sugar. Even when saddled with mostly second-rate songs, as is the case here, Garland can find some emotional core in them that will resonate with listeners, and she's ebulliently larksome here. But be warned: this is one of those films in which Garland dons blackface for a number. Brice is another matter; while one can glimpse some of the genius that must have skyrocketed off the stage, on screen she comes across as too big, too artificial. Still, there are some wonderful moments, and those moments are worth catching. The rest of the cast is variable, with Allan Jones in fine voice but wooden form, Reginald Owen and Billie Burke pushing too hard, Reginald Gardiner quite good and Lynne Carver quite fetching. The screenplay is nonsensical and often annoying, the direction is busy but dull, and the songs undistinguished -- so this is one best reserved for the fans or for those with a high nostalgia fondness.
Everybody Sing on AllMovie
Everybody Sing (1938)
