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Babes in Arms Overview:

Babes in Arms (1939) was a Musical - Comedy Film directed by Busby Berkeley and produced by Arthur Freed.

SYNOPSIS

Showbiz musical directed by Hollywood surrealist Berkeley paired Rooney and Garland for the first time as the children of former vaudevillians who team up to put on a Really Big Show to raise money for their folks. Lots of singing and dancing, with both kids doing uncanny impersonations of then-current celebrities and political figures. Includes the title song and "You Are My Lucky Star."

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1939 --- Ceremony Number 12 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorMickey RooneyNominated
Best Music - ScoringGeorge E. Stoll, Roger EdensNominated
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Babes in Arms BlogHub Articles:

Babes in Arms (1939)

on Jul 25, 2016 From Journeys in Classic Film

The final week of the July Four gets musical with those lovable scamps Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. The third film the two musical dynamos made, Babes in Arms was Warner Bros. biggest moneymaker for the year, beating out the other Judy Garland movie out, a little film called The Wizard of Oz that... Read full article

Babes in Arms (1939)

By Beatrice on Feb 23, 2014 From Flickers in Time

Babes in Arms Directed by Busby Berkeley Written by Jack McGowan and Kay Van Riper based on the play by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart 1939/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer First viewing/Netflix rental #140 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I love both movie musicals and Judy Garland but I couldn&#8... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: BABES IN ARMS (1939)

By Jennifer Garlen on Jun 20, 2013 From Virtual Virago

The Busby Berkeley musical Babes in Arms (1939) proved an important moment in Mickey Rooney’s career; his role as showbiz hopeful Mickey Moran earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor, in a year when the competition included Clark Gable for Gone with the Wind, Laurence Olivier for ... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: BABES IN ARMS (1939)

By Jennifer Garlen on Jun 20, 2013 From Virtual Virago

The Busby Berkeley musical Babes in Arms (1939) proved an important moment in Mickey Rooney’s career; his role as showbiz hopeful Mickey Moran earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor, in a year when the competition included Clark Gable for Gone with the Wind, Laurence Olivier for ... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: BABES IN ARMS (1939)

By Jennifer Garlen on Jun 20, 2013 From Virtual Virago

The Busby Berkeley musical Babes in Arms (1939) proved an important moment in Mickey Rooney’s career; his role as showbiz hopeful Mickey Moran earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor, in a year when the competition included Clark Gable for Gone with the Wind, Laurence Olivier for ... Read full article

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Babes in Arms Quotes:

No Quote for this film.
Babes in Arms Facts
The Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart songs "My Funny Valentine", "I Wish I Were in Love Again", "Way Out West", and "Johnny One Note" are songs from the original Broadway musical, but were eventually unused in the final film. "The Lady Is a Tramp" is heard instrumentally several times as the theme for June Preisser's character Rosalie Essex.
MGM Studio's biggest money grosser of 1939, surpassing The Wizard of Oz for that production year.
The Broadway musical production of "Babes in Arms" opened at the Shubert Theater in New York on April 14, 1937 and ran for 289 performances. It had a large cast that included Mitzi Green, Dan Dailey, Alfred Drake, Ray McDonald, and The Nicholas Brothers.
In two of her MGM musicals, Judy Garland preformed the classic rouser, "Broadway Rhythm" (music by Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed): in this film, as part of the Roger Edens-created "Opera Vs. Jazz" routine, also featuring Betty Jaynes; and the last tune in a medley which closed Presenting Lily Mars, the ditty used as a showcase for Judy to dance with Charles Walters (who went uncredited for choreographing and performing in the finale), and for the star to sing with the MGM Studio Chorus, backed by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra.
Footage from earlier Mickey Rooney film, _Broadway to Hollywood (1939)_, is seen to show flashbacks of Mickey Moran, Rooney's character, as a child performing in vaudeville.
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