Jim Settle I could never rate this show as "awful." It's got all the typical 1930's elements, and almost all the Busby Berkley elements except the Thousand Tapdancing Toffs. What it doesn't have is the stunning music and the much more human story-line of the Broadway version. What happened to "My Funny Valentine" and "Where or When"? Why did MGM throw out both the score and the book to make the prototype, "Hey kids! Let's put on a show" show? Nobody knows.In this movie, the normally high-energy Mickey Rooney acts like he's on amphetamines, and his near-manic performance is both wearing and wearying. Garland is ... well, Judy Garland, bless her. She's an anchor in Rooney's tempest. It's worth an hour or so of your time on a rainy day, but it's not a true Classic, in my estimation. I was disappointed.

utgard14 The children of struggling vaudeville stars decide to put on a musical show to save their homes. Yes, it's a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland "let's put on a show" musical. Their first such movie, I think, and probably their most famous. Mickey & Judy are great. Mickey does Lionel Barrymore and Clark Gable impressions that are a hoot. He also has a fight scene in a drug store which is amusing. The supporting cast is made up of fine character actors like Guy Kibbee, Charles Winninger, and Henry Hull. Adorable June Preisser steals every scene she's in. Margaret Hamilton plays the villain, a busybody who tries to get the kids taken away from their parents. Garland & Hamilton filmed this right after Wizard of Oz, by the way. Interestingly, this was actually a bigger hit at the box office than Oz was in 1939.Most of the songs are nice but none wowed me. Several classic Rodgers & Hart tunes from the Broadway musical this was based on are either omitted altogether or featured too briefly to make an impact. An ear-splitting operatic version of "You're My Lucky Star" by Betty Jaynes is probably the worst song in the movie. Judy's "I Cried for You" is best. Salute to minstrel shows with cast members in blackface will upset some so prepare yourself if you're one of them. Directed by Busby Berkeley, as evidenced by his distinct touches on the "God's Country" closing number. Speaking of which, that number has Mickey & Judy satirizing FDR & Eleanor. After FDR's death this part was cut out of future showings and it remained that way until the '90s. It's a lively number and the added historical value is a plus. Good old-fashioned fun. Charming, innocent, and yes, a little corny, but an enjoyable movie overall.

wes-connors With the popularity of "talkies" (talking motion pictures), vaudeville stage performers find themselves increasingly out of work in the early 1930s. Practically born at the Palace Theatre, energetic teenager Mickey Rooney (as Michael "Mickey" Moran) tries to help out his parents and their generation of fading live performers by writing a stage show. His lead singer and potential love interest is spunky Judy Garland (as Patsy "Pat" Barton). However, there is a rival for Mr. Rooney's affections. Their Seaport, Long Island show could be destined for Broadway, but it's not all smooth sailing...MGM "teen idols" Rooney and Garland were more wholesome than those kids at other studios - especially the "Dead End" kids at Warner Bros. "Babes in Arms" entertained teens, parents - and even grandparents - with a cross-generational, albeit flimsy, story. It's a tuneful trip, despite being trimmed of some original stage songs; the medleys and production numbers make it seem bigger and more musical. This is Rooney's film, with director Busby Berkeley and co-star Garland more or less inviting you to join in and share his screen. Everyone does a good job for the star...You get the impression there isn't anything Rooney won't try. He postures throughout. The box office champ impersonates Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore well but doesn't do Franklin D. Roosevelt justice. Be prepared to cringe at the "minstrel show" wherein Rooney and Garland lead the troupe in a "blackface" barnstormer. This entertainment staple comes across dreadfully; others, most specifically Al Jolson, could get under the colored skin and perform with pathos, dignity and a bit of respect. Here, you have stereotypical exaggeration, with no imagination.***** Babes in Arms (9/15/39) Busby Berkeley ~ Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Douglas McPhail, June Preisser

Rob-120 Mickey Moran (Mickey Rooney) and Patsy Barton (Judy Garland) are teenage sweethearts and children of longtime vaudeville families. But vaudeville has suffered since the introduction of talking pictures, and their parents are out of work. When Judge John Black (Guy Kibbee) threatens to send the children of the actors off to a work farm, Mickey and Patsy lead the vaudeville kids in a rebellion. Using that old reliable stand-by -- "Hey, let's put on a show!" -- the vaudeville kids decide to prove that they are capable of supporting themselves. They develop a show that they hope to take to Broadway.As usual for screen musicals of this time, the Broadway-to-Hollywood transition does not go well. The Broadway version of "Babes In Arms" was a fairly-successful and watchable musical. But when MGM bought the rights to it, they threw out the script and most of the songs and started all over again. They tossed out classic songs like "My Funny Valentine," "The Lady is a Tramp," and "Johnny One-Note," in favor of mediocre songs like "Good Morning" and "God's Country." Rooney gives a decent performance, and Garland is well on her way to becoming America's Sweetheart. But this movie has NOT held up well over time. There is a nerve-grating "Minstrel Show" number at the end, with Rooney and Garland in blackface. Also, there is a disturbing scene where the vaudeville kids light a bonfire in the middle of town and use it to burn books of authority. (Didn't anybody in Hollywood watch the newsreels at this time, and see what was going on in Berlin?) But even more so than that, the plot is just a clothesline to string together musical numbers. Compared to today's musicals, where you have interesting things going on in between the musical numbers, the Rooney-Garland romance story in "Babes in Arms" is just marking time between songs.The movie is worth watching to see Garland in the prime of her teen sweetheart years, and possibly to check out the dance numbers. But overall, this musical is best forgotten.