IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney star in a musical directed by Busby Berkeley as two talented teenagers dreaming of success as Babes on Broadway.Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney star in a musical directed by Busby Berkeley as two talented teenagers dreaming of success as Babes on Broadway.Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney star in a musical directed by Busby Berkeley as two talented teenagers dreaming of success as Babes on Broadway.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
Carl Stockdale
- Man
- (scenes deleted)
Rene Austin
- Elinor Downing, War Refugee
- (uncredited)
Dick Baron
- Butch
- (uncredited)
Barbara Bedford
- Mrs. Crainen, the Matron
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaVincente Minnelli conceived and supervised the "Ghost Theater" sequence where Garland and Rooney imitate theatrical notables of the past.
- GoofsWhen Alexander Woollcott is introducing the story, at one point his bow tie disappears and his collar is open.
- Quotes
Maxine, Little Girl at Audition: Please wait, don't send my brother to the chair, don't let him burn, please, please warden, please.
- Alternate versionsSome older television prints of the film delete the minstrel show finale.
- ConnectionsEdited into Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
- SoundtracksBabes on Broadway
(uncredited)
Music by Burton Lane
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Played and sung by a chorus during the opening credits
Reprised as a production number with the principal cast near the end
Sung and danced to by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in blackface
Danced to by Ray McDonald in blackface
Featured review
You can't get rickets listening to the crickets
Mickey and Judy want to put on a show (surprise) to help orphans. Only Mickey has an ulterior motive -- to impress a big shot producer and get a gig on Broadway. When Judy finds out, it looks like splitsville for the duo. Nice Busby Berkeley musical although it's way too long to have such a thin plot. But the musical numbers with Judy and Mickey are what people care about and most of those are energetic and fun. Film debut of Margaret O'Brien in an adorable bit. Donna Reed has a small part as a receptionist. Mickey and Judy are both perfect, playing parts similar to many others they played. By the way, I love the posters the kids create to advertise the show. One slogan reads: "Do you want rickets on your conscience? Get the kids to the country." Certainly sounds more sincere than some celebrity-endorsed causes in recent years.
What seems to get the most reaction here on IMDb is not surprisingly the minstrel number at the close of the show with all of the actors in blackface. Yes it's dated and offensive but some of the comments here are way over the top. One imbecilic individual even said Mickey Rooney shouldn't have been allowed to work again! Put the Kool-Aid down, kid.
What seems to get the most reaction here on IMDb is not surprisingly the minstrel number at the close of the show with all of the actors in blackface. Yes it's dated and offensive but some of the comments here are way over the top. One imbecilic individual even said Mickey Rooney shouldn't have been allowed to work again! Put the Kool-Aid down, kid.
- How long is Babes on Broadway?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $940,068 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 58 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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