''Everybody Sing'' is a 1938 American

musical comedy film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as break ...

starring Allan Jones,

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

, and

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedienne, illustrated song model, singer, and theater and film actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. ...

, and featuring

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

and

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

. The film was a significant step in Garland's career.

Plot

Young Judy Bellaire (

) has trouble fitting in at school, causing trouble by introducing her jazzy style into music class and being expelled as a result. Returning home to her dysfunctional and financially challenged family, where her frustrated playwright-father (

), ditzy actress-mother (

), and beautiful elder sister, Sylvia ( Lynne Carver) compete for attention along with the funny Russian maid, Olga (

) and the hunky singing cook, Ricky ( Allan Jones), who is not-so-secretly in love with Sylvia. Judy foils her father's attempt to ship her off to Europe by escaping from the ship and then trying out for a musical show as a

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

singer, taking advantage of her love of jazz to enchant the show's producer, who hires her and makes her a star of his new show. Meanwhile, Ricky cuts a record, musically expressing his love for Sylvia. Nevertheless, Sylvia is forced into engagement with another man. When the distraught parents discover their younger daughter is appearing in a musical show, Sylvia rejoins her love, who is also appearing in the show. Finally, all the cast members are reunited, including Olga, who finds her lost love, Boris. The film's happy ending includes an extravagant stage piece with gorgeously attired chorus girls, happily reunited parents and child, and the happy kiss between Sylvia and Ricky, who is now the producer of a successful musical show.

Cast

* Allan Jones as Richard "Ricky" Saboni *

as Judy Bellaire *

as Olga Chekaloff *

as Hillary Bellaire *

as Diana Bellaire *

Reginald Gardiner William Reginald Gardiner (27 February 1903 – 7 July 1980) was an English actor on the stage, in films and on television. Early years Gardiner was born in Wimbledon, England, and he was a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.Katz, ...

as Jerrold Hope * Lynne Carver as Sylvia Bellaire *Helen Troy as Hillary's secretary *

Monty Woolley Edgar Montilion "Monty" Woolley (August 17, 1888May 6, 1963) was an American film and theater actor.Obituary '' Variety'', May 8, 1963, page 223. At the age of 50, he achieved a measure of stardom for his role in the 1939 stage play '' The Man ...

as John "Jack" Fleming *Adia Kuznetzoff as Boris, the bus driver * Henry Armetta as Signor Giovanni Vittorino, Cafe Nappo *Michelette Burani as Madame Le Brouchette *

Mary Forbes Mary Forbes (born Ethel Louise Young; 1 January 1883 – 22 July 1974) was a British-American film actress, based in the United States in her latter years, where she died. She appeared in more than 130 films between 1919 and 1958.

as Miss Colvin Cast notes * ''Everybody Sing'' is the final film Allan Jones appeared in for MGM, and the first MGM contract film for Monty Woolley.

Music

In ''Everybody Sing'', Allan Jones introduces the pop standard "The One I Love", with lyrics by

Gus Kahn Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo ...

and music by

Bronisław Kaper Bronisław Kaper (; February 5, 1902 – April 26, 1983) was a Polish film composer who scored films and musical theater in Germany, France, and the USA. The American immigration authorities misspelled his name as Bronislau Kaper. He was also va ...

and

Walter Jurmann Walter Jurmann (October 12, 1903 - June 17, 1971) was an Austrian-born composer of popular music renowned for his versatility who, after emigrating to the United States, specialized in film scores and soundtracks. Biography Born in Vienna, Jurman ...

. The film also includes three other songs from the same composing team: "(Down On) Melody Farm," "Swing Mr. Mendelssohn," and "The Show Must Go On". Jones also sings part of Kaper and Jurmann's hit song "Cosi-Cosa", which he introduced in the MGM film '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935). The music and lyrics for "Quainty, Dainty Me" and "Snooks (Why? Because!)" are by

Bert Kalmar Bert Kalmar (February 10, 1884 – September 18, 1947) was an American songwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also a screenwriter. Biography Kalmar, a native of New York City, left school at an early ag ...

and

Harry Ruby Harry Rubenstein (January 27, 1895 – February 23, 1974), known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American actor, pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Baby Snooks" played on Broadway and on the radio by Brice. The St. Brendan's Boys Choir, directed by Robert Mitchell, provided the singing voices for the schoolgirl chorus that backs Judy on her numbers."Music"
TCM.com The musical numbers were staged by

Dave Gould Dave Gould (born Dezső Guttmann; March 11, 1899 - June 3, 1969) was a Hungarian-American choreographer and dance director. He is notable as one of the three people to win the short-lived Academy Award for Best Dance Direction The Academy Awards ...

, except for "Quainty, Dainty Me", which was staged by Seymour Felix; the dance director was Val Raset. Fanny Brice's dancing was doubled by Iola Cochran.

Production

Working titles for the film were "The Ugly Ducking" – a reference to Garland's characterFristoe, Roger
"Article: Everybody Sing (1937)"
TCM.com – and "Swing Fever"."Notes"
TCM.com Principal photography took place from September 2–3, and then late September to December 21, 1937. Retakes took place January 8–10, 1938. After a stalled career, this was one of the films marking the picking up of momentum in Judy Garland's ascent to stardom. Following the sensational audience reaction to her singing " You Made Me Love You" to a picture of

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

in ''

Broadway Melody of 1938 ''Broadway Melody of 1938'' is a 1937 American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical trad ...

'' (1937), she was rushed into shooting two films back to back, ''

Thoroughbreds Don't Cry ''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry'' is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in their first film together. Plot Cricket West is a hopeful actress with a pair of vocal cords that bring ...

'' (1937) and this film, which was held for later release. According to TCM.com:

As important as the film itself in the development of Garland's career was a seven-week, seven-city promotional tour that started in Miami Beach and included stops in New York and Chicago. With Garland mentor Roger Edens accompanying her on the piano, she stepped alone for the first time onto huge stages to sing in front of adoring crowds and began to establish the audience rapport that would, in time, make her one fthe world's greatest live entertainers.

Reception

The reviewer for ''

Film Weekly ''Film Weekly'' was one of the leading popular film magazines published in the United Kingdom during the late 1920s and 1930s. Background Launched in 1928, the magazine became known for its gossipy interest in contemporary film stars. Columnist ...

'' wrote that Garland's singing put the film into the "excellent" class, and that "Anyone who stands up to Miss Brice at her own comedy game is very good indeed." According to MGM's records the film earned $655,000 in the US and Canada and $348,000 elsewhere, resulting in an overall loss of $174,000.

References

External links

* * * *
''Everybody Sing'' at the Judy Garland Database
{{Authority control 1938 films 1938 musical comedy films 1938 romantic comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films Blackface minstrel shows and films Films directed by Edwin L. Marin Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American black-and-white films Films with screenplays by Florence Ryerson Films with screenplays by Edgar Allan Woolf 1930s English-language films 1930s American films