Everybody Sing *** (1938, Allan Jones, Judy Garland, Fanny Brice, Reginald Owen, Billie Burke, Lynne Carver) – Classic Movie Review 11,942

‘You’ll Go Gay and Goofy with MGM’s ‘EVERYBODY SING’

Director Edwin L Marin’s 1938 MGM black and white musical comedy film Everybody Sing stars Allan Jones, Judy Garland, and Fanny Brice, It played a huge role in stepping up the buzz on the teenage Garland. Look out for the songs ‘The One I Love’, ‘Down on Melody Farm’ and ‘Swing Mr Mendelssohn’.

MGM spices up the usual silly story about a crazy stage-struck household (Judy Garland as Judy Bellaire, Reginald Owen as Hillary Bellaire, Billie Burke as Diana Bellaire and Lynne Carver as Sylvia Bellaire), whose live-in home helpers (Allan Jones, Fanny Brice) stage a New York musical, with jolly music and terrific performers.

The main pleasure is 15-year-old Garland’s flair for comedy and her winning way with a tune. Garland plays jazzy singer Judy Bellaire, who is expelled from school and returns home to her dizzy actress mother (Billie Burke), frustrated playwright father (Reginald Owen) and beautiful elder sister Sylvia (Lynne Carver). Garland sings five numbers and Brice is funny as a dysfunctional Russian maid servant. Brice even gets to do her Baby Snooks routine. The Snooks number is based on the Baby Snooks character Brice played on Broadway and radio. Allan Jones plays the singing cook Ricky.

Allan Jones introduces the standard ‘The One I Love’, with lyrics by Gus Kahn and music by Bronisław Kaper and Walter Jurmann. There are three other songs from the same team: ‘Down On Melody Farm’, ‘Swing Mr Mendelssohn’ and ‘The Show Must Go On’. Jones sings part of Kaper and Jurmann’s hit song “Cosi-Cosa”, which he introduced in A Night at the Opera (1935). The music and lyrics for ‘Quainty, Dainty Me’ and ‘Snooks (Why? Because!)’ are by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby.

Also in the cast are Henry Armetta, Reginald Gardiner, Monty Woolley, Helen Troy as as Hillary’s Secretary, Michelette Burani, Adia Kuznetzoff, and Mary Forbes .

It is Allan Jones’s final MGM film, and Monty Woolley’s first for his MGM contract.

A boys choir was used to provide the singing voices for the schoolgirl chorus that backs Judy on her numbers! The St Brendan’s Boys Choir, directed by Robert Mitchell, provides the singing voices for the schoolgirl chorus backing Garland.

The film was a big step in speeding the momentum of Garland’s career, helped by a seven-week, seven-city promotional tour playing on huge stages with Roger Edens accompanying her on the piano.

The numbers are staged by Dave Gould, but Seymour Felix staged ‘Quainty, Dainty Me’

The dance director is Val Raset.

Iola Cochran is Brice’s dance double.

Despite all this, it cost $795,000, earned $1,003,000 and made a loss of $174,000.

Billie Burke also starred with Judy in The Wizard of Oz.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,942

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