Born to Sing

In the late 1930s and early 40s, MGM made a string of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney films featuring young people putting on a show. Movies like "Babes in Arms" and "Babes on Broadway" were popular with audiences....so it's not surprising that Warner Brothers would try their hand with this formula. Aside from having different actors...the formula is pretty much the same here in "Born to Sing".

When the film begins, Snap (Leo Gorcey) gets out of reform school and he goes back to see his old friends. Soon, they smell gas and find a guy trying to kill himself. They save his life and to prevent his nice daughter (Virginia Weidler) from knowing the truth, they make up a lie...though she sees through their ruse. Soon, to help her and her dad, the gang does what they can to help out...and ultimately it results in them creating a show using various kids in the neighborhood. Can the gang manage to pull it all off or are they destined to flop?

Aside from a brief scene with Weidler in blackface, the film is charming and fits the formula almost exactly. While I am not particularly a fan of these sorts of musicals, it's pleasant entertainment and worth a look if you love the old musicals. A couple folks who I really liked in the film were Sheldon Leonard (as a thug who wants to help make the show a success) and Darla Hood of the Little Rascals fame...who had a remarkable singing voice!