Sing, Baby, Sing (1936)

Pretty Good

Great Film overall

Excellent but underrated film

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The rest of the movie is pleasant/mediocre, but Adolphe Menjou's parody of John Barrymore is fantastic. As daring as it is accurate, it makes one feel almost guilty at enjoying it so much (the movie was kicking a man when he was down in lampooning Barrymore's drunken antics and publicly disintegrating marriage). Menjou doesn't just copy Barrymore's mannerisms but has conveyed his essential noble but impish spirit, and the fun he is having is contagious--the scene in the hotel room ends on a moment of inspired hilarity, as truthful as it is loony. This inspired impersonation had an ironic sequel: Four years later, Menjou played the Barrymore role in a remake (why?) of A Bill of Divorcement. That time he was not able to channel, in a serious way, the personality he had assumed so well in this film; it was a terrible performance.

While not a great film, 'Sing Baby Sing' regardless has many pleasures, more so than caveats. Not one of my favourites when it comes to musicals and films, but there are also a million things worse with which to spend your time with.Getting the debits out of the way, the story is wafer-thin which would have been forgivable but it's also same-old-same-old and utter nonsense often. The Ritz Brothers' opening routine does go on too long, and while amazingly athletic it's not a sequence that burns in the memory forever and not as funny as it could have been. Ted Healy is wasted, with only his magic trick properly registering, due to the Ritz Brothers, Patsy Kelly and Gregory Ratoff having more to do and in the case of Kelly and Ratoff their material is broader.Had mixed feelings on the Ritz Brothers in their film debut. They are admittedly incredibly athletic and there are some very funny moments, however they are used too much, a couple of their scenes go on too long and disrupt the story's flow and they do tend to try too hard, which also makes some of their slapstick comedy annoying and overdone.On the other hand, Alice Faye is charm personified and sings sensually and beautifully in "You Turned the Tables on Me". Adolphe Menjou is also hilarious in a John Barrymore-inspired role, especially when quoting Shakespeare in a hospital. Kelly and Ratoff have broad comedy that could have been overplayed, bizarre or irritating, instead they have a ball with it and are lots of fun.Tony Martin turns up in a somewhat randomly placed but quite touchingly pleasant scene with him singing the film's best song (and all of them, while not timeless, are lovely with no obvious misfires) "When Did You Leave Heaven", which was also unsurprisingly Oscar-nominated. Brisk pacing and direction, elegant production values and a script that is not only funny and the right side of sweet but properly allows all involved to have fun with it and not hide behind.On the whole, 'Sing Baby Sing' may not be entirely heavenly, but it is also definitely not one to turn the tables on. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Although this movie could be rated as a pleasant musical comedy, it's a bit disappointing – particularly for Alice Faye fans. She's in good voice and looks great, but unfortunately, 20th Century Fox insist on surrounding her – and at times obliterating her altogether – with lesser talents, including the atrocious Ritz Brothers (here making their feature film debut and hogging every aggressively going-on- forever second of it), Adolphe Menjou, Patsy Kelly, Gregory Ratoff, and Ted Healy. Sidney Lanfield is not a strong director and it says much for the aggressive Brothers, plus Kelly and Ratoff, that they succeed in almost obliterating Healy. Ted was no slouch when it came to hogging a scene, but here he's reduced to fourth banana at best. Considering his co-star billing, Menjou's role is actually rather small. His material is no world-beater either. All told, the movie is watchable, but we expect better – much better! – from producer Buddy DeSylva!

"Sing, Baby, Sing" is a passable, sometimes alluring lightweight Fox musical starring Alice Faye, Gregory Ratoff, Patsy Kelly, Adolph Menjou, and introducing The Ritz Brothers. Faye is an aspiring singer/actress who becomes involved with a drunken Shakespearean actor Bruce Farraday(Menjou). Farraday becomes infatuated with Joan after seeing her one night in a nightclub. Joan's agent(Ratoff) sees this occasion as a way of advancing her showbiz career. Patsy Kelly provides good supporting role as Fiz, Joan's friend. The Ritz Brothers perform their often hilarious, often annoying shenanigans, interrupting the story for their routine comic acts. As the other user-comment has said, "Sing,Baby,Sing" is mainly for fans of Alice Faye. It is a good early role for Faye to shine and sparkle, but it is way below her best, most spirited musicals at Fox.