Movie spotlight
The "Caliban-Ariel" romance of fiftysomething John Barrymore and teenager Elaine Barrie is spoofed in this delightful 20th Century Fox musical. Adolphe Menjou plays the Barrymore counterpart, a loose-living movie star with a penchant for wine, women, and more wine. Alice Faye plays a nightclub singer hungry for publicity. Her agent (Gregory Ratoff) arranges a "romance" between Faye and Menjou. Eventually Faye winds up with Michael Whalen, allowing Menjou to continue his blissful, bibulous bachelorhood. Sing, Baby, Sing represented the feature-film debut of the Ritz Brothers, who are in top form in their specialty numbers--and who are awarded a final curtain call after the "The End" title, just so the audience won't forget them (The same device was used to introduce British actor George Sanders in Fox's Lancer Spy [37]).
A charming but struggling singer, Joan Miller, finds herself entangled in a web of deceit when a manipulative press agent, Rosco Swanee, attempts to boost her career by faking a romance with a popular film star. As the charade escalates, Joan's genuine feelings for the star, Bob Rogers, begin to develop, leading to complications and misunderstandings. The film follows Joan's journey to achieve stardom while navigating the complexities of love and the cutthroat world of show business.
Sing, Baby, Sing was a modest success upon its release, largely due to the popularity of its stars, especially Alice Faye, who was rising as a major musical talent at Fox. While not a critical darling, it was generally seen as an enjoyable and competently made musical comedy that provided escapist entertainment during the Great Depression.
Praised for Alice Faye's musical numbers and charisma.
Considered a standard, pleasant Hollywood musical of the era.
Some noted the predictable plot but appreciated the lighthearted tone.
Google audience: Audience reception data from Google is not readily available for this historical film. However, contemporary reviews suggest it was viewed as a feel-good musical suitable for its time.
This film marked one of Alice Faye's earliest starring roles and helped solidify her image as a wholesome, musical star for 20th Century Fox.
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There’s a scene in this where the successful Thespian “Farraday” (Adolphe Menjou) serenades an hot water bottle full of medical rum that shows this actor’s ability to amiably turn his hand to most things, but otherwise this is a thin story ...