Babes In Arms

The Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart songs "My Funny Valentine", "I Wish I Were in Love Again", "Way Out West", and "Johnny One Note" are songs from the original Broadway musical, but were eventually unused in the final film. "The Lady Is a Tramp" is used as part of the underscore in a dinner scene between Mickey Rooney and June Preisser.

MGM Studio's biggest money grosser of 1939, surpassing The Wizard of Oz (1939) for that production year.

The Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland-Busby Berkeley full-throttle production number, "God's Country" (music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg), had been introduced on Broadway by Jack Whiting and The Five Reillys in the 1937 musical, "Hooray for What!" MGM bought the screen rights to the show, which never was filmed.

The parody sequence, "My Day," featuring Mickey Rooney as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Judy Garland as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, was removed from the negative after the president's death on April 12, 1945. The routine, for many years thought to be lost, was rediscovered on 16-millimeter film and now can be viewed on Warner Home Video's DVD, "The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection."

In two of her MGM musicals, Judy Garland preformed the classic rouser, "Broadway Rhythm" (music by Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed): in this film, as part of the Rodger Edens-created "Opera Vs. Jazz" routine, also featuring Betty Jaynes; and the last tune in a medley which closed Presenting Lily Mars (1943), the ditty used as a showcase for Judy to dance with Charles Walters (who went uncredited for choreographing and performing in the finale), and for the star to sing with the MGM Studio Chorus, backed by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra.

Although Judy Garland re-created for Decca a contemporary version of the exuberant classic, "I'm Just Wild About Harry" (music and lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake), the first U.S. release would not appear until 1984 when MCA produced a Garland LP collection called "From the Decca Vaults." This cut was issued again as part of a Judy CD box set entitled "The Complete Decca Masters (Plus).
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The Broadway musical production of "Babes in Arms" opened at the Shubert Theater in New York on April 14, 1937 and ran for 289 performances. It had a large cast that included Mitzi Green, Dan Dailey, Alfred Drake, Ray McDonald, and the Nicholas Brothers.

The cast of Babes In Arms:

Mickey Rooney as Mickey Moran
Judy Garland as Patsy Barton
Charles Winninger as Joe Moran
Guy Kibbee as Judge John Black
June Preisser as Rosalie Essex
Grace Hayes as Florrie Moran
Betty Jaynes as Molly Moran
Douglas McPhail as Don Brice
Rand Brooks as Jeff Steele
Leni Lynn as Dody Martin
Cliff Edwards in a clip from The Hollywood Revue of 1929 of the song Singin' in the Rain
Charles King in a clip from The Broadway Melody
Margaret Hamilton as Martha
Lelah Tyler as Mrs. Brice