I was reading that no one watches the old Mickey-Judy musicals anymore, so, seeing that this year, 2022, is the 100th anniversary of Judy Garland's birth, i decided I would dive into their old musicals starting with Babes In Arms and then Strike Up the Band. I now just finished Babes On Broadway and I'm really struck by the use of Blackface in the finale. Blackface was also used in Babes In Arms. It's a curiosity of the times, but it's not very flattering to watch these days. There is even a whole song about doing a minstrel show and blacking up with burnt cork. I was listening to the commentary from 2007 and there wasn't even a mention of Blackface in the commentary. We've come a long way in twenty plus years. It all now seems just wrong, but keep in mind, this was over 80 years ago. In spite of all that, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney's stars shine in this movie. Very talented. Mickey even plays the banjo.
Review of Babes on Broadway
