Among its many delights, Everybody Sing features Judy Garland’s first big movie role.  This was her fourth feature film and the first in which she is the main character and the first in which the plot centers around her.  It’s still a “B” musical but it’s an MGM “B” musical meaning that it is, like so many others made at the studio at this time, comparable to many “A” films from other studios.  Part of what makes this film so delightful is the cast.  It’s full of supremely talented MGM contract players.

Judy is given excellent support from the rest of the cast, including the fabulous Fanny Brice, crooner Allan Jones, future “Glinda” Billie Burke, Reginald Owen, and Lynne Carver as Judy’s older sister.   Everybody Sing is a great example of the typical 1930s zany screwball comedy but this time it’s all wrapped up in a wonderful musical package.  And everyone does sing!   So much so that at one point it seems as though everyone with a speaking part will break out into song.  But it works, and doesn’t get tiresome thanks to the plot device of Judy’s showbiz family and everyone else in the family’s orbit being scatterbrained eccentrics.

Everybody Sing went into production as The Ugly Duckling, and Swing Fever, the former of which probably didn’t do much for Judy’s self confidence and self image.  Luckily, the title was changed to Everybody Sing although there are still references in the script to Judy’s character being an “ugly duckling.”   She had a tendency to put on weight and with the camera adding pounds anyway, she was trapped in a constant struggle with the studio to keep her weight down.  It didn’t help matters that MGM was famous for its glamour, especially its leading ladies, and although Judy was cute the studio seemed at a loss as to how to best present her.  She obviously wasn’t a budding glamour girl so that route couldn’t be taken.  MGM decided to go the “little miss fix-it” image with a dash of “hep.” The “hep” was provided by Judy’s voice which could swing with the best of them.  And swing Judy does in Everybody Sing.  We first see her character, Judy Bellaire, getting into trouble at her girls school for breaking into a swinging riff on Mendelssohn (“Swing Mr. Mendelssohn”).  She promptly gets kicked out.   Her character’s subsequent struggles with her zany family and trying to prove herself every bit the performer they are provides the crux of the plot.

Allan Jones was the “big star” of the film, with Judy billed second, but they equally shared the bulk of the songs in Everybody Sing.   The result is that Judy easily stole the show (that’s no reflection on Jones’ considerable talents).  Fanny Brice is given the best screen time of her lauded career with a comedic solo and a duet with Judy, “Why? Because!” performed as her wildly popular radio and stage character Baby Snooks.  This is the only time that Brice played her signature character on screen.  She and Judy are magic together.  The fact that Judy could hold her own with Brice (and the rest of the seasoned cast) at this young of an age (Judy was 15 at the time) is amazing and something the critics at the time made note of.  

Allan Jones, naturally, gets his chance to shine as well with his good looks and leading man tenor voice.  It’s been noted before but it bears repeating here: In hindsight it’s fascinating to watch Judy with Jones and Brice knowing that her career would become so all encompassing as to come full circle in the early 1960s when she had Jones’s son, Jack Jones (also a crooner) on her TV series as well as Barbra Streisand who would go on to famously play Brice in Funny Girl (1968).  

Everybody Sing is by far the best of Judy’s pre-Wizard of Oz films.  By this point, MGM was obviously grooming Judy for stardom (the ads for Everybody Sing touted that prediction) partly because of her upcoming role in the very risk and expensive Wizard of Oz and partly because the studio finally realized that what they had in Judy Garland was someone who was truly unique and special.  And that means, of course, great box office if handled correctly.  Which they did!