Margaret O'Brien sings, dances and keeps the faith in this heartwarming musical drama co-starring Robert Preston, Danny Thomas and George Murphy.Margaret O'Brien sings, dances and keeps the faith in this heartwarming musical drama co-starring Robert Preston, Danny Thomas and George Murphy.Margaret O'Brien sings, dances and keeps the faith in this heartwarming musical drama co-starring Robert Preston, Danny Thomas and George Murphy.
- Lewis Keller
- (as Butch Jenkins)
- Boy
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Fighter
- (uncredited)
- Mike
- (uncredited)
- Rabbi
- (uncredited)
- Page Cavanaugh
- (uncredited)
- Drunk Barfly
- (uncredited)
- The Florist
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMarni Nixon, famed for doing similar voicing duties on The King and I (1956) and West Side Story (1961), sings for Margaret O'Brien in the synagogue choir scenes.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Midge: [voice over] Back in nineteen thirty-seven, our street was pretty much like it is today. One end was the settlement house where you could find the Reverend Phillip Andrews almost any time of the day or night. If you ever needed a policeman, there'd be Patrick O'Donnell coming around the corner. He was a good friend to all the kids in the neighborhood, and to the grown-ups too. Sometimes while he was walking his beat, he'd stop and listen to the music coming from the temple down at the other end of the street. It would be the cantor singing and the boys choir.
[Cantor David Feldman and the boys choir are seen performing Kol Nidre in the temple]
Midge: [voice over] One Sabbath evening after service, Cantor Feldman was on his way home.
Passerby: Good evening, Cantor Feldman.
Cantor David Irwin Feldman: Oh, good evening.
Midge: [voice over] As he started up his front steps, he heard a funny little noise.
Cantor David Irwin Feldman: [looking around] Here kitty. Here...
Midge: [in Cantor Feldman spotting a newspaper covered basket, and removing the newspapers to find a baby crying inside] It was me.
- Crazy creditsThe following general acknowledgment is listed following the opening credits: "This picture is dedicated to people who like people."
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Blue Lamp (1950)
- SoundtracksGod Bless America
Written by Irving Berlin
Performed by Marles Noie (uncredited), Margaret O'Brien (uncredited), Robert Preston (uncredited), Danny Thomas (uncredited), George Murphy (uncredited), Betty Garrett (uncredited), Karin Booth (uncredited), Edward Arnold (uncredited) and Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins (uncredited)
As you might expect, since she provides the opening narration, the little baby grows up to be Margaret O'Brien. And as you might also expect, two men fall in love with the same woman, Margaret's schoolteacher Karin Booth. Meanwhile, the third man falls in love with a coarse showgirl, played by Betty Garrett in her first film. She's given quite a few irritating numbers, making you wonder if you're supposed to be rooting against her for her bad influence on Margaret or her lack of talent.
Keep in mind that you've been warned. If you sit through Big City, you will more than likely develop a cavity. In this movie's world, three virtual strangers of different faiths can all move into the same apartment and raise a child with no fundamental arguments or conflicting opinions, and the entire legal system makes no sense. But if you like stories like 3 Men and a Baby, rent this black-and-white precursor.
- HotToastyRag
- Mar 29, 2019
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Brothers of the East Side
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,725,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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