Walking My Baby Back Home

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

Donald O'Connor plays a rich, young man who is head of a band that came together in the army.  They try desperately to make it but no one is picking up on their style.  Time after time, they try different arrangements and different joints - to no avail.  The band walks out on him.  His girl Chris works for her uncle in his Minstrel show, but the Minstrel flops.  Together, Jigger (Donald O'Connor), his best bud Chimp, and Chris agree to keep trying until they make it.

New York is a tough place, and they have to figure out what they're going to do before they can convince the guys to come back.  But Smiley, a black pianist and singer from the Minstrel, makes a break!  The new generation loves the old Dixieland!  Jigger convinces Smiley that combining the Dixieland with his orchestra will be a hit, and they get all the guys back.

But Jigger is a Millard, a rich piano family, and they want him to be in opera.  They don't even know he played hookie during his music lessons.  When their fortune comes to depend on his performance as an opera singer, Jigger is stuck between his friends and his family, neither of which knows the full extent of his situation.  A dutiful son, he agrees to sing, but he can't tell anyone of his family's financial situation, so what will the band think?

Bouncy dance numbers and a silly romance make this movie fun and enjoyable to watch.  The plot never focuses too much on any one problem, making it light and whimsical.  Donald O'Connor is given a chance to exhibit his talent, once again, in many areas, and Janet Leigh enthralls us with her singing.  Even the Millard family presence doesn't weigh too heavily on the feel.  Recommended for all ages.

Points: 10
Rating: A

~Meggy


*Walking My Baby Back Home*