Um Marido para Mamãe

I had previously watched this back in the '90s when I borrowed this VHS version from the library and I remember enjoying it but when I watched it again on YouTube, I had forgotten much of the plot. As a result, I enjoyed this even more now with young Judy Garland in all her natural glory whether singing or doing her dramatic scenes. The reason I watched this again, however, was since I was reviewing various Our Gang shorts and other films featuring at least one of that group's members in chronological order, this was next on the list since another of this movie's players was Scotty Beckett-a former member from the early '30s. He was funny here. Also liked Walter Pidgeon as a potential love interest for Judy and Scotty's mother-Mary Astor, Freddie Bartholomew as a family friend, and Alan Hale Sr. as another potential family friend. So on that note, I highly recommend Listen, Darling. Oh, and that's Charley Grapewin-future relative of Garland in The Wizard of Oz-as the guy at the gas station.

Judy and Freddie team up and kidnap Judy's mom ( Mary Astor ) in a trailer in an effort to prevent her mother from marrying the town banker , which the mother does not love. In route they meet a photographer ( Walter Pigeon ) who falls in love with Judy's Mom. The scenes with her little brother are really funny coupled with Judy singing "Zing, Went the Strings of my Heart" made this a treat for my daughter and myself to watch. A great movie to watch on a quiet afternoon or late at night.

Judy Garland is concerned that mom Mary Astor might be marrying prim and proper banker Gene Lockhart for all the wrong reasons. She concocts a scheme with friend Freddie Bartholomew to kidnap mom and little brother Scotty Beckett in a motor home and head for the open road so she can see what's out there.

I know it sounds like a crazy plot, but it actually is both funny and charming. Judy gets to introduce one of her standards, Zing When the Strings of My Heart and later on during a thunderstorm she comforts Scotty Beckett with the song It's Raining Ten Pins in the Sky. Of course that is a total ripoff of what Bing Crosby sang in the exact same situation in Pennies from Heaven, but who cares.

On the road the family meets both Walter Pigeon and Alan Hale, both more acceptable choices for the widow Astor. Who does she choose. You'll have to sit through Judy Garland singing some really nice songs in her inimitable style to find out.

Not a bad trade, not a bad trade at all.

This movie is so cute! It'll seem enormously silly and campy, and that's exactly what it turns out to be, even in the literal sense. Widow Mary Astor feels pressured for financial reasons to marry Gene Lockhart, whom neither she nor her teenaged daughter Judy Garland love, so in order to prevent the marriage, Judy and her boyfriend Freddie Bartholomew kidnap Mary and camp out in a trailer in the woods. See, it's silly and campy!

Granted, the story itself is ridiculous, but the heart of the movie lies with the characters, each likable and sweet in their own way. Mary wants the best for her family, but when she meets the handsome, charming Walter Pidgeon, she realizes she hasn't given up on love. Walter is carefree and likes his independence, but he can't help but feel connected to Mary's unusual family. Freddie's devotion to his best girl is quite adorable, and it's not hard to imagine that in a few years, he and Judy will get married. Plus, how cute is it to see David Copperfield driving a car and camping in a trailer? Judy is the noblest of all, who puts her mother's happiness above everything, even the law. Before the kidnapping plan is set in action, Judy tells Freddie, "She was crying again last night," with a tearful warble in her voice. No matter who her stepfather is, whether it's Walter, Gene, or Alan Hale, Judy just wants her mother to be happy.

Speaking of Alan Hale, he gets the chance to sink his teeth into a different type of role. He's not Little John or anyone's loud, embarrassing father in this movie. He's a millionaire with a heart of gold, and he's gentle and sensitive. So, since you've got five good reasons to watch this movie, what are you waiting for? Here's one more reason: You'll get to hear Judy sing the famous "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," and Freddie, Mary, and Walter join in during the very silly song "On the Bumpy Road to Love."

"Listen, Darling" is a very good comedy drama and family picture, with a wonderful cast of known adult and child actors of the day. The plot is about a plot by Pinkie Wingate and her good friend, Buzz Mitchell, to kidnap Mrs. Wingate. They want to get her away from home for awhile where local banker, Mr. Drubbs, is about to pop the question to Dottie. She is a widow raising Pinkie and her young brother, Billie. Buzz came up with idea of tricking Dottie and Billie into the family's small trailer, locking the door on them and then he and Pinkie driving out of town and to a distant camp ground. They figure that once out in the wilds for a few days, they would be able to look around for other eligible males for Dottie.

Well, obviously, such a silly plot leads to a fun and sometimes very funny escapade. And do they ever meet some eligible men for Dottie. All of the characters in this film are worth smiles.

Judy Garland is Pinkie, and is 16 and not quite yet the star she would be within a year. She was on her way though, having made the first of the Andy Hardy films with Micky Rooney just before this one. "The Wizard of Oz" was just around the corner. Judy sings two tunes here. And, joining Judy as Buzz is Freddie Bartholomew. He was just 14 at the time, but a good size for his age and a perfect teen friend for Pinky. Even little Scotty Beckett is more cute than annoying as Pinkie's brother, Billie - at around 8 or 9 years of age - his real age at the time.

Mary Astor plays the mom, Dottie Wingate. She hasn't had a lot to smile about since her husband's death some years before. She struggles to make ends meet, which is why she's inclined to say "yes" to Mr. Drubbs if he asks her hand in marriage. But Pinkie knows she doesn't love the man, and she wants her mother to be happy.

Well, the men they meet camping out include Walter Pidgeon as Richard Thurlow, Alan Hale as J.J. Slattery, and Barnett Parker as Abercrombie.

This is a warm, funny and entertaining comedy. It is a good family film that most older movie buffs, especially, should enjoy.

Here are a couple of favorite lines from the film.

Buzz Mitchell, "Ah, I might as well try to reason with a piece of cheese as women."

Dottie Wingate, "Buzz, I think the two of you are mad - absolutely mad. It's the craziest, silliest, most ridiculous senseless thing I've ever heard of in my life. But I love you for it."