Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

Garden of the Moon

  • 19381938
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
245
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Pat O'Brien, Margaret Lindsay, and John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)
  • Comedy
  • Musical
  • Romance
John Quinn is the ruthless manager of the night club Garden of the Moon. He has booked Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees for a season as his band, but due to a car accident Vallee can't ... Read allJohn Quinn is the ruthless manager of the night club Garden of the Moon. He has booked Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees for a season as his band, but due to a car accident Vallee can't work for a while, Quinn's secretary Toni Blake is only able to get the unknown band of Don... Read allJohn Quinn is the ruthless manager of the night club Garden of the Moon. He has booked Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees for a season as his band, but due to a car accident Vallee can't work for a while, Quinn's secretary Toni Blake is only able to get the unknown band of Don Vincente. Quinn makes it clear to Vincente, that he has only to work for a fortneight, un... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
245
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Busby Berkeley
  • Writers
    • Jerry Wald(screen play)
    • Richard Macaulay(screen play)
    • H. Bedford-Jones(from: the Saturday Evening Post story by)
  • Stars
    • Pat O'Brien
    • Margaret Lindsay
    • John Payne
Top credits
  • Director
    • Busby Berkeley
  • Writers
    • Jerry Wald(screen play)
    • Richard Macaulay(screen play)
    • H. Bedford-Jones(from: the Saturday Evening Post story by)
  • Stars
    • Pat O'Brien
    • Margaret Lindsay
    • John Payne
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 12User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

    Pat O'Brien, Curt Bois, and John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)
    Margaret Lindsay and John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)
    Margaret Lindsay and John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)
    John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)
    Pat O'Brien, Margaret Lindsay, and John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)
    Pat O'Brien, Margaret Lindsay, and John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Pat O'Brien
    Pat O'Brien
    • John Quinnas John Quinn
    Margaret Lindsay
    Margaret Lindsay
    • Toni Blakeas Toni Blake
    John Payne
    John Payne
    • Don Vincenteas Don Vincente
    Johnnie Davis
    Johnnie Davis
    • Slappy Harrisas Slappy Harris
    Melville Cooper
    Melville Cooper
    • Mauriceas Maurice
    Isabel Jeans
    Isabel Jeans
    • Mrs. Lornayas Mrs. Lornay
    Mabel Todd
    Mabel Todd
    • Mary Stantonas Mary Stanton
    Penny Singleton
    Penny Singleton
    • Miss Calderas Miss Calder
    Dick Purcell
    Dick Purcell
    • Rick Fultonas Rick Fulton
    Curt Bois
    Curt Bois
    • Maharajah of Sundas Maharajah of Sund
    Granville Bates
    Granville Bates
    • Angus McGillicuddyas Angus McGillicuddy
    Edward McWade
    Edward McWade
    • Peter McGillicuddyas Peter McGillicuddy
    Larry Williams
    Larry Williams
    • Trentas Trent
    Ray Mayer
    • Musicianas Musician
    Jerry Colonna
    Jerry Colonna
    • Musicianas Musician
    Joe Venuti
    • Musicianas Musician
    Jimmy Fidler
    Jimmy Fidler
    • Jimmie Fidleras Jimmie Fidler
    • (as Jimmie Fidler)
    Nat Carr
    Nat Carr
    • Joe - Food Store Owneras Joe - Food Store Owner
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Busby Berkeley
    • Writers
      • Jerry Wald(screen play)
      • Richard Macaulay(screen play)
      • H. Bedford-Jones(from: the Saturday Evening Post story by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    More like this

    No Man of Her Own
    7.4
    No Man of Her Own
    Johnny Angel
    6.3
    Johnny Angel
    Cry Wolf
    6.5
    Cry Wolf
    Blonde Inspiration
    5.6
    Blonde Inspiration
    Men Are Such Fools
    5.4
    Men Are Such Fools
    Comet Over Broadway
    5.6
    Comet Over Broadway
    San Francisco
    7.2
    San Francisco
    Cinderella Jones
    5.3
    Cinderella Jones
    Hollywood Hotel
    6.4
    Hollywood Hotel
    Forty Little Mothers
    6.5
    Forty Little Mothers
    Stage Struck
    5.5
    Stage Struck
    The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
    7.0
    The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The roles played by John Payne and Margaret Lindsay were originally intended for Dick Powell and Bette Davis. Powell took a layoff rather than make this film.
    • Quotes

      Slappy Harris: Say, you ought to be able to get us a lot of publicity. You know, Don is a solid tenor, when he gets nice and groovy, its out of this world.

      Toni Blake: How's that?

      Slappy Harris: I mean its a killer duck. Well, when he starts us cats sending, you ought to see the alligators pack around the grandstand.

      Toni Blake: I don't mean to be rude, but, are you giving me the double-talk?

      Don Vincente: Ha-ha. Nah, that's just a little swing lingo. He means the customers like our work.

      Toni Blake: Does he speak English too?

      Don Vincente: Of course he does. Slappy, say a few words in English for the lady.

      Slappy Harris: Oh, she knows what I mean. She's no icky.

    • Crazy credits
      The credits are printed into a restaurant menu and the pages are turned by a male hand.
    • Soundtracks
      Garden of the Moon
      (1938) (uncredited)

      Music by Harry Warren

      Lyrics by Al Dubin and Johnny Mercer

      Played during the opening credits and often in the score

      Sung by Mabel Todd with Harry Seymour on piano

      Also sung by John Payne with the orchestra

    User reviews12

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    This Is Obviously the Cocoanut Grove
    The Garden of the Moon is the name of a nightclub in Los Angeles and it is obviously meant to represent the Cocoanut Grove Night Club which was located in the Ambassador Hotel. It was THE premier nightspot in Tinseltown and only the best acts appeared there.

    The Ambassador Hotel also entered history for a tragic reason, it was there that Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. Some twenty years after that the Ambassador was torn down and the old Cocoanut Grove was razed. It hadn't been operating for some years before that.

    But in this film it's the Garden of the Moon and it's run by the fast talking, imperious Pat O'Brien. The only time O'Brien ever slowed down the tempo of his dialog was to play priests in Angels With Dirty Faces and The Fighting 69th while he was with Warner Brothers. But Pat was always entertaining.

    O'Brien was most often teamed with James Cagney, but also he did several films with Dick Powell usually as a manager, agent, mentor, etc. for Powell who would sing. Powell was getting tired of doing musicals and the role of the band-leader/crooner in this film was so obviously written for him.

    A newcomer named John Payne got a break here playing the Powell part. He gets a telegram from O'Brien signing him for an appearance at the Garden of the Moon and he and the band race across the country and then find out it's only for two weeks. For the rest of the film O'Brien and Payne are at each other's throats and Payne is helped by nightclub publicist Margaret Lindsay who works for O'Brien, but has fallen big time for Payne.

    Songs here are by Harry Warren and Al Dubin and the director is Busby Berkeley. Like Dick Powell, they were coming to the end of their Warner Brothers contracts. Berkeley didn't break any new ground and no hit songs emerged from the score, but the three of them did their jobs in their usual professional style.

    Curiously enough John Payne right after this was signed by 20th Century Fox to be a musical Tyrone Power who he resembled. And also Payne's career followed a similar path to Dick Powell's in that eventually he eschewed musicals for dramatic parts and did them as well as Powell did.

    It's minor league Busby Berkeley, but even in the minor leagues it's still good entertainment.
    helpful•11
    3
    • bkoganbing
    • Dec 2, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • No Mundo da Lua
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • First National Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Pat O'Brien, Margaret Lindsay, and John Payne in Garden of the Moon (1938)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for Garden of the Moon (1938)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The 10 Most Anticipated Marvel and DC Movies
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    2022 TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.