Everybody's Baby (1939) User Reviews (2)

Modern child psychology celebrates its 80th birthday. Thank God it flopped.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 20 August 2020]

The elderly Florence Roberts steals the scene as this film is entering its last quarter, investigating child psychiatrist Reginald Denny whose modern idea of raising babies is proven a huge failure by simple common-sense. Zapped common sense is provided in this later entry Jones film by housekeeper Hattie McDaniel who explains to husband Russell Gleason her own idealistic way, sharing her adorable baby with him to play with. It's interesting to see that McDaniel still turned up in B films the very same year she scored a triumph as Mammy in "Gone With the Wind", and her vivacious personality is, along with Roberts, one of the highlights of this above average entry in the series.

New grandparents Jed Prouty and Spring Byington have very little to do in this, relegated to the background in the story of more marital issues between daughter Shirley Deane and Gleason. Ding ding goes into labor during a lecture by Professor Denny, and because of that, he manipulate the couple into hiring nurse Claire Du Brey who is the Ratchet of baby raising. She gets deservedly doused with food twice, first by Gleason and then in a very funny confrontation from McDaniel that will have you cheering. All in all, a very satisfactory little film that sends the psychiatrist back to the asylum where he should become a permanent patient.

If You're A Parent You'll Laugh A Lot

[overseer-3 · 10/10 · 15 August 2020]

I absolutely loved Everybody's Baby (1939) and laughed my head off! Reginald Denny plays a traveling "Child Rearing Expert" who has written a popular book on the subject and he shows up at the small town of newly-married-with-new-baby couple Russell Gleason (son of character actor James Gleason) and Shirley Deane. Wife decides this child expert is absolutely brilliant and decides to try his method of strict child-rearing. No spoiling the child when it cries by picking it up. No spanking allowed when the child misbehaves. Mothers and Fathers are not allowed to hold the child, it could pass germs. Only an approved "nurse" can do the honors (who's a real "hatchet face"). Of course this ridiculousness puts a strain on the marriage, and the other relatives don't like it one bit, too.

Father ends up kidnapping his own baby just to be able to spend time with it. The police are called, order is restored, but then when the "Child Expert" arrives again the wife wants to continue his child rearing methods. A whole town of husbands / fathers are hating this guy's guts! (have to hand it to Reginald Denny, he was a good sport about what they did to him -- publicly throw tomatoes and bebe pellets at him! lol!).

Soon it is revealed this "expert" only does this for the large speaking fee money but when he is ridiculed publicly all the Moms in town finally wake up to the fact that he's an idiot, only wants their money, and doesn't even have children of his own.

You can see from the poster on the IMDb the nice cast involved in this family-style comedy film. Now I'd like to see the other "Jones Family" films in the series. If this one is any indication I'd probably laugh like the dickens at them, too!

Must say I was impressed with leading man Russell Gleason (he was in All Quiet On The Western Front), but then was sad to see on his bio that he died only six years later, after the war was over, in December 1945 from falling from a hotel balcony. They couldn't determine if it was an accident or suicide. Terrible. He had a wife and child at the time, too. Apparently a doc had given him some drug that made him unstable, so maybe it was an accident, but what a way to go. I loved his performance as the father. He was sweet and tenderly funny at the same time. Looks to me like James raised him pretty well. Too bad he died so young, maybe he would have had a great career in early television shows.

10 out of 10, well deserved for the fun enjoyment of the film.