A working girl rises in an ad agency after impressing a baby-food client with her lifelike dolls.A working girl rises in an ad agency after impressing a baby-food client with her lifelike dolls.A working girl rises in an ad agency after impressing a baby-food client with her lifelike dolls.
Ransom M. Sherman
- Powers
- (as Ransom Sherman)
Sheila MacRae
- Peggy
- (as Sheila Stephens)
Fred Aldrich
- Train Passenger
- (uncredited)
John Alvin
- Danny
- (uncredited)
Carl Andre
- Subway Commuter
- (uncredited)
Mary Bayless
- Club Patron
- (uncredited)
Rodney Bell
- Traffic Cop
- (uncredited)
Edward Biby
- Passerby
- (uncredited)
Arline Bletcher
- Passerby
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe stack of baby photos which they sort through includes one used in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) eight years earlier.
- GoofsAlmost an hour in, as Zachary Scott is convincing Betsy Drake to present Sam's campaign to Cyrus Baxter, he leads her out of the office door, saying, "Now remember, Patsy, the code of the firm..." As Sam's office door closes, at the top of the door can be seen the very bright studio lights that were used to light the scene before."
- Quotes
Barry Holmes: [after sitting down with Patsy and Morley for lunch, gives his order to the waiter] *Just* a cup of coffee, please.
Patsy Douglas: Really, Mr. Holmes, a hard-working executive like you should have a hot lunch.
Barry Holmes: [looks to the waiter] Very well, just scramble me a couple of Benzedrine tablets.
[the waiter and Morley chuckle]
- SoundtracksPretty Baby
(uncredited)
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne and Tony Jackson
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Played during the opening credits and occasionally in the score
Sung by Dennis Morgan
Featured review
Funny moments...but the whole just doesn't add up.
"Pretty Baby" is a frustrating film. Although it has some very funny and sweet moments and is probably worth seeing if you like old films, again and again the movie fails to really capitalize on these moments. It's sort of like all the pieces to this puzzle just not quit fitting together.
Patsy (Betsy Drake) is a ditsy and somewhat annoying lady. She is terrible at her job and it isn't surprising when she's fired from the advertising agency where she works. However, what her bosses don't realize is that she has a man who is very smitten with her. No, he's not attracted to her specifically but he thinks she's a terrific mother and is raising a wonderful baby. There is a problem with this...she isn't a mother and doesn't have a baby. What actually happened is that in order to get a seat on the subway, she wrapped a doll up like a baby...knowing that men will give up their seats to a 'mother'!
So what about this man? Well, he's Cyrus Baxter (Edmund Gwenn)...the advertising agency's top client. And, he's taken with the lady because when they talk on the subway, he asks about her 'baby' and she tells him she named it 'Cyrus Baxter Douglas'. Why this name? Well, she panicked and chose the name of the guy so important to her company...not knowing the man on the train IS Cyrus Baxter! Now, he wants to be her benefactor and this nasty old man suddenly begins to behave like a nice old man!
As for her job, when the bosses realize that Baxter LIKED Ms. Douglas, they hire her back and give her a raise AND a promotion. What's next for these folks? See the film.
The film is filled with wonderful moments...particularly when grouchy old Mr. Baxter takes a paternalistic attitude towards her and the 'baby'. But again and again, the film starts touching you...and then manages instead to not quite seal the deal. The tender, sweet or funny moments often are punctuated with folks yelling at each other...which severely impacts on the overall story.
Patsy (Betsy Drake) is a ditsy and somewhat annoying lady. She is terrible at her job and it isn't surprising when she's fired from the advertising agency where she works. However, what her bosses don't realize is that she has a man who is very smitten with her. No, he's not attracted to her specifically but he thinks she's a terrific mother and is raising a wonderful baby. There is a problem with this...she isn't a mother and doesn't have a baby. What actually happened is that in order to get a seat on the subway, she wrapped a doll up like a baby...knowing that men will give up their seats to a 'mother'!
So what about this man? Well, he's Cyrus Baxter (Edmund Gwenn)...the advertising agency's top client. And, he's taken with the lady because when they talk on the subway, he asks about her 'baby' and she tells him she named it 'Cyrus Baxter Douglas'. Why this name? Well, she panicked and chose the name of the guy so important to her company...not knowing the man on the train IS Cyrus Baxter! Now, he wants to be her benefactor and this nasty old man suddenly begins to behave like a nice old man!
As for her job, when the bosses realize that Baxter LIKED Ms. Douglas, they hire her back and give her a raise AND a promotion. What's next for these folks? See the film.
The film is filled with wonderful moments...particularly when grouchy old Mr. Baxter takes a paternalistic attitude towards her and the 'baby'. But again and again, the film starts touching you...and then manages instead to not quite seal the deal. The tender, sweet or funny moments often are punctuated with folks yelling at each other...which severely impacts on the overall story.
helpful•13
- planktonrules
- Oct 22, 2022
Details
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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