This movie is pure unadulterated schmaltz. It was schmaltz before schmaltz was schmaltzy! But was one of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen. It was great to see the three young actors (Judy Garland, right before her rise with the Wizard of Oz; Freddie Bartholomew, just as his star was starting to face; and Scotty Beckett, a former Our Gang star who played numerous supporting roles in the 30s), hold their own with three seasoned veterans (Mary Astor, Walter Pigeon and Alan Hale, Sr.).The plot is contrived, the conclusion predictable, the setting a bit outdated (women were only trained to be homemakers, leaving widows with children in danger of poverty) and the situation completely contrived, but there is nothing to not enjoy in this pure piece of entertainment from Hollywood's Golden Age.Enjoy it, try not to roll your eyes too much, and recommend it to your friends! They just don't make movies like they used to.

The title for my review comes directly from this movie, as voiced by Freddy Bartholomew. Talk about your intrusive product placement! Listen Darling is a film that seems slapped together, giving us 75 minutes of romantic mayhem that feels like they deleted every other five minutes. Mary Astor(as the mother of Pinkie) tries to hold his production together. In the midst of incomprehensible character actions, she struggles to maintain some integrity, but this B film takes her under with the rest of the cast. The two main characters are Pinkie (Judy Garland) and Buzz (Freddy). They try to derail Pinkie's mother's decision to marry a nice guy who offers little more than financial security. Yes, Mary is willing to settle for that settled feeling and the kids will have none of it. So they kidnap her. Yes, you read that right. They load her into a rickety old travel trailer and light out for the open road with her screaming protests ringing in their ears.Along the way, Pinkie gets to sing some songs. Freddy gets to exude bucketloads of earnestness (This seemed more adorable in Captain's Courageous or in any film made by Shirley Temple). The script feels hijacked, too, though it ends predictably. Fortunately, Judy rebounds quite nicely the very next year in her journey to Oz.I have difficulty figuring out how this film was green-lighted. But I have a theory. Here is one side of a phone conversation that might have taken place mid-1937:"Ed Marin, here. Oh hi, Sam. How's my favorite agent? I'm not going to like what? C'mon just spit it out. They took Gable?! You've got to be kidding me! He's what holds the entire story together! And without him I've got no chance to break out of second features! Tell me what happened. Yeah, yeah...Fleming? Of course he wants him. Gable is box office boffo; who wouldn't want him. Yeah, I know. Fleming is Sam's fair-haired boy right now. What's the name of their film? 'Test Pilot'? Never heard of it. Does Gable want to do it? Yeah, well who's in the cast? Loy...Tracy...Barrymore...Main. Okay, I can see the attraction. So who does that leave us with? Sam said that, huh? Okay, who does he have for us? Freddy Bartholomew?! Is he kidding? He's supposed to romance Mary Astor? Well I should hope not! The kid's only 13. Oh yeah? Instead of Gable kidnapping Mary to win her heart, Bartholomew kidnaps her to get her away from the banker boyfriend? But Freddy's British; they realize the film takes place in the good ole U.S., don't they? The scriptwriters are going to have their hands full. Okay, then who is supposed to be the new boyfriend if Gable is out? Walter Pidgeon! But he's British too! I'm trying to stay calm!You realize Judy is 15 now...? Oh, he's shot up like a weed, huh? But he's still only 13! Can he drive? Okay, but what about that scene where the police stop him? The audiences will buy it? I don't know about that. What? There's more? They can't take 'Listen, Darling' too! Without that song, the title of the film won't make any sense. Sure, sure...audiences will accept anything. I get it.Maybe if I talk to Gable? Oh really? I don't know why that should make him sore...just because they used his picture in that Dear Mr. Gable bit...oh, he didn't get paid for that? Okay, then I can see how he might be sensitive about sharing a bill with Judy.Okay, I guess we'll just have to figure out a way to get Mary and the kids out in the countryside within the first couple of minutes. And a way to resolve the ending quickly, too, so we an bring it in under 75 minutes. Then we can move on to the next film. Do you think we can get Tracy?"It could have happened. For another review that points out some shortcomings of this film, see the review by charlytully.

Judy Garland stars as 'Pinkie' Wingate, a teenager trying to steer her mother Dottie (Mary Astor) toward happiness with the help of 'Buzz' Mitchell (Freddie Bartholomew). Along the way they deal with brother Billie's (Scotty Beckett) antics, and shop for a husband in the form of Walter Pidgeon and Alan Hale in order to avoid Gene Lockhart's overtures. Freddie Bartholomew as Buzz offers focus for Judy's 'Pinkie', but other viewers may find it a bit much that he attempts to advise Dottie about her affairs. Scotty Beckett as Billy is as much annoying as he is attention-getting. Mary Astor and Walter Pidgeon create some measure of brief magic while on screen together. Charley Grapewin, who would soon play Uncle Henry in The Wizard Of Oz, plays Uncle Joe here. Judy sings her signature tune Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart, The Bumpy Road To Love, and Ten Pins In The Sky. The film is a fast-moving, escapist, comedy drama with a family viewing perspective. **1/2 of 4 stars.

Youngsters Judy Garland and Freddie Bartholomew interfere in the love life of Garland's unattached mother, Mary Astor. Bland excuse by MGM to utilize their contract talent. Judy sings "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", as well as the jolly "On the Bumpy Road to Love", but is otherwise used for her tear-ducts and trembling lips. Her budding womanhood is interesting to view in this scrubbed-clean context, but the familial relationships on-screen never jell. If Garland is ill-used, then Bartholomew seems really out of place as 'Buzz', Judy's best friend/substitute brother. Bartholomew doesn't quite fit the Mickey Rooney bill playing pal to a young woman, and his trained, affected speech and articulate manner make him seem dropped in from a different picture. ** from ****