Margaret O'Brien's film debut.
A third "Babes" picture for Garland and Rooney, director Busby Berkeley, and producer Arthur Freed entitled 'Babes in Hollywood' was shelved after Freed decided to produce the long awaited Girl Crazy instead and give Garland a leading lady role in For Me and My Gal. 'Babes in Hollywood' was intended to be an update of "Merton of the Movies", filmed in Technicolor with cameo appearances by MGM's stable of stars. 'Harry Warren' and Leo Robin were hired to compose the score (which then included "A Journey to a Star", "Polka Dot Polka", and "No Love No Nothin") with additional songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Sid Silvers was hired to write the script, which never got past the outline stage. After the project was shelved, 20th Century Fox hired Berkeley, Warren, and Robin for The Gang's All Here. The songwriters used their songs written for the scrapped film at MGM and Berkeley's elaborate "Polka Dot Polka" finale with n
One of the first Hollywood musicals to acknowledge that World War II was taking place.
The role of Barbara Jo was intended for Shirley Temple but after the failure of Kathleen, MGM canceled the rest of her three-picture deal.