I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Albert S. Rogell
Broderick Crawford
Jessie Ralph
Johnny Downs
Peggy Moran
Gertrude Michael
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Songwriter Bob Gunther meets mobster Mama McGann when he unwittingly saves her from capture during a bank robbery. Mama, who has stolen Bob's wallet, sends her son Sonny to return the wallet with a reward. Mama has been grooming her son to attain the position of public enemy number one, but Sonny yearns to express the poetic feelings in his soul and hits upon the idea of penning a lyric to his childhood sweetheart Sadie, whom he has not seen since his school days. Searching for a tune to carry his lyrics, Sonny kidnaps Bob and forces him to write the melody. He then sends out his goons to coerce the music stores, orchestra leaders and radio stations to play the song until it reaches the Hit Parade. To escape Sonny's clutches, Bob's sweetheart, Linda Carroll, suggests that he feign love sickness, but the plan backfires when Bob names socialite singer Magda Delys as the object of his affections. Sonny declares that he will arrange the marriage, but before the ceremony can take place, Big Foot Louie, Sonny's rival and public enemy number one, kidnaps Bob. Sonny goes to his rescue, instructing his goons that Bob and Magda should be married if anything happens to him. At Louie's, Bob is about to write Louie his own tune in exchange for his freedom when Sonny bursts in and negotiates with Louie to cancel their feud and form a musical collaboration in prison. While Sonny and Louie are arranging matters, Sonny's thugs strong-arm Magda and Bob to recite their marriage vows. Sonny returns and realizes that Magda is his childhood sweetheart Sadie, and a double wedding ceremony ensues as Sonny marries Sadie and Bob marries Linda.
Director
Albert S. Rogell
Cast
Broderick Crawford
Jessie Ralph
Johnny Downs
Peggy Moran
Gertrude Michael
Warren Hymer
John Sutton
Horace Macmahon
Sunshine Sammy
Jeni Legon
Dewey Robinson
Murray Alper
Robert Emmett Keane
Ed Chandler
Crew
Elwood Bredell
Bernard B. Brown
Ralph Delacy
Dorothy Fields
R. A. Gausman
Ken Goldsmith
James Edward Grant
Frank Gross
Hal Herman
Arthur T. Horman
Phil Karlstein
Joseph Lapis
Jimmy Mchugh
Jack Otterson
Charles Previn
H. J. Salter
Frank Skinner
Paul Gerard Smith
Paul Gerard Smith
Vera West
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this picture was Trouble in B Flat. Retitled as I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby, it became Universal's third picture to be titled after an old hit song. The opening credits of the film actually roll against the written score of the title song. Although the film credits Horace MacMahon with the role of "Nails," Variety credits Murray Alper with the role.
