weezeralfalfa Review of Bobbikins

Bobbikins (1959)

Bobbikins is a baby who can talk and think like an adult when he chooses.

[7/10 · 8 July 2018]

A 1959 B&W Cinemascope British film. I would describe it as a musical comedy fantasy. There are 4 decent songs sung in 5 musical numbers, sung by either or both of the stars: Shirley Jones and Max Bygraves, who are cast as Betty and Ben Barnaby, respectively. Comedy is provided primarily in the novelty of the Barnaby's 14 month old baby being able to think and talk as an adult, but only in the exclusive presence of Ben. This follows the format of the Frances the Talking Mule film series, and the Mr. Ed, the talking horse, TV series. The screenplay provides a coherent, if unbelievable, story, with a period of extreme elation followed by depression...... In the beginning, Ben has returned from an 18 month stint in the Royal Navy, while Betty has been a model. Ben hopes to get a job as an entertainer, and gives a sample in his "Funny Little Clown" performance. Betty, too, returns to being an entertainer. Meanwhile, Bobbikins happens to overhear a conversation by Sir Jason Crandal: Chancellor of the Exchequer in which he says that a very small company has gotten a major government contract. Bobbikins communicates this fact to Ben, who immediately gathers his liquid assets, goes to the stockbroker Gregory Mason, and asks to buy shares in this company. Mr. Mason is amazed when the price of this stock suddenly jumps upward. Bobbikins then hears Crandal talking about a major oil strike by a small company, and again communicates this fact to Ben. Ben immediately dumps his inflated stock and buys shares in this company, which then soon begins a spectacular price increase. Mr. Mason offers Ben to become his partner. When people ask where he gets his tips from, he tells them Bobbikins. But the tyke won't talk to anyone else, hence they assume he is hallucinating. Betty arranges for him to see a psychiatrist, who pronounces him paranoid and schizophrenic. When Ben asks Bobbikins for another hot tip, he hasn't any. But, he makes up one, fingering another obscure company. Ben buys into it bigtime, Mason takes notice and does likewise, as do some of his clients he tells about it. Well, the company soon goes bankrupt, and everyone loses their shirt. Ben is accepted back in the Navy, but soon a rereading of his civilian record reveals his diagnosis by the psychiatrist. So, it's decided to give him a medical discharge, on the condition that he participate in the entertainment for the Christmas party. Somehow, he gets Betty to also participate. They sing and dance to "Last Night I Dreamed". The implication is that both will return to the world of showbiz, which is their true calling.....Some are irritated by Bygraves occasional high pitched cackle, although I am not.....Sexy Barbara Shelley plays Valerie: a vamp who hangs around stockbroker Mason, and makes a play for Ben during his heydays as a perceptive stock buyer. Barbara was best known for roles in horror movies, either as the victim or perpetrator.