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Make
a Wish
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 Rathbone with Donald Meek (Joseph) |
 Rathbone and Bobby Breen |
"Has several pleasant melodies and a lot of infantile antics ... Has almost no dramatic substance." —Barnes, New York Herald Tribune, September 20, 1937
"Has loads of charm, and Bobby Breen's performance is his smoothest to date." —Reel, Chicago American, September 23, 1937
"Bobby Breen does what he has to do quite well, sings now and then but not all the time and does what acting is necessary ... Basil Rathbone, in a sympathetic role, gives a restrained and sympathetic performance." —E.L.H., Boston Herald,
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Amazing Voice More pretentious than Bobby Breen's first two pictures is this engaging tale of life at a boy's camp where Chip, son of a retired opera star, meets John Selden, composer, and later helps him to make a success of his operetta. The amazing voice of this 10-year-old youngster is given ample rendition in the operetta and in beautiful campfire scenes. Three of the catchier tunes, written by Viennese composer Oscar Straus, are "Make a Wish," "Birchlake Forever," and "Old Man Rip." Marion Claire also offers some effective singing. Next to the music, the most appealing moments of the film are probably those depicting life at a boys' summer camp. In a setting of tree-clad hills and sparkling lake (Malibu), we see youngsters engaged in healthful out-of-doors recreation—canoing, swimming, hiking, contests, and all the other activities every boy longs for when the school bell tolls for the last time in spring. In his third offering, Bobby surpasses his performances in Let's Sing Again and Rainbow on the River. Make a Wish is heartily recommended for those who would enjoy one of the finest voices ever to come to the screen, and, at the same time, a growing American institution the boy's camp. —Cinema Progress, October 1937 |
"Basil Rathbone, cast in the role of the composer, hasn't a part that offers him an opportunity to exercise his splendid acting talent, but does well in what is required of him." —Hollywood, November 1937
"Rathbone has that peculiar quality of actorship which makes stealing a picture just a routine matter. Of course, in Make a Wish this legitimate cinema larceny isn't so difficult. Bobby Breen is a nice little boy with a marvelous voice. But he can't match buskins with Rathbone. ... Everyone will like this satisfying little film. ... Rathbone, of course, is tops—both in serious and light-hearted moments. He lends significance to his every sequence in a film—and never more so than here." —H. M. Levy, Oakland Tribune, September 27, 1937
"Basil Rathbone is co-starred in a refreshing role as an operatic composer and demonstrates his ability to play a light romantic part as deftly as the heavy types which he usually handles." —Variety, August 25, 1937
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 Rathbone with Marion Claire, Henry Armetta and Leon Errol |
"Basil Rathbone contributes a splendid portrayal of the stalemated composer who is in love with Bobby's mother." —The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 2, 1937
"Master Bobby Breen makes another appearance in this one. So you know what to expect. Bobby again runs the gamut from A to Z and the scale to high C. However, we can recommend this picture above "Rainbow on the River" because of a capable supporting cast and an excellent setting for a boy's picture. ... Marion Claire has a pleasing screen personality and a good singing voice, Basil Rathbone gives a good performance, considering its obvious limitations, and Ralph Forbes and the rest of the cast are adequate." —Modern Screen, November 1937
"This film provided Rathbone with a change-of-pace. His undemanding role took him away from the heavier assignments he'd been used to and allowed to performer to relax in a part that required little more from him than to be pleasant." —Michael Druxman, Basil Rathbone: His Life and Films
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Make a Wish Good family fare Good mass entertainment! Young Bobby Breen, his acting more subdued and polished his voice in superb fettle, provides a treat for the family trade in Make a Wish. Wish a story of nice sentiment and ballads by Oscar Strauss, the youngster has a field day that will delight his old adherents and win him new ones. The script is faulty only in its comedy sequences, which fail to jell. However, this will detract but little from the enthusiasm of those who come to hear the silver-voiced boy warble. It is a strong attraction for naborhoods and rural locations. At a summer camp Bobby is befriended by Basil Rathbone, a well-known operetta composer, who is writing a show. The boy's voice inspires him to do his finest work. Bobby's mother, Marion Claire, a former actress, comes to the camp with her fiance, Ralph Forbes. Rathbone falls in love with her and his music almost induces her to return to the stage to appear in his new operetta. However, Forbes convinces her to give up the idea and come away with him. Bobby goes, too. Rathbone is heartbroken to lose them both and dejectedly gives his butler the third and last act of the play and disappears. Henry Armeta and Leon Errol, would-be song writers get hold of the play, rewrite the music and have it produced. It is a flop until Bobby and his mother tell the producer that they know the original and the play becomes a hit. Forbes leaves Miss Claire and Rathbone reappears to claim his play and his love. Rathbone has his first sympathetic role in many a moon and handles it handsomely. Miss Claire's debut is marred by bad photography and ungainly clothes. Kurt Neuman's direction captures perfectly the human qualities of the story, but he misses out on the final musical sequence. —Hanna, Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin, August 28, 1937 |
"The picture has something more to it than just the Breen tenor-soprano. ... It has a reasonably fresh story, a different background, a pleasing Oscar Straus score, Basil Rathbone, and a delightful soprano in Marion Claire." —Frank Nugent, The New York Times, September 23, 1937
"Basil Rathbone, who is forced by the exigencies of his role to regard this child [Breen] with affection, was never cooler." —Time, September 6, 1937
"Story is made up of all the stereotyped elements of conventional musical comedy librettos, the comedy relief is obvious and lacking in spirited humor." —Boehnel, New York World-Telegram, September 20, 1937
 Basil Rathbone and Bobby Breen with Director Kurt Neumann and Gertrude Berg (the author of the story) |
 Director Kurt Neumann and cinematographer John J Mescall with Basil Rathbone and Leon Errol in a behind-the-scenes shot. |
Return to Page One of Make a Wish.
See Page Three for pictures of posters, lobby cards and promo photos.
