Babes in Hollywood: The weirdest kid-led project of 1935

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are a freak for Hollywood history or really like watching 1930s kids act like miniature moguls. If you want a cohesive story, look away. You will probably hate this if you need professional editing or a plot that makes sense for more than five minutes.

There is something inherently unsettling about watching David Holt run around the Paramount lot playing director. He has that classic 1935 child actor energy—way too much confidence and a voice that sounds like it was rehearsed in front of a mirror for weeks.

The Scrapbook Aesthetic

The whole thing feels like a home movie that got a massive budget injection by mistake. They literally just stitched together whatever was lying around. One minute you are watching a staged scene, and the next you are looking at random newsreels of parades or something. It’s chaotic.

It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Die Berliner Range. 1. Streich: Lotte als Schulschreck, where the kids are just trying to keep up with their own mischief. Except here, they have access to actual studio props, which makes it feel even more like a fever dream.

Odd Observations

• Baby LeRoy is in this, obviously. He doesn't do much, but he just exists in the frame like a tiny, confused prop.
• The transitions are non-existent. It’s like they just cut the film with scissors and hoped for the best.
• I’m still not entirely sure what the movie they are making is supposed to be about. Maybe they weren't sure either.
• The way they handle the camera feels surprisingly aggressive for a group of kids.

I kept waiting for a real adult to step in and stop the madness, but they never do. It’s just pure, unadulterated vanity project material from an era that didn't know how to handle social media yet. If this were made today, it would just be a chaotic YouTube vlog series. Back then, it was a weird cinematic experiment that probably confused everyone in the theater.

It’s not as polished as The Grand Duchess and the Waiter, that is for sure. But it has this weird, jagged charm that keeps you watching even when the logic completely falls apart. You can feel the studio trying to capitalize on the 'cute kid' craze, but it feels like the kids might have actually been running the show for an afternoon.

Maybe skip it unless you're deep-diving into the archives. Or don't. It’s only a few minutes, so you won't lose much. 📽️