Rock-a-Bye Baby

Released Jul 23, 1958

1h 43m

Comedy

List

63%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

82%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Clayton Poole (Jerry Lewis) is a TV repairman who still has feelings for his old high school girlfriend, Carla Naples (Marilyn Maxwell). Trouble is, Carla is now a glamorous movie star and the wife of a Mexican bullfighter. When her husband is tragically killed and she needs to keep the baby a secret, the star turns to Clayton for help. He is thrilled at the prospect of acting as babysitter. But Carla neglects to tell him she actually had triplets.

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

A very average farce.

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 25, 2006

Full Review

Time Out

The gear-change from manic slapstick (watch out for the berserk hosepipe) to cringing sentimentality about babies and nappies is hard to take.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Isabel Quigly

The Spectator

At the Hampstead Everyman, there is a timely and welcome season of Ingmar Bergman's films.

Jul 16, 2018

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Seems like not much more than a placeholder during this otherwise remarkable time.

Feb 24, 2012

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Parallax View

[Director Frank] Tashlin... was all about the gag and helped define Lewis as a walking cartoon, the rubberface spastic adolescent in a grown-up body.

Feb 19, 2012

Full Review

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Jerry Lewis plays baby sitter in this knockabout Frank Tashlin comedy.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 22, 2008

Full Review

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Audience Member

Jerry Lewis is jumping and screaming like a maniac in Rock-A-Bye Baby. He plays a man named Clayton Poole who takes care of triplets after they were left on his doorstep by his ex-girlfriend. The film starts off with a good musical number performed by Jerry Lewis but the film doesn't get any better from there. The art direction along with some of the props in this film look phony. The writing by Frank Tashlin was pretty questionable at times as he tries to bring his Looney Tunes material unto the big screen but they are a hit and miss. Rock-A-Bye Baby started off respectably good but ended up as a boring and unfunny film.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

euler n

Jerry Lewis acting, alone, save this movie. It's almost a musical, but the very good composer Harry Warren does not bring very good songs here (except the last one). Despite the title, it's not about rock (again, except the last song). Good values, family values, criticism to the alpha males, but the black guys should have been treated better. This movie is typical from the 1950's, but still a good choice for entertainment.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Jessica C

This was a fun movie! It's simple humor yet so good! Absolutely adore Jerry Lewis as well.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/20

Full Review

Audience Member

Probably Lewis's best vehicle without himself at the helm. Lewis found a kindred spirit (and probably mentor) in Tashlin, who's colorful, goofy, gag-oriented style is very similar to Lewis's own. Adapted rather freely from a superior Miracle at Morgan's Creek, there are only a few moments that ring false (why is Stevens so in love with Lewis).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sometimes very silly, but the film is a true heartwarm and present quite funny moments.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

one of the best movies ever....

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Frank Tashlin

Director

Jerry Lewis

Clayton Poole

Marilyn Maxwell

Carla Naples

Connie Stevens

Sandra Naples

Salvatore Baccaloni

Gigi "Papa" Naples

Reginald Gardiner

Harold Hermann

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Synopsis

Clayton Poole (Jerry Lewis) is a TV repairman who still has feelings for his old high school girlfriend, Carla Naples (Marilyn Maxwell). Trouble is, Carla is now a glamorous movie star and the wife of a Mexican bullfighter. When her husband is tragically killed and she needs to keep the baby a secret, the star turns to Clayton for help. He is thrilled at the prospect of acting as babysitter. But Carla neglects to tell him she actually had triplets.

Director: Frank Tashlin
Producer: Jerry Lewis
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 23, 1958, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 8, 2018
Runtime: 1h 43m

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