BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938

US, 1937, 110 minutes. Black and white.
Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy, Binnie Barnes, Buddy Ebsen, Sophie Tucker, Judy Garland, Charles Igor Gorin, Raymond Walburn, Robert Benchley, Charley Grapewin, Robert Wildhack, Barnett Parker.
Directed by Roy Del Ruth.

Broadway Melody of 1929 won the Oscar for best film of that year. There was a Broadway Melody of 1936 (which included Robert Taylor and Eleanor Powell in the cast). There was a Broadway Melody of 1940 (with Fred Astaire and a cast including Powell and George Murphy).

The film has an oddball plot. It focuses on putting on a Broadway show, the usual ingredients, the producer looking for backing, the rich backer, his wife who is jealous of the unknown leading lady and wants her sacked. It is also a racecourse story, the rich backer is a horse owner, the two hoofers who appeared in vaudeville but want a job on the track look after the horse – and encounter Eleanor Powell who was on the farm where the horse was born, wants to look after it, stows away on the train to New York – and everybody meets.

The focus on putting on the show has various audition sequences, the most impressive is Everybody Sings with Judy Garland, at the age of fifteen, expert in singing, projection, personality. She is aided by veteran vaudeville actress, Sophie Tucker, appearing as her mother. Judy Garland also has the opportunity to sing to the picture of Clark Gable, You Made Me Love You (which was repeated in That’s Entertainment and any documentary about Judy Garland). In fact, Judy Garland’s appearances (also in two items in the final revue, one a comedy sketch with Buddy Ebsen and in the grand finale) make the film worth seeing. It is also a rare opportunity to see Sophie Tucker who sings her song Some of Those Days and appears on the Broadway stage in the final revue.

Robert Taylor is a bit hard to believe as the composer, especially the scene composing the lyrics for Yours and Mine with Eleanor Powell. On the other hand, Eleanor Powell is a vital screen presence, skilled at all kinds of dancing, expert in tap-dancing. George Murphy is one of the horse trainers but also a dancer – something like a Fred Astaire role. A very young Buddy Ebsen provides some dance and comedy routines. Concert tenor Charles Igor Gorin sings from The Barber of Seville as well as Carmen. There is a comic touch from Robert Benchley.

Raymond Walburn is the rich backer and Binnie Barnes is his rather spiteful wife. There is a comic routine by Robert Wildhack about sneezing (not so funny these days) and he had done a similar thing on snoring in Broadway Melody of 1936.

The film is entertaining in its own way – but probably best seen for its various parts and the various performers rather than the whole film. It was directed, as was the first film, by Roy Del Ruth.

1. The popularity of this kind of musical in the 1930s? Broadway Melodies? Gold Diggers?

2. The black and white photography, the New York settings, the racetrack, Broadway?

3. The musical score, the range of songs? Eleanor Powell and George Murphy with Follow In My Footsteps and I’m Feeling Like a Million? Sophie Tucker with Some of These Days? Judy Garland with Everybody Sing and the famous version of You Made Me Love You, to Clark Gable’s photograph?

4. The dancing? Eleanor Powell and her skills? George Murphy as a leading man? Buddy Ebsen and his comic style? Judy Garland?

5. The basic plot: Stephan as a composer, wanting to put on the Broadway show, his friendship with the Whipples, Caroline Whipple targeting him, his encounter with Sonny, Pete and Sally? Wanting Sally to be in the show? Fighting against criticisms? Her being an unknown? Falling in love with her? Going to the boarding house? Meeting Mrs Clayton? Betty? Their all ending up in the show? His getting the money for paying for the horse for Sally? Secretly? Her leaving him after hearing that she shouldn’t be the star of the show? His wanting her to stay? Her finding out the truth, the happy reconciliation – the horse winning, the show going on, the wedding?

6. Sally, the racing background, looking after the horse, stowing away on the train? The encounter with Sonny and Peter? The dance routines? Meeting Stephan, falling in love? The audition? The boarding house? Meeting Mrs Clayton? The rehearsals, Stephan correcting her? Her overhearing the reality of Caroline Whipple’s threat? Cutting off, looking after the horse? The horse and success? The reconciliation with Stephen?

7. Sonny? The initial scene in the barbershop? The encounter with Nicki and his uncle George? The singing? Getting the money, promising the bet, losing the money? Going to the racetrack, getting the jobs? Looking after the horse, the encounter with Sally? Sonny and his work, his giving it up, looking after Stargazer? Pete, the comic touch, young? His stealing the hay, found out? Their both appearing in the final show?

8. Herman Whipple, the browbeaten millionaire? Listening to his wife, her domination? The money for the show? Lending Stephan the money? Caroline Whipple, the villain of the piece, her demands, roving eye, business sense? Her antagonism towards Sally?

9. Duffy, Stephan’s right-hand man, the sardonic remarks?

10. The receptionist, his prissy tone, joining in the songs?

11. Alice Clayton, Sophie Tucker and her career? Screen presence? The good mother? Appearing at the end – with her name in lights in the background?

12. Betty, the young Judy Garland, strong screen presence, singing and dancing, the song to Clark Gable?

13. The popular ingredients for a 1930s musical?