BROADWAY MELODY OF 1936
US, 1936, 101 minutes, Black and white.
Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell, Robert Taylor, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers, Buddy Ebsen, June Knight, Vilma Ebsen, Nick Long Jr, Robert Wildhack, Paul Harvey, Frances Langford, Harry Stockwell.
Directed by Roy Del Ruth.
The Oscar for best film of 1929 went to Broadway Melody. This is the next in the series, with episodes in 1938 and 1940. They were not sequels, just titles to give an occasion for an MGM musical, song and dance routines, some comedy. It was in the vein of the Warner Bros series The Gold Diggers of 1933, 1935, 1937.
Comedian Jack Benny is at the centre of the film, playing, as usual, an unlikable character. He is employed by a newspaper editor for his column but is urged to dig the dirt on celebrities (nothing new in the media). He has a sidekick played by Sid Silvers.
Robert Taylor plays an entrepreneur for Broadway (in a similar role to that of Broadway Melody of 1938). A widow is courting him in order to make her a star in his musical. He seems to be in love with her, has some song and dance routines with her, she also dancing with Nick Long Jr, an acrobatically graceful dancer.
However, the main part of the plot concerns Eleanor Powell in her first starring role. Having gone to school with Taylor, she comes down from Albany to New York to get a job in his show. At first he does not remember her, then wants to save her from all the heartbreak of Broadway. She does an audition – mimicking Katharine Hepburn in Morning Glory. Then an idea is concocted by Benny, that there is a French actress who is interested in performing – completely fictitious, with Taylor falling for it. This is part of an ongoing fight between the two where Taylor comes to his office and knocks him down. The sidekick has to answer the phone and pretend to be the actress or to say that she is busy rehearsing. Taylor’s secretary, played by Una Merkel, is in on the deceit and eventually, Eleanor Powell passes herself off as the French actress (not before Sid Silvers has to get dressed up and impersonate the actress as well).
Buddy Ebsen and his sister Vilma are a brother and sister vaudeville team and have quite a few numbers together.
The music and the dancing is one of the main features of this kind of musical. The songs were by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, responsible for so many musicals especially the summing up of their career in Singin’ in the Rain. Direction is by Roy Del Ruth, veteran director of a variety of films in the 30s and 40s.
1. The popularity of this kind of film in its time? The atmosphere of the Depression? The Gold Diggers films? The Broadway Melody series? Seen now in retrospect?
2. The atmosphere of the 30s, the high life, top hat and tails, glamour, Broadway musicals? The New York settings? The realistic feel – or artificial?
3. The musical numbers, the choreography (and Oscar for the choreography for I’ve Got a Feeling You’re Foolin’): The Broadway Melody, You Are My Lucky Star (and the version with the dream that Eleanor Powell has imagining herself as a star), Sing Before Breakfast (from the Ebsens, danced by Eleanor Powell), All I Do is Dream of You and On a Sunday Afternoon. Several of the songs are reprised – and the singer for Eleanor Powell as well as for herself is Frances Langford?
4. The plot, plausible and implausible, Robert Taylor as a young producer, his reputation, his talent, the clash with Bert Keeler, punching him out? With Lillian Brent, her wanting to be in the show? His hesitations? The rehearsals? The meeting with Irene, not remembering her, then wanting her to go back home? The attraction? The story of Mademoiselle Arlette? The phone calls, the frustration? Eventually her conceding to be in the play, the press conferences, her presence at the parties, her absences? Impersonated by Irene? The final truth and the romantic ending?
5. Irene, coming from Albany, at the office, encountering Kitty Corbett? Not getting in? Gordon not recognising her? Her wanting to give up, but her wanting to dance? Her meeting with the brother and sister, the dance routines them? Going back to see Robert, his urging her to go home? Her pretending to go, with Bert Keeler and the plan for Mademoiselle Arlette, her impersonation (and her impersonation of Katharine Hepburn)? The dancing – her dreaming of a lucky star, the Broadway Rhythm?
6. Kitty, secretary, friendly with Irene, ticking off Robert, helping in the plot, her encounters with Snoop Blue, with him disguised as Madamoiselle? Arlette, his faux pas on the phone?
7. Snoop Blue, working with Bert Keeler, having to be in the hotel, pretending to cover for Mademoiselle Arlette? Dressed as her?
8. Ted Burke and his sister, vaudeville background, singing and dancing, their excellence, in the show?
9. Jack Benny and his screen persona, as Bert Keeler, with his editor, being asked to get scandalous material, writing the columns, concocting crises? Robert Gordon coming to the office, the punches? His continued attack? His encountering Irene, his plan for Mademoiselle Arlette? The execution of the plan? His mellowing?
10. A pleasing 30s concoction of fairytale plot, lavishly staged songs and dances?
