THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY
US, 1949, 109 minutes, Colour.
Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Oscar Levant, Jacques Francois, Billie Burke.
Directed by Charles Walters.
The Barkleys of Broadway was the last of the Fred Astaire - Ginger Rogers musicals. From supporting roles in Flying Down to Rio through the 30s in such films as Top Hat, The Gay Divorcee and Swing Time, they were a very popular dancing couple. Fred Astaire was an expert dancer and Ginger Rogers a graceful partner. A decade after their last film of the 30s they reunited, in a colour film, that had the support of Oscar Levant with his comedy and piano-playing. All in all it was a very pleasant musical with a maturer Astaire and Rogers. It was directed by Charles Walters who was to direct such musicals as Easter Parade and Lili and High Society. A pleasant finish to an important cinema dancing duo.
1. The appeal of musicals? The M.G.M. colour musical of the 1940s? The appeal of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers? The '30s, this film after ten years and many films together?
2. Audience response to Astaire and Rogers as a team, the gracefulness and the ability of their dancing, their skill, entertainment value? The contribution of the musical score, the songs and their lyrics, staging of the musicals, colour?
3. The renowned M.G.M. treatment: lavish staging, costumes, sets? Oscar Levant's musical numbers? The scene from The Young Sarah? The world of New York and theatre?
4. Audience interest in a theatre story? The world of Broadway and rehearsals. first nights, performances, success, parties? Emotional response to the world of theatre and actors?
5. The film as a conventional marriage-and-career story? The interrelationship of marriage and career, expectations of the roles of men and woman, dominance of men, women subordinate? Clashes, the need for separation, individual growth, the odd mixture of love and hate? How convincing, how conventional?
6. The characters of Josh and Dinah? Seeing then initially in their dancing and their working together, their success and the mock-humour of their speeches at the curtain call, the mutual admiration and the gradual build-up to the fight in the taxi, the coldness at the party, each looking for some kind of compensation, the clash at home? Yet always the making up? The inevitability of the clash and a break? The weekend away, Josh and his playing golf? Dinah and her reading the play? Walking out? The effect of the separation on each? Josh's phone calls? Dinah's achievement with the play? The discovery of the phone calls and her testing him at the end, reconciliation? How much truth and wisdom in this popular story?
7. Oscar Levant's musical skill? Wisecracking personality, ladies' man, attempts at reconciliation?
8. The character of the playwright and the mocking of the talented young man with skill and vision and seriousness? His ego? The success of his play, his admiration for Dinah, leading her to success?
9. The contrast with Shirlene, the empty chorus girl, the friend of the producer, her presence and wanting to take Dinah's place?
10. The hostess and the mindless glitter of New York society and the satire on parties?
11. How well drawn were the characters of Josh and Dinah, how did they change through their individual experiences, the basis for reconciliation? Josh's allowing Dinah her success, Dinah her experience of success?
12. The particular qualities of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing, grace and skill? Astaire's versatility - and the sequence with the dancing shoes? Conventional Hollywood musical, more or less?
