Broadway Melody of 1936
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| Broadway Melody of 1936 | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Roy Del Ruth |
| Produced by | John W. Considine Jr. |
| Written by | Moss Hart |
| Starring | Jack Benny Eleanor Powell Robert Taylor Una Merkel Buddy Ebsen |
| Music by | Nacio Herb Brown |
| Cinematography | Charles Rosher |
| Editing by | Blanche Sewell |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | August 25, 1935 (LA) Sept. 18, 1935 (NY)[1] |
| Running time | 101 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Broadway Melody of 1936 is a musical released by MGM in 1935. It was a follow-up of sorts to the successful The Broadway Melody, which had been released in 1929, although, beyond the title and some music, there is no story connection with the earlier film.
The film was written by Harry W. Conn, Moss Hart, Jack McGowan and Sid Silvers. It was directed by Roy Del Ruth and starred Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell, and Robert Taylor. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In an interview promoting That's Entertainment! III, Ann Miller claimed that MGM was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time Broadway Melody of 1936 was made, and it (along with subsequent Powell films) became so popular the company became profitable again.
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[edit] Plot
Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell) tries to convince her high school sweetheart Broadway producer Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor) to give her chance to star in his new musical, but he is too busy with the rich widow (June Knight) backing his show. Irene tries to show Gordon that she has the talent to succeed, but he will not hire her. Things become complicated when she begins impersonating a French dancer, not realizing that the dancer is the invention of a gossip columnist (Jack Benny).
[edit] Cast
- Jack Benny as Bert Keeler
- Eleanor Powell as Irene Foster
- Robert Taylor as Robert Gordon
- Una Merkel as Kitty Corbett
- Sid Silvers as Snoop Blue
- Buddy Ebsen as Ted Burke
- June Knight as Lillian Brent
- Vilma Ebsen as Sally Burke
- Nick Long Jr. as Basil Newcombe
- Robert Wildhack as Hornblow
- Paul Harvey as Scully
- Frances Langford as Herself
- Harry Stockwell as Himself
This was Powell's first leading role, and her first film for MGM. She would appear in the next two entries in the Broadway Melody series: Broadway Melody of 1938 and Broadway Melody of 1940. (These films were not related to each other in terms of storyline.) This also marked Ebsen's film debut. Though she was dubbed in this film by Marjorie Lane, Eleanor recorded "You Are My Lucky Star" with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Victor 25158).
[edit] Pop culture references
- Irene apes Katharine Hepburn in Morning Glory
- Ted wears a Mickey Mouse sweater
- Ted references Shirley Temple and Gandhi
- The song "Sing Before Breakfast" references Shredded wheat
[edit] Soundtrack
- "Broadway Rhythm" (1935)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics by Arthur Freed
- Performed by Frances Langford
- Performed by Buddy Ebsen, Vilma Ebsen, June Knight, Nick Long Jr., and Eleanor Powell
- "You Are My Lucky Star" (1935)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics by Arthur Freed; Played during the opening credits
- Performed by Frances Langford and chorus
- Performed by Eleanor Powell (dubbed by Marjorie Lane) and chorus
- Performed by Roger Edens and Eleanor Powell
- Performed by Robert Taylor and chorus
- "Broadway Melody" (1929)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics by Arthur Freed
- Performed by Harry Stockwell
- "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" (1935)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics by Arthur Freed
- Sung by June Knight, Robert Taylor and chorus
- Performed by June Knight, Nick Long Jr., and chorus
- Performed by Frances Langford
- "Sing Before Breakfast" (1935)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics by Arthur Freed
- Performed by Buddy Ebsen, Vilma Ebsen, and Eleanor Powell (dubbed by Marjorie Lane)
- "All I Do Is Dream Of You" (French version) (1934)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics by Arthur Freed
- "On a Sunday Afternoon" (1935)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics by Arthur Freed
- Performed by Buddy Ebsen and Vilma Ebsen
- "The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)" (1851)
- Written by Stephen Foster
- Performed by Roger Edens[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Brown, Gene (1995). Movie Time: A Chronology of Hollywood and the Movie Industry from its Beginnings to the Present. New York: MacMillan. p. 125. ISBN 0-02-86042906. In New York, the film opened at the Capitol Theatre, the site of many prestigious MGM premieres.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026144/soundtrack
[edit] External links
- Broadway Melody of 1936 at the Internet Movie Database
- Broadway Melody of 1936 at the TCM Movie Database
- Broadway Melody of 1936 at AllRovi
