Small town girl Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell) tries to convince her high school sweetheart Bob Gordon (Robert Taylor), who is now a Broadway producer, to cast her in his new show.
While I prefer the Broadway Melody of 1940, this Broadway Melody is still a delight, and was much better than I remembered. Eleanor Powell, in her first starring role, is excellent, and her dance scenes are great. Jack Benny is fun as a gossip columnist, while a young Robert Taylor even gets to sing a bit(!). Sid Silvers and Una Merkel are great in comedic supporting roles, while Buddy Ebsen and his sister Vilma do a couple of dance scenes. There's a horrendous comedy bit with Robert Wildhack as "The Snorer".
I'm no fan of Arthur Freed as a lyricist, but the songs here are halfway decent. "You Are My Lucky Star" (sung a staggering three times throughout the film) and "Broadway Rhythm" are the highlights; both of them would later be featured in Singin' in the Rain. The "I've Got a Feeling You're Fooling" dance number, with furniture popping out of the floor, is strange to say the least. It won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Dance Direction.
Overall, this is an incredibly fun musical. The public obviously liked it as well, as it was the fifth highest-grossing film of the year.
While I prefer the Broadway Melody of 1940, this Broadway Melody is still a delight, and was much better than I remembered. Eleanor Powell, in her first starring role, is excellent, and her dance scenes are great. Jack Benny is fun as a gossip columnist, while a young Robert Taylor even gets to sing a bit(!). Sid Silvers and Una Merkel are great in comedic supporting roles, while Buddy Ebsen and his sister Vilma do a couple of dance scenes. There's a horrendous comedy bit with Robert Wildhack as "The Snorer".
I'm no fan of Arthur Freed as a lyricist, but the songs here are halfway decent. "You Are My Lucky Star" (sung a staggering three times throughout the film) and "Broadway Rhythm" are the highlights; both of them would later be featured in Singin' in the Rain. The "I've Got a Feeling You're Fooling" dance number, with furniture popping out of the floor, is strange to say the least. It won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Dance Direction.
Overall, this is an incredibly fun musical. The public obviously liked it as well, as it was the fifth highest-grossing film of the year.