Broadway Melody of 1940
by Norman Taurog
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DVD details
Actor: Eleanor Powell, Frank Morgan, Fred Astaire, George Murphy, Ian HunterDirector: Norman Taurog
Brand: Broadway
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 102 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of Broadway Melody of 1940
DVD Review: "Begin the Beguine" again and again and again....
Summary: 4 Stars
This film is tons of fun!
It's not a masterpiece along the lines of "The Wizard of Oz" or "Meet Me in St. Louis." Some may think it inferior to such MGM glitz as "The Ziegfeld Girl" (which is dazzling and a milestone in the careers of Lana Turner and Judy Garland).
But it is what it is and entertaining and joyful make up a lot of that.
It's the first and only time that MGM paired tap queen Eleanor Powell with Fred Astaire (fresh at MGM from some dazzling films at RKO with Ginger Rogers). Nevertheless, the unique pairing produced one of the great musical moments in film history (more below).
It's also unique in that it's one of the few times Alfred Newman, longtime 20th Century-Fox music department head and master composer/conductor (he's possibly one of the greatest conductors EVER) supervised a musical film at another studio prior to taking over at Fox in 1940. Newman previously supervised the music, along with Roger Edens, for MGM musicals "Born to Dance", and "Broadway Melody of 1936", plus various films for both Fox and Samuel Goldwyn.
The plot, today, seems typically trite for that period. Astaire, a great hoofer in a lousy gig, has a crush on Powell, a big Broadway star. He sneaks in to her shows to see her do a production number when he's not performing with his partner, George Murphy. One night, as he and Murphy are dancing, a bumbling fool of a Broadway angel -- adeptly portrayed by Frank Morgan -- sees the two tappers and gets real excited about the prospect of forwarding Astaire to auditions to co-star with Powell in a new show. Astaire, trying to help his buddy out, and having mistaken Morgan for a bill collector, gives Morgan his buddy's name when they meet. Later, it's Murphy who gets a call to go audition and Astaire helps get him ready. Murphy lands the role and his head swells, and Powell learns that it's Astaire who...and on and on and lots of backstage drama ensues until magic time.
George Murphy is endearing in this film -- both as a wannabe tough guy and as a sensitive slob afraid of failure. Murphy had risen to "leading man" status in a number of MGM "B" pictures, and I sense (rightly or wrongly) a bit of 'make-or-break' urgency in his portrayal that I attribute to his finally getting a leading role in a big MGM musical with Powell and Astaire. To me, he seems more comfortable when he's playing tough with Astaire than he does when he's actually singing and dancing with Powell (who probably intimidated him as she was a much bigger star than he).
Morgan's character has a buddy, too -- a white chinchilla cape that seems to have quite a history on the shoulders of starlets he either dates or encounters during the film.
The music is Cole Porter and it's miraculous.
The overture is amazing. The pacing of the music must have been a great challenge to the musicians that made up the MGM orchestra of the late 30s and early 40s (it was not the world-class outfit that Johnny Green would pull together at the end of the decade). From the opening notes, you get a sense of great urgency -- all the pictures about NYC and Broadway you ever saw all rolled into one hyperkinetic several minutes of music.
Astaire and Murphy totally nail the "Don't Monkey With Broadway"
number and it's a wonderful routine! While the number was meant to be typical of the entertainment to be found in NYC at that time, you still have that paradox of "would Astaire really have been dancing for peanuts"? Just like you had to ask, "Wasn't Liza just too good to be performing in that little cabaret"?
The audition number between Murphy and Powell -- "Between You and Me" -- is MGM glitzy and glamorous with a heavy dollop of kitsch...all the ramps for sliding and jumping and twirling (to show off the costume, dontcha know). The sincere looks between Powell and the suddenly shy and nervous Murphy are well worth a grin.
Eleanor Powell was not a great actress. She was, however, a brilliant tap dancer. Today, some wouldn't have kind things to say about her dancing style, especially going from tap to toepoint. But the fact remains that she was a MAJOR star at MGM and Astaire thought her amazingly gifted (sadly, she didn't have his creative flair for invention). Eleanor danced pretty much the same way in each film, with her signature backdrop-handtouch to the floor. She had a tiny voice, but a beautiful face with a gorgeous smile and she made the world seem magical.
She did everything asked of her...with smiles and determination and earnestness.
The "I've Got My Eyes on You" number Astaire does on the empty stage, using Powell's powder puff as his dancing "partner" is inspired. And he and Powell give us a glimpse of what's coming when they do that little tap number at the outdoor cafe.
But let's be absolutely clear about the merits of this film. Its place in cinema (musical) history is assured with the finest tap dancing display ever committed to film...and possibly ever created for any medium...and that is the "Begin the Beguine" number toward the end of the film. It's a jazzy arrangement and Astaire and Powell -- reflected in a black shiny floor -- tap their hearts out in one of the most dazzling terpsichorean displays of athleticism and art ever seen. It's an AWESOME number.
The earlier artsy stuff is a little too cute (along with the meant-to-be-sincere delivery of lines by Powell in those backstage moments as Astaire worries with Murphy). "I Concentrate on You" has been better served in many other films, so it's operatic presentation here should not be mourned.
But it's more than made up for by the glittering delights and leaps to delirium provided by Astaire and Powell AND Murphy when they're tapping.
The film was a major effort and preserves a moment in film history that will never be equalled.
Description of Broadway Melody of 1940
No Description Available.Genre: Musicals
Rating: NR
Release Date: 22-APR-2003
Media Type: DVD
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