Broadway Melody of 1938

Infobox Film
name = Broadway Melody of 1938


image_size = 215px
caption = theatrical poster
director = Roy Del Ruth
producer = Jack Cummings
writer = Jack McGowan
starring = Robert Taylor
Eleanor Powell
music = Nacio Herb Brown
"(songs-music)"
Arthur Freed
"(song-lyrics)"
cinematography = William H. Daniels
editing = Blanche Sewell
distributor = MGM
released = 20 August fy|1937
runtime = 110 minutes
country = FilmUS
language = English
budget = $10,000 "(est.)"
preceded_by = "Broadway Melody of 1936"
followed_by = "Broadway Melody of 1940"
imdb_id = 0028665

"Broadway Melody of 1938" is a 1937 musical film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical tradition. The film stars Eleanor Powell and Robert Taylor and features Buddy Ebsen, George Murphy, Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, Raymond Walburn, Robert Benchley and Binnie Barnes.

The film is most notable for young Garland's performance of "Dear Mr. Gable/You Made Me Love You", a tribute to Clark Gable which turned the teenage singer, who had been toiling in obscurity for a couple of years, into an overnight sensation, leading eventually to her being cast in "The Wizard of Oz".

Plot

Young horse trainer Sally (Eleanor Powell) befriends Sonny (George Murphy) and Peter (Buddy Ebsen), who have been hired to look after a horse her family once owned. Concerned for the horse's well-being, she sneaks aboard a train taking the horse and its caretakers to New York City. En route she meets talent agent Steve Raleigh (Robert Taylor) who, impressed with her dancing and singing, sets her on the road to stardom and romance blossoms between the two. A subplot involves a boarding house for performers run by Sophie Tucker, who is trying to find a big break for young Judy Garland.

Cast

Cast notes:
*Clark Gable appears as himself in the clips shown during the song, "Dear Mr Gable/You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It)"

ongs

The majority of songs in "Broadway Melody of 1938" were written by Nacio Herb Brown (music) and Arthur Freed (lyrics): [TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=2096&category=Music Music] ] [IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028665/soundtrack Soundtracks] ]

*"Broadway Melody" (1929) - in opening credits
*"You Are My Lucky Star" (1935) - in opening credits
*"Yours and Mine" (1937) - sung by Eleanor Powell (dubbed by Marjorie Lane); danced by Eleanor Powell and George Murphy; danced by Judy Garland and Buddy Ebsen
*"Follow in My Footsteps" (1937) - sung and danced by George Murphy, Buddy Ebsen and Eleanor Powell (dubbed by Marjorie Lane)
*"Everybody Sing" (1937) - sung by Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, Barnett Parker and chorus
*"I'm Feeling Like a Million" (1937) - sung and danced by George Murphy and Eleanor Powell (dubbed by Marjorie Lane); recorded by Judy Garland but cut from the film
*"Your Broadway and My Broadway" (1937) - sung by Sophie Tucker and Charles Igor Gorin, danced by George Murphy, Eleanor Powell, Buddy Ebsen and Judy Garland; recorded by Judy Garland and chorus but cut from the film
*"Broadway Rhythm" (1935) - sung by a chorus and danced by Eleanor Powell
*"Got a Pair of New Shoes" (1937) - sung by a chorus and danced by Eleanor Powell in the finale
*"Sun Showers" (1937) - recorded by Charles Igor Gorin but cut from the film

;Other songs:
*"The Toreador Song" (1875) - from "Carmen", by Georges Bizet (music) and Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy (libretto), sung by Charles Igor Gorin in the opening scene
*"Some of These Days" (1910) - music and lyrics by Shelton Brooks, sung by Sophie Tucker
*"Largo al factotum" (1816) - from "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (The Barber of Seville), by Gioacchino Rossini (music) and Cesare Sterbini (libretto), sung by Charles Igor Gorin
*"You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" (1913) - by James V. Monaco (music) and Joseph McCarthy (lyrics) with special lyrics for the "Dear Mr. Gable" segment by Roger Edens; sung by Judy Garland

Production

This was the third of the "Broadway Melody" series, and had the working title of "Broadway Melody of 1937". When it was released, late in fy|1937, it was advertised with the tagline "So new it's a year ahead!".

MGM borrowed Binnie Barnes from Universal Pictures for the film.TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=2096&category=Notes Notes] ]

The film was in production from late February to 20 July fy|1937, and was released on 20 August.TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=2096&category=Overview Overview] ] Its initial running time was 115 minutes, compared to the final running time of 110 minutes.

Judy Garland's number, "Dear Mr. Garland/You Made Me Move You (I Didn't Want To Do It" has been cited as her first great film success. The song was specially prepared by Roger Edens for Clark Gable's 36th birthday as a present, and Garland sang it at the party given by MGM. Producer Louis B. Mayer was so impressed he ordered that it be included in the next possible musical MGM was producing.

The finale of the film takes place on a giant set upon which neon signs are visible showing the names of famous stage and screen stars. During Sophie Tucker's final number, all of the signs in the background actually change to read "Sophie Tucker" in tribute to her.

Cultural references

*A 1937 "Our Gang" comedy, "Our Gang Follies of 1938", spoofs the title, concept, and style of "Broadway Melody of 1938".
*Judy Garland singing "You Made Me Love You" to a picture of Clark Gable gets parodied in the 2007 musical film "Hairspray" when Link (Zac Efron) sings to a picture, of Tracy (Nikki Blonsky), which comes to life to sing with him.

Notes

External links

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