The Broadway Melody

2/8/19291h 41m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ All talking. All singing. All dancing. ~

Overview:

The vaudeville act of Harriet and Queenie Mahoney comes to Broadway, where their friend Eddie Kerns needs them for his number in one of Francis Zanfield's shows. When Eddie meets Queenie, he soon falls in love with her—but she is already being courted by Jock Warriner, a member of New York high society. Queenie eventually recognizes that, to Jock, she is nothing more than a toy, and that Eddie is in love with her.

Director:

Harry Beaumont

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$379,000.00

Revenue:

$4,358,000.00

Key words:

new york city
dancing
love triangle
show business
musical
tap dancing
singer
singing
black and white
undressing
broadway
pre-code
vaudeville
dressing room
chorus girl
broadway show
dance act
vaudeville company
sisterhood
partially lost film
show girls
sister sister relationship
sisters love
dancing girls

Cast

Charles King

~ as ~

Eddie Kearns

Anita Page

~ as ~

Queenie Mahoney

Bessie Love

~ as ~

Harriet 'Hank' Mahoney

Betty Arthur

~ as ~

Chorus Dancer (uncredited)

J. Emmett Beck

~ as ~

Babe Hatrick (uncredited)

Nacio Herb Brown

~ as ~

Pianist (uncredited)

James Burrows

~ as ~

Singer (uncredited)

Eddie Bush

~ as ~

Quartet Guitarist and Singer (uncredited)

Ray Cooke

~ as ~

Bellhop (uncredited)

Drew Demorest

~ as ~

Turpe - Costumer (uncredited)

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 4 month(s) ago
6
“Eddie” (Charles King) invites his girlfriend “Hank” (Bessie Love) and her sister “Queenie” (Anita Page) to join a show being staged by legendary producer “Zanfeld” (Eddie Kane) on Broadway. That’s about as simple as the plot gets because quite swiftly he switches his allegiance to the other sister but she’s a decent sort of gal and tries to return the attentions of socialite “Jock” (Kenneth Thomson). Those attentions are really only skin deep, though, and as we watch we all too readily realise where the real love story lies. Whilst all of this melodrama is playing out, director Harry Beaumont makes best use of his theatrical setting to intersperse this game of who is dating who with some quite well choreographed and scored song and dance routines in the best traditions of (sometimes quite risqué vaudeville. It’s an early talkie and it looks it. None of the cast look particularly comfortable with their lines, but they do look much more natural when the gals are on the stage or frenetically lurching from heartbreak to lovestruck - usually very loudly, backstage too! Love is a class act and she certainly steals the show here but that’s maybe it’s problem. It is a film about a show, whereas it might have been better had it just been a show, and cut out the romancing elements that do create their own suds just once too often. It is a lively enterprise, though, and looks as if those behind the camera knew just how to show how manic, haphazard and hectic life behind the curtain could be, and that’s without any love triangles! It hasn’t really stood the test of time, but I do wonder how many films made now will still have any entertainment value in a century?