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Broadway Melody of 1936

Play trailer Poster for Broadway Melody of 1936 Released Sep 20, 1935 1h 45m Musical Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
When Broadway producer Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor) struggles to finance his new show, a wealthy widow, Lillian Brent (June Knight), offers him an idea: cast her and she will fund the project. Catching wind of the deal, columnist Bert Keeler (Jack Benny) blasts Gordon for practicing favoritism, which means when Gordon's former sweetheart, talented performer Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell), auditions for a part, Gordon refuses to cast her. Foster will need to scheme to win the role she deserves.
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Broadway Melody of 1936

Critics Reviews

View All (10) Critics Reviews
Otis Ferguson The New Republic Broadway Melody of 1936 is more in the tradition of the stage revue, and by far the funniest show around. It has, for example, made a place for such charming and individual drollery as that of Robert Wildhack. May 23, 2024 Full Review Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy) Esquire Magazine The whole of Melody is deft, and some of the specialties, such as Dr. Wildhack's snoring numbers, are tops. Apr 21, 2020 Full Review Ann Ross Maclean's Magazine The producers of Broadway Melody of 1936 had lots of money to spend on their revue, and they spent it wisely in securing expert talent rather than famous Hollywood names. Jul 23, 2019 Full Review Helen Brown Norden Vanity Fair By this time, it is no news to anyone that Eleanor Powell is one of the biggest new names in pictures... She sings pleasantly, she acts with naturalness and charm, there is no woman dancer in the world who can equal her, and she has such a nice face. May 31, 2019 Full Review Sean Axmaker Seanax.com The original story is credited to Moss Hart... but it was all about the production numbers and the spotlight dances by Powell. Apr 6, 2008 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Despite Robert Taylor's stiff, non-singing tunr, this is the second and best of the four Broadway Melody MGM made, largely due to Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown's songs and Eleanor Powell's dazzling dancing. Rated: B Feb 13, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (28) audience reviews
Elvis D The Broadway Melody hizo historia al dar comienzo al cine musical y su éxito del momento se fue expandiendo hasta influir en otras películas. Aunque es una película que no logro trascender en el tiempo, su significado histórico sigue siendo innegable. Debido al impacto que tuvo en su momento, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer decidió convertir esta obra en una saga empezando con la secuela de 1936. Realizada unos 6 años después de la película original, Broadway Melody Of 1936 es una historia independiente que toma la fórmula de la película anterior y cuenta una historia sencilla guiada por la música. Al principio no está claro la dirección a la que va la historia, pero eso se va aclarando una vez que se conoce bien a los personajes y sus finalidades. Los más esenciales son Robert Gordon, Irene Foster y Bert Keeler. Ellos son los que van armando la historia y el rumbo que toma. Robert Gordon tiene una obra musical planeada y busca desesperadamente a una estrella para su show. Al principio elige a Erica, pero eso cambia debido a la intervención de los demás personajes. Irene es una amiga de la infancia que sueña con ser una estrella y ve el proyecto de Robert como una oportunidad para lanzarse al estrellato. Robert no desea contratarla nada más porque sabe que el mundo del espectáculo tiende a sobreexplotar a sus estrellas y Robert no desea que Irene pase por eso. Bert Keeler junto a su compañero Snoop Blue es el clásico periodista metiche que recurre a los chismes y la difamación nada más para obtener un ascenso. Es ese tipo reportero que usa el amarillismo para ganar audiencia. Sus tácticas son lo que perjudican la posibilidad de que Lillian Brent participe en el show de Robert y Keeler recurre a un engaño mucho mayor al inventar la existencia de La Belle Arlette. Un engaño que juega un rol muy importante para que Irene pueda conseguir su objetivo. Es una trama bastante simple, pero fácil de seguir. Tiene momentos de comedia que son divertidos como el Snoop vestido de mujer y sirviendo de alivio cómico junto a Kitty, a pesar de que la música ocupa gran parte de la película. Pero al igual que su predecesora, la película logra ser un buen retrato del teatro musical. Tiene un buen montaje, una escenografía con el estilo de las obras de Broadway y buena coreografía. Es igual a muchos musicales de la época y está bien para los estándares que tenía el cine musical en su momento. Las canciones no son exactamente memorables, pero están bien. Sing Before Breakfast es quizás la más destacable de todas y su ritmo con pasos de tap es pegajoso. Como una comedia musical es aceptable y es una buena secuela. Broadway Melody Of 1936 no es una película memorable y su historia puede ser olvidable, pero es una película que ofrece un rato de entrenamiento y sirve como curiosidad para ver que tan lejos pudo llegar el primer largometraje musical de la historia. Mi calificación final para esta película es un 8/10. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/03/25 Full Review Audience Member When critics talk about the Thirties being the era of escapist entertainment, believe me they have Broadway Melody of 1936 in mind. For people like my parents growing up in the midst of The Depression this world where everyone wore tuxedos and danced away at rooftop parties in between Broadway shows can only be described as escapist. The nice thing about escapist films is that the plot really doesn't have to make sense. You couldn't have a Broadway producer as young as Robert Taylor, he was 25 when this came out. And certainly a talent like Eleanor Powell would certainly have been discovered long before Taylor rediscovers his old grade school chum from Albany. The plot such as it is involves producer Taylor and Walter Winchell like columnist Jack Benny engaging in a feud. During the course of things Benny creates a fictitious French stage star who is visiting New York. Later Taylor "discovers" Eleanor Powell masquerading as the fictitious Mademoiselle Arlette and signs her for his show. Taylor and Benny are fine and Jack Benny gives a good performance in a character that is free of the usual Jack Benny clichés he so carefully created for his radio persona. But the film really belongs to Eleanor Powell. You look at her dance and then you look at Ruby Keeler over at Warner Brothers and there just ain't a contest. Powell was primarily a dancer, but she had good comic timing, could put over a song, and even act decently. You will also like June Knight as the rich girl Taylor is courting for financial backing of his show. And Sid Silvers as Benny's sidekick is pretty funny especially in drag and with his scenes with Una Merkel. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review william d Musical numbers with the great Eleanor Powell. If you can't sit through the insipid story to watch this incomparable performer then you're just not a fan of the genre. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Some good dance routines surrounded by mediocrity. (Mrs Blobbo say is word.) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review steve d As pointless as the rest. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member This is the sort of film that Bullets over Broadway (1994) satirized brilliantly and so it was a shame that this film didn't have an ounce of the wit or originality that the film it inspired had. There really isn't much that can be said about the film unfortunately and that annoyed me as I usually like to spin out my reviews of films to couple hundred words but this one was so lacking in purpose or content. Those who watch the film will empathize with my struggle as it does not grab one's attention at any point but is not bad enough to tear into. I do not view this as a film worthy of mention as a terrible film but it also should not have been a Best Picture nominee. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Broadway Melody of 1936

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Movie Info

Synopsis When Broadway producer Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor) struggles to finance his new show, a wealthy widow, Lillian Brent (June Knight), offers him an idea: cast her and she will fund the project. Catching wind of the deal, columnist Bert Keeler (Jack Benny) blasts Gordon for practicing favoritism, which means when Gordon's former sweetheart, talented performer Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell), auditions for a part, Gordon refuses to cast her. Foster will need to scheme to win the role she deserves.
Director
Roy Del Ruth
Producer
John W. Considine Jr.
Screenwriter
Jack McGowan, Sid Silvers
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre
Musical, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 20, 1935, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2016
Runtime
1h 45m
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