Main Cast: Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy, Frank Morgan, Ian Hunter
Release Year: 1940
Country: US
Run Time: 103 minutes
Plot
MGM's third follow-up to its landmark Broadway Melody is short on story, but that's okay, since the plot is merely a clothesline upon which to hang sleek and opulent musical production numbers by Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell -- particularly a breathless and eye-popping gloriously black-and-white six-minute tap dance finale between Astaire and Powell to Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine." The tale itself is a typical backstage contrivance: Johnny Brett (Fred Astaire) and King Shaw (George Murphy) are a couple of hoofers working in a dance hall for peanuts. Due to mistaken identity, King gets tapped for the lead in a Broadway show opposite big star Clare Bennett (Eleanor Powell) rather than Johnny. But when King drowns his trouble in booze on opening night, Johnny covers for him, taking his place in the show. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Broadway Melody of 1940 proves that a musical can be first-rate entertainment even with a script that is, to put it politely, "familiar." Ideally, of course, one wishes to have a story that is fresh, a screenplay that is literate and witty, and characters that surprise one with their doings. Melody offers none of this, and by all rights should be consigned to the ranks of the moderately entertaining but not memorable. And yet Melody is memorable, if for nothing else than for the firecracker pairing of the irreplaceable Fred Astaire with the indomitable Eleanor Powell. The two are not a natural match, as Astaire and Rogers were; their styles don't mesh to form one whole, but at the same time they don't clash. What one gets are two forces of nature enjoying a friendly competition with each other, with the audience the clear winner. Melody's most famous set piece is the incredible "Begin the Beguine" sequence, and it is definitely huge and inescapably impressive -- just take a gander at that floor, glimmering like the sheerest black ice. Yet the best number is arguably the quieter but simply captivating jukebox dance sequence, which grows more powerful with each repeated viewing. Cole Porter's scrumptious score also includes the delicious "I Concentrate on You," as well as the infectious "Don't Monkey Around with Broadway" and several others. George Murphy is also on hand to offer bland support, along with some hoofing that is far from bland, and there's also an able assist from the likes of Frank Morgan. Melody sags a bit in between songs, but when it's singing and dancing, it's a doozy. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, John S. Detlie - Art Director, Bobby Connolly - Choreography, Adrian - Costume Designer, Irene Valles - Costume Designer, Norman Taurog - Director, Blanche Sewell - Editor, Walter Ruick - Composer (Music Score), Roger Edens - Composer (Music Score), Cole Porter - Composer (Music Score), Alfred Newman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Oliver Marsh - Cinematographer, Joseph Ruttenberg - Cinematographer, Jack Cummings - Producer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Douglas Shearer - Sound/Sound Designer, Jack McGowan - Screen Story, Dore Schary - Screen Story, Eddie Moran - Screenwriter, Walter de Leon - Screenwriter, Leon Gordon - Screenwriter, Vincent Lawrence - Screenwriter, Albert Mannheimer - Screenwriter, George Oppenheimer - Screenwriter, Sid Silvers - Screenwriter, Preston Sturges - Screenwriter
Broadway Melody of 1940 would be the fourth and final entry in MGM's beloved Broadway Melody franchise. As lavish musicals had all but become the studio's bread and butter, enthusiasts flocked to theaters to see Fred Astaire (Johnny Brett), Eleanor Powell (Clara Bennett), and George Murphy (King Shaw) kick up their heels to the tunes of Cole Porter. And who wouldn't? The plot centers on a case of mistaken identity in which Murphy is erroneously cast in a Broadway performance that also stars Powell. However, when Murphy's character gets too inebriated to work, Astaire -- who was supposed to have gotten the job to begin with -- fills in, ultimately saving the production and affirming the adage that "the show must go on." As is the case with all of the restored soundtracks distributed under the auspices of Rhino Handmade, every accessible note has been incorporated -- meaning that vocals and instrumentals alike are given their due, as modern consumers can avail themselves of Alfred Newman and Edward Powell's uniformly inspired arrangements, the vast majority of which have never been issued before. Among the standouts are Porter's "Begin the Beguine" -- revived from the 1935 Broadway misstep Jubilee and turned into the breathtaking finale -- as well as the lush and languid "I Concentrate On You" and the conversely jaunty "I've Got My Eyes On You." "Please Don't Monkey With Broadway" is a lighthearted romp marked by Porter's unabashed salute to the Big Apple, a motif that he would incorporate into many of his best-loved compositions. The remainder of the CD contains a dozen selections from the 1937 film Rosalie, and is significant if for no other reason than the Nelson Eddy outtake on "Close," an alternate reading of Eleanor Powell's "Who Knows," and the unused "I Know It's Not Meant for Me." In keeping with the label's limited-edition policy, only 2,500 copies are being made available to retail. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that for 60-year-old recordings, while not perfect, the contents are listenable and thoroughly enjoyable. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
Tracks
Track Title
Composers
Performers
Time
Main Title (Extended Version): Medley: Between You and Me/I ...
Fred Astaire (Vocals), Fred Astaire (Taps), Nelson Eddy (Vocals), Ray Bolger (Vocals), Cheryl Pawelski (Project Assistant), Cole Porter (Composer), Cole Porter (Lyricist), Edward B. Powell (Arranger), Edward B. Powell (Conductor), Edward B. Powell (Orchestration), Edward B. Powell (Musical Direction), Eleanor Powell (Vocals), Eleanor Powell (Taps), Conrad Salinger (Arranger), Conrad Salinger (Orchestration), Doug Schwartz (Engineer), Doug Schwartz (Mastering), Roger Edens (Arranger), Roger Edens (Composer), Roger Edens (Score), George Feltenstein (Producer), George Feltenstein (Liner Notes), George Feltenstein (Photography), George Feltenstein (Photo Courtesy), George Bassman (Arranger), George Bassman (Composer), George Bassman (Orchestration), George Bassman (Adaptation), Herbert Stothart (Arranger), Herbert Stothart (Conductor), George Murphy (Vocals), Frank Morgan All-Stars (Vocals), Rachel Gutek (Design), Patrick Milligan (Project Supervisor), Leo Arnaud (Arranger), Leo Arnaud (Orchestration), Steven Chean (Project Assistant), Wally Heglin (Arranger), Wally Heglin (Composer), Wally Heglin (Orchestration), Bryan Lasley (Art Direction), Steve Woolard (Project Assistant), Lori Carfora (Creative Services Director), Paul Marquardt (Orchestration), Walter Ruick (Composer), Walter Ruick (Score), Murray Cutter (Arranger), Murray Cutter (Orchestration)
The film was the fourth and final entry in MGM's "Broadway Melody" series of films, and is notable for being the only on-screen pairing of Astaire and Powell, who were considered the finest movie musical dancers of their time.
Johnny Brett (Fred Astaire) and King Shaw (George Murphy) are a dance team so down on their luck they're working in a dance hall, while Clare Bennett (Eleanor Powell) is a big Broadway star. Due to a case of mistaken identity, Shaw gets offered the chance to be Clare's dancing partner in a new Broadway show, when it was really Johnny's dancing that befuddled producer Bob Casey (Frank Morgan) saw and wanted. The partnership breaks up, but Johnny sticks around to help out Shaw, who lets his newfound success go to his head. Clare eventually realizes that Johnny is the real deal, not Shaw, and she falls in love with him. When Shaw gets drunk on opening night, Johnny steps in and saves the show with a brilliant performance.[1][2]
"Please Don't Monkey with Broadway" - words and music by Cole Porter, sung and danced by Fred Astaire and George Murphy
"All Ashore" - words and music by Roger Edens, sung by Eleanor Powell, one of the few times she was ever shown singing with her own voice rather than being overdubbed.
"Between You Me" - words and music by Cole Porter, sung by George Murphy, danced by Murphy and Eleanor Powell
"Jukebox Dance" - words and music by Walter Ruick, danced by Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire, their first duet. Powell later said this number was her favorite out of all her filmed dances.[3]
"I Concentrate on You" - words and music by Cole Porter, sung by Douglas McPhail, danced by Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire
"Begin the Beguine" - words and music by Cole Porter, sung first in an operatic style by Lois Hodnott (who was also used to dub the vocals for screwball soprano Carmen D'Antonio in the comedy audition sequence Il Bacio in the middle of the movie) and later in a jazz style by The Music Maids, danced by Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, including a lengthy passage in which they tap dance with no musical accompaniment. This segment was later a highlight of the 1974 documentary That's Entertainment!.
"I've Got My Eyes on You (instrumental and choral reprise) - danced by Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and George Murphy[4][5]
Production
Broadway Melody of 1940 was based on a story by Jack McGowan and Dore Schary. Schary would go on to be head of production (1948) and then president (1951) of MGM until 1956. The film was originally planned to be shot in Technicolor, but because of the unsettled state of Europe due to World War II, MGM decided to stick to black and white.[6]
The film was the fourth and final entry in MGM's loosely-connected Broadway Melody series, which began with the original The Broadway Melody released in 1929, and was followed by Broadway Melody of 1936 and Broadway Melody of 1938. The films were unconnected except for the use of the song "Broadway Melody" (the 1940 entry did not feature the number, although a bit of it can be heard over the film's opening credits), and the fact that Powell starred in the 1936, 1938 and 1940 entries, playing different roles in each. A fifth Broadway Melody film was planned for release in the early 1940s, pairing Eleanor Powell with Gene Kelly, but production was canceled at the rehearsal stage. Another production was to have been called Broadway Melody of 1944 but was instead renamed Broadway Rhythm. The 1940 entry is considered Powell's last major successful film, as she would go on to appear in a succession of only moderate hits before retiring from the screen several years later. It has the distinction of being the first non-documentary film featuring Powell to be released on DVD.
Fred Astaire had just left RKO, and Broadway Melody... was his first film, as well as his film for MGM since his small part in 1933's Dancing Lady Astaire was reportedly slightly intimidated by Powell, as she was considered one of the few female dancers capable of out-performing Astaire. According to Powell in her introduction to the book The MGM Story, the feeling was somewhat mutual. Powell recalled finally saying to Astaire, "Look, we can't go on like this. I'm Ellie; you're Fred. We're just two hoofers," after which, they got along well, and reheased so much they wore out their pianist.[3]
Broadway Melody of 1940 was in production from early September until late November 1939. The set for the "Begin the Beguine" number cost $120,000 to construct. It utilized a sixty foot multi-paneled mirror mounted on a revolving track to change backgrounds.[6]
