Themes: Actor's Life, Love Triangles, Interracial/Cross-Cultural Romance
Main Cast: Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll, Alice Faye, The Ritz Brothers , George Barbier
Release Year: 1937
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
Director Roy Del Ruth and singing star Dick Powell were raided from the Warner Bros. stables for this frothy musical comedy that features a wonderful collection of Irving Berlin songs, including "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and "Slumming on Park Avenue." Powell stars as Broadway impresario Gary Blake, who is busy putting together his latest Broadway musical starring the Ritz Brothers (as themselves) and musical comedy star Mona Merrick (Alice Faye). Mona's role as "The Richest Girl in the World" is a blunt burlesque of Park Avenue socialite Mimi Caraway (Madeleine Carroll), who catches a performance and becomes enraged at the not-so-subtle ribbing. Mimi goes backstage to protest Mona's performance to Gary, who is immediately attracted to Mimi and agrees to tone down the role. Unfortunately, Mona, who was once Gary's girlfriend, has other ideas. When Mimi and her family come to the next performance, they are shocked to discover Mona's character is even more nasty and self-centered than before. In retaliation, Mimi and her family buy out the production and Mimi makes changes that even the moony Gary objects to. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
One of the more enjoyable backstage musicals of the 1930s, On the Avenue is different from many others in the genre in that it's concerned with a show that has already opened, rather than one that is steaming ahead toward opening night. Avenue also benefits from a script in which the pieces all fall into place naturally; the plot has its holes, but the film has such an amiable feeling that the viewer is willing to overlook them. While the dialogue is not in a class by itself, it has a certain combination of whimsy and winsomeness to it that is quite appealing. Of greater importance, Avenue boasts a first-class Irving Berlin score that includes the infectious "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," the slightly melancholy "This Year's Kisses," and the beguiling "You're Laughing at Me." Avenue is also helped by its solid cast, with Dick Powell providing a smooth sound in the songs and an easy charm in his scenes and Madeleine Carroll creating an imperious rich girl that still manages to win the viewer's heart. Alice Faye is in top-notch form, pouring her creamy tones into her singing and imbuing her character with a combination of vulnerability and sauciness that's quite touching. The Ritz Brothers are given too much screen time for their own good, as is the cringe-inducing Stepin Fetchit, but Cora Witherspoon's breeziness helps to compensate for them. Smoothly directed by Roy Del Ruth, Avenue is a pleasant stroll for musical fans. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Gary Blake (Powell) stars in a new show, On the Avenue, with Mona Merrick (Faye). The show contains a satire on "The Richest Girl in the World", Mimi Carraway (Carroll). Mimi and her father (Barbier) are in the audience on opening night and they feel insulted. She goes backstage and tries to get Gary to take the skit out of the show. He refuses and calls her a "bad sport".
Shocked by the remark, Mimi decides to make a date with Gary. They spend the entire evening together and, by morning, have fallen in love. He finally agrees to revise the skit so it can no longer hurt the Carraways. Mona is in love with Gary and is furious when she hears about Gary's date with Mimi. When the Carraways appear to see the revised sketch, she changes it, without Gary's knowledge, making it worse than before. The Carraways decide to file suit against Gary.
To get back at him, Mimi buys the show from the producer and embarrasses Gary by hiring a paid audience to walk out on the show. Word leaks out to the press and Gary is now the laughingstock of New York. Furious, he tears up his contract, refusing to work with Mimi. Soon, Mimi becomes engaged to Arctic explorer Frederick Sims (Mowbray). On her wedding day, Mona arrives and tells Mimi that it was she, not Gary, who changed the skit. She runs out on the wedding and is taken to city hall with Gary to be married.
The movie's action is interspersed with songs from the play, including Berlin's songs "He Ain't Got Rhythm," and "Let's Go Slumming On Park Avenue."
