fine entertainment with themes that remain so very relevent
Added 9/7/2009
The Broadway Melody Of 1929 was the first "talkie" to receive an Oscar for Best Picture. The film was distinctly modern for its time although in our times the story would never suffice as a movie plot. Some people say that the thin plot was essentially an excuse for song and dance numbers--and they are right. Bessie Love and Anita Page play the two sisters Hank and Queenie Mahoney respectively; and they do a good job of it. Just one look at Charles King as Eddie Kearns tells you he's the good guy who can't help being human; and Kenneth Thomson gives a great performance as the rich playboy Jacques Warriner (a reference to Jack Warner, I would think). Arthur Freed himself gets a small role as a bystander in the rehearsal room for Francis Zanfield's latest Broadway production; the character of Francis Zanfield clearly refers to the great Flo Ziegfeld--excellent!
When the film starts, we meet sisters Hank and Queenie who arrive in New York to seek fame and fortune on Broadway. They talk it over with Eddie (Charles King), who loves Hank until he gets a glimpse of Queenie now that she's "all grown up." Eddie tries to get the sisters into the latest Broadway show being staged by Francis Zanfield. Things begin to happen both for the better and for the worse as Eddie realizes that he loves Queenie and not Hank anymore. Queenie tries not to interfere with Eddie and Hank; she doesn't want to steal her sister's boyfriend. Queenie dates a rich playboy named Jacques (Kenneth Thomson) so that Hank still has a real chance to be happy with Eddie. However, Jacques' money may not be enough to win Queenie's true love. Queenie winds up having to choose between Eddie and Jacques; and her decision effects Hank's life, too.
The shades of black and white complement the fine acting perfectly; and the superb musical numbers strike you as infectious even today. The movie score boasts the infectiously happy "The Broadway Melody;" "You Were Meant For Me" and "Truthful Parson Brown." These numbers are sung with the great sensitivity you expect from a MGM musical and the musical arrangements reflect forethought, too. There are some intertitles cards so that the audience can easily understand the way the plot is going--you can tell by this that Hollywood hadn't completely disposed of some of silent picture devices when this film was made.
The cinematography is quite good--for it's time. The opening moments feature beautiful aerial views of Manhattan; the lighting is good and the subjects are well framed within the screen. The strength of the choreography shows in the dance numbers as well as the brief fight scene between Eddie and Jacques. In addition, the sound quality is actually pretty good--thanks to people who walked around very quietly while carrying microphones, safely out of the range of the camera.
The DVD offers wonderful extras, too. MGM spoofs its own movie with "The Dogway Melody." The trained dogs act out a story that is remarkably similar to The Broadway Melody of 1929; and it's actually quite entertaining! We get some "Metro Movietone Revues," too, which showcase other talented acts in short movies. Gus Van and Joe Schenk perform in their own musical short as well.
Sure, the plot is somewhat corny, contrived and predictable--but, then again, who cares? The film is excellent for its time; and I love that. The actors show the human sides of the characters they play through good acting; and the musical numbers exceed my expectations for a film from this era. The movie held my attention throughout and the themes of love, humanity and wanting success will remain forever relevant to us both today and in the future. I tip my hat to MGM and these outstanding actors for producing such a treat as The Broadway Melody of 1929! Great job, everyone!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Time capsule
Added 8/10/2009
The storyline here is as cliche-ridden a backstage expose as Showgirls would be 70 years later. Eddie, a song-and-dance man, sells one of his tunes to the "Zanfeld Dollies" (a very thinly disguised Ziegfeld Follies) and invites his long-distance girlfriend - now touring the country in a second-rate sister act - to come to New York and share his Broadway good fortune. When the sisters arrive, Eddie, who hasn't seen the kid sister since she was, well, a kid, falls head-over-heels for the grown-up version. Eddie is really one of the most despicable heroes in all of musicals. Oh yeah, this is a musical, and while, a year or two later, MGM would be mounting fantastically lavish production numbers, the musical numbers in this primitive effort are almost hysterically bad, featuring hoofer ballerinas and dancing girls hopping on one leg in front of cardboard sets. In the end, what makes Broadway Melody an entertaining diversion is the absolutely terrific music throughout and the irreplaceable 1920s ambience, complete with every other line beginning with the word "Gee!" As in: gee, isn't Broadway Melody of 1929 just swell?
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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a little pre-hayes code fun!
Added 8/23/2008
O.K. first a general comment:
Can someone please explain to me why so many people refer to this film as "dated" to put it down...
It was made in 1929... Thank you to the reviewer who pointed this out!
If you want something more up to date, go rent "The Terminator" (!)
Back in 1929 things were rather... 1929s'ish... (errrrrrr... duh...)
That said, actually one reason the film is so relevant today is because of just how ahead of its time it was...
Basically it was the first all talkie musical... it also had a colorized sequence (now lost), and was quite racy...
Sure... it lacks the smooth Lush technical perfectionism of the G-Rated MGM musical greats that would follow...
and has some strange quirks, some almost B-movie 50's sexploitationish... though there is no nudity, the film has almost constant "beneath the surface" as well as overt tease. This coupled with the film's Jazz Age POV and occasional zaniness make it... o.k. dated but in a funny way...
All this said, the two leading gals (Bessie Love and Anita Page) in the film are HOT (not glamorous... hot...)
Times were different then... the leading men are a bit fat... and the girls "petite" bordering on boyish, yet still... as I said, hot...
I also find the film interesting because the ladies have the lead... not the men... and the leading men are far from ravishing and suave (something that would become the standard in musicals to come!)
And, the cinematography is quite edgy for the the times (its a nicely cut film, doesn't drag.)
Another nice thing is that most the actors use American (NY/Broadway-esque) dialect... as opposed to "proper" (<-- be sure to roll the "r" poshly) Queen's English.
other points:
As many have pointed out though, there is the strange use of title cards as segues, and while some people point out certain dated elements of the acting, the presence of seasoned veteran vaudevillians and stage actors and the film's effort to find its place in the post silent movie era also make it great to watch.
So to conclude: Yeah, this isn't your typical Academy award winning film... plot is definitely not so heavy... its sort of a light comedy with a few heavy moments, and song and dance routines now and then. Fans of the later musicals will be disappointed by the relatively lackluster choreography that would become trademarks of the later MGM musicals, however, Broadway fans might appreciate the film's realism. Another interesting thing about the film is that the actors at times seem to mouth the other actor's lines (!)(!)(!) (Is this just my imagination???)
All in all, a fun film... not timeless, more of historical significance, but still great to watch.
Incidentally, if you liked the recent musical "The Drowsy Chaperone" you might get a kick out of this... but as this film is definite "Jazz Age", its really the era right after Chaperone, when Victorian mores had already unfolded.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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The first actual movie musical
Added 12/25/2007
Even though it was advertised as "All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing!", this movie, named the Best Picture of 1929, contains certain elements that point out that sound was still unfamiliar territory to most filmmakers. For example, this movie is still using title cards to announce the chapters. Also, the actors are still using silent film acting techniques as though nobody can hear them. For example, in one scene, characters indicate their drunkenness by hiccuping and wildly staggering about. This unpolished musical was undoubtedly recognized more for combining drama with the musical revue than for its overall production value. The inclusion of a major production number, "The Wedding of the Painted Doll," originally a Technicolor number that is now lost, may also have impressed the Academy.
The story is basically just a backdrop for the real attraction - the singing and dancing. The vaudeville sister act of Hank (Harriet) and Queenie Mahoney come to Broadway where their friend, Eddie Kerns, needs them for his number in a show. Eddie has had a long distance romance with Hank for some time, but when he meets the now grown-up Queenie, he falls in love with her. However, she is also being courted by Jock Warriner, a wealthy playboy. Queenie uses her relationship with Jock as a shield against getting involved with Eddie so as not to hurt her sister. When Hank sees what Eddie and Queenie mean to each other, she steps out of the way so the pair can be together. Unremarkable end to unremarkable story, although Bessie Love's acting as Hank is quite good for an early talkie. Unlike later movie musicals where it is expected that the players will burst into song at any time, this movie seems self-conscious about it all. The very few songs and dances that are performed are - with only one exception - performed within the context of the Broadway show that is being performed. Also note the brief appearance of two character actors early in their careers - William Demarest and James Gleason.
In spite of its obvious shortcomings, this film is one of my favorite early talkies. I love it not because of how it plays in the 21st century. Instead, I love it knowing that it really is the first true movie musical and knowing how it was made in the fall of 1928 when sound technology was so primitive. The cameras were rolled around on wheels - rolling coffins they called them - to give the film some of the fluid visual motion that was lost when sound came in because the noise of the camera had to be insulated. Also, since there was no such thing as a mobile microphone at that point, the microphone was manually hauled just off camera by someone in their stocking feet. These are only a few of the anecdotes dealing with how this film was made and the on-the-spot innovations that had to be made.
The extras are Warner Brothers shorts that pertain to the talkies and musicals of the late 20s and early 30s. "The Dogway Melody" is a 16 minute-long spoof of the original The Broadway Melody with a cast entirely of dogs. You have to see this to believe it. It is funny in an "Our Gang" kind of way. There are also Metro Movietone Reviews consisting of five shorts less than 20 minutes each of some singing and dancing and comedy bits taken directly from the stage. "Van & Schenk" is a 5 minute short with Gus Van and Joe Schenk singing "Chinese Firecracker" and "Way Down South" with piano accompaniment sounding like they are singing through a megaphone. "Broadway Trailer Gallery" contains trailers for the four sequels to Broadway Melody. These films were Broadway Melody of 1936, 1938, 1940, and 1944.
4 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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The Broadway Melody
Added 6/6/2003
I thouroughly loved this one! I wouls only add to the other reviewers words by saying I've always loved the song "Broadway Melody", both the music and gleefully,carefree happy time flavor of those 1929 lyrics. Thought I'd never be able to listen enough times to this song to satisfy me,BUT,this movie justabout does the trick. I shall be keeping this gem among my treasures and to think I was able to purchase a $680,000.00 movie which grossed 4 million bucks, for only [$$$] here at Amazon. This movie has delicious nostalgia. and if you really try, you can almostget a tangible scent of the places theaters and ambience of the ornate beautiful movie palaces all so new at that time. A time piece and keep-sake of a happier and more carefree "era,dear-ah." (Credit Ruth Donelley from her book) If you've got a love for old movies you just may love this.(vo-dody-oh-do!)
5 out of 7 people found this helpful.
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fine entertainment with themes that remain so very relevent
Added 9/7/2009
The Broadway Melody Of 1929 was the first "talkie" to receive an Oscar for Best Picture. The film was distinctly modern for its time although in our times the story would never suffice as a movie plot. Some people say that the thin plot was essentially an excuse for song and dance numbers--and they are right. Bessie Love and Anita Page play the two sisters Hank and Queenie Mahoney respectively; and they do a good job of it. Just one look at Charles King as Eddie Kearns tells you he's the good guy who can't help being human; and Kenneth Thomson gives a great performance as the rich playboy Jacques Warriner (a reference to Jack Warner, I would think). Arthur Freed himself gets a small role as a bystander in the rehearsal room for Francis Zanfield's latest Broadway production; the character of Francis Zanfield clearly refers to the great Flo Ziegfeld--excellent!
When the film starts, we meet sisters Hank and Queenie who arrive in New York to seek fame and fortune on Broadway. They talk it over with Eddie (Charles King), who loves Hank until he gets a glimpse of Queenie now that she's "all grown up." Eddie tries to get the sisters into the latest Broadway show being staged by Francis Zanfield. Things begin to happen both for the better and for the worse as Eddie realizes that he loves Queenie and not Hank anymore. Queenie tries not to interfere with Eddie and Hank; she doesn't want to steal her sister's boyfriend. Queenie dates a rich playboy named Jacques (Kenneth Thomson) so that Hank still has a real chance to be happy with Eddie. However, Jacques' money may not be enough to win Queenie's true love. Queenie winds up having to choose between Eddie and Jacques; and her decision effects Hank's life, too.
The shades of black and white complement the fine acting perfectly; and the superb musical numbers strike you as infectious even today. The movie score boasts the infectiously happy "The Broadway Melody;" "You Were Meant For Me" and "Truthful Parson Brown." These numbers are sung with the great sensitivity you expect from a MGM musical and the musical arrangements reflect forethought, too. There are some intertitles cards so that the audience can easily understand the way the plot is going--you can tell by this that Hollywood hadn't completely disposed of some of silent picture devices when this film was made.
The cinematography is quite good--for it's time. The opening moments feature beautiful aerial views of Manhattan; the lighting is good and the subjects are well framed within the screen. The strength of the choreography shows in the dance numbers as well as the brief fight scene between Eddie and Jacques. In addition, the sound quality is actually pretty good--thanks to people who walked around very quietly while carrying microphones, safely out of the range of the camera.
The DVD offers wonderful extras, too. MGM spoofs its own movie with "The Dogway Melody." The trained dogs act out a story that is remarkably similar to The Broadway Melody of 1929; and it's actually quite entertaining! We get some "Metro Movietone Revues," too, which showcase other talented acts in short movies. Gus Van and Joe Schenk perform in their own musical short as well.
Sure, the plot is somewhat corny, contrived and predictable--but, then again, who cares? The film is excellent for its time; and I love that. The actors show the human sides of the characters they play through good acting; and the musical numbers exceed my expectations for a film from this era. The movie held my attention throughout and the themes of love, humanity and wanting success will remain forever relevant to us both today and in the future. I tip my hat to MGM and these outstanding actors for producing such a treat as The Broadway Melody of 1929! Great job, everyone!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Time capsule
Added 8/10/2009
The storyline here is as cliche-ridden a backstage expose as Showgirls would be 70 years later. Eddie, a song-and-dance man, sells one of his tunes to the "Zanfeld Dollies" (a very thinly disguised Ziegfeld Follies) and invites his long-distance girlfriend - now touring the country in a second-rate sister act - to come to New York and share his Broadway good fortune. When the sisters arrive, Eddie, who hasn't seen the kid sister since she was, well, a kid, falls head-over-heels for the grown-up version. Eddie is really one of the most despicable heroes in all of musicals. Oh yeah, this is a musical, and while, a year or two later, MGM would be mounting fantastically lavish production numbers, the musical numbers in this primitive effort are almost hysterically bad, featuring hoofer ballerinas and dancing girls hopping on one leg in front of cardboard sets. In the end, what makes Broadway Melody an entertaining diversion is the absolutely terrific music throughout and the irreplaceable 1920s ambience, complete with every other line beginning with the word "Gee!" As in: gee, isn't Broadway Melody of 1929 just swell?
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
a little pre-hayes code fun!
Added 8/23/2008
O.K. first a general comment:
Can someone please explain to me why so many people refer to this film as "dated" to put it down...
It was made in 1929... Thank you to the reviewer who pointed this out!
If you want something more up to date, go rent "The Terminator" (!)
Back in 1929 things were rather... 1929s'ish... (errrrrrr... duh...)
That said, actually one reason the film is so relevant today is because of just how ahead of its time it was...
Basically it was the first all talkie musical... it also had a colorized sequence (now lost), and was quite racy...
Sure... it lacks the smooth Lush technical perfectionism of the G-Rated MGM musical greats that would follow...
and has some strange quirks, some almost B-movie 50's sexploitationish... though there is no nudity, the film has almost constant "beneath the surface" as well as overt tease. This coupled with the film's Jazz Age POV and occasional zaniness make it... o.k. dated but in a funny way...
All this said, the two leading gals (Bessie Love and Anita Page) in the film are HOT (not glamorous... hot...)
Times were different then... the leading men are a bit fat... and the girls "petite" bordering on boyish, yet still... as I said, hot...
I also find the film interesting because the ladies have the lead... not the men... and the leading men are far from ravishing and suave (something that would become the standard in musicals to come!)
And, the cinematography is quite edgy for the the times (its a nicely cut film, doesn't drag.)
Another nice thing is that most the actors use American (NY/Broadway-esque) dialect... as opposed to "proper" (<-- be sure to roll the "r" poshly) Queen's English.
other points:
As many have pointed out though, there is the strange use of title cards as segues, and while some people point out certain dated elements of the acting, the presence of seasoned veteran vaudevillians and stage actors and the film's effort to find its place in the post silent movie era also make it great to watch.
So to conclude: Yeah, this isn't your typical Academy award winning film... plot is definitely not so heavy... its sort of a light comedy with a few heavy moments, and song and dance routines now and then. Fans of the later musicals will be disappointed by the relatively lackluster choreography that would become trademarks of the later MGM musicals, however, Broadway fans might appreciate the film's realism. Another interesting thing about the film is that the actors at times seem to mouth the other actor's lines (!)(!)(!) (Is this just my imagination???)
All in all, a fun film... not timeless, more of historical significance, but still great to watch.
Incidentally, if you liked the recent musical "The Drowsy Chaperone" you might get a kick out of this... but as this film is definite "Jazz Age", its really the era right after Chaperone, when Victorian mores had already unfolded.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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