The Broadway Melody of (1929)

12/4/06

Winner of the Oscar for best picture, The Broadway Melody (of 1929) is representative of the musicals of its time, which with a few exceptions (such as King Vidor's Hallelujah or the orignial Show Boat), were fairly static affairs with a stage setting. I know that from my vast film knowldge, but seeing as I've had very limited exposer to other films of this sort, I enjoyed Broadway, though am still a little surprised that it won the best picture against Disreali. The plot is your standard love triangel between a songsmith played by Charles King, and a pair of sisters who are aspiring preformers, both played admirably by Bessie Love and Anita Page (still alive at 96, with her most recent film credit listed as 2004 on IMDB). The film boasts a couple good songs, and some rather obvious word gags (Ziegfields Follies becomes Zanfields Dollies). Included as special features on the DVD are a number of early filmed vaudville acts, including two guys singing a vaguely racist song, and another performer who used very gay body language.