The Broadway Bound Blogathon–“Broadway Melody of 1940”

In 1929, MGM released the first “Broadway Melody” film. I haven’t seen this movie, but it is notable for being the first sound film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. In a story as old as time, due to the success of the first Broadway Melody film, MGM continued to release films under the ‘Broadway Melody’ banner. These films were a good vehicle for MGM to show off their musical talent, with Eleanor Powell, Jack Benny, Frances Langford and Buddy Ebsen appearing in Broadway Melody of 1936. Broadway Melody of 1938 saw the return of Powell and Ebsen, along with a teenaged Judy Garland, Robert Taylor, and George Murphy. The final film in the ‘Broadway Melody’ series was Broadway Melody of 1940. This film re-teamed Powell and Murphy, and paired them with big star, Fred Astaire, who was just coming off his successful 10-film partnership with Ginger Rogers.

George Murphy and Eleanor Powell

Broadway Melody of 1940 features Astaire and Murphy as the Broadway dance team of Johnny Brett and King Shaw, respectively. At the beginning of the film, they are performing for free in a dance hall, having been unable to book any paying gigs. One could assume they are volunteering their services in hope of being “discovered.” The non-paying venture proves to be fruitful for one part of the dance team–Johnny. Producer Bob Casey (Frank Morgan) sees Johnny’s dancing and thinks that he’d be perfect as the partner of his big Broadway star, Clare Bennett (Powell).

When Bob approaches Johnny to offer him the role, Johnny mistakes him for someone from whom he’d borrowed money. To throw off his creditor, Johnny gives King’s name instead. King ends up being offered the role of Clare’s dancing partner in her next production. The middle act of the film sees Johnny coaching the less talented King and help him learn his routines. King is very lackadaisical throughout rehearsals and is not taking his big break seriously–much to the frustration of Johnny and Clare. To make matters worse, King’s ego is out of control, leading him to drink heavily and become unreliable.

Powell and Astaire in another brilliant number.

Intermingled with the main plot are two specialty numbers. The first one, aka “the good one,” features famous juggler Trixie Firschke. She is fantastic. She effortlessly juggles plates, balls, balances a ball on a mouthstick, and even bounces a ball on her head while juggling. It is truly mesmerizing to watch. Then there’s the other specialty act, aka “one of the most excruciating and annoying things I’ve ever seen.” The horrible specialty act features Charlotte Arren auditioning to be an opera singer. Researching Arren, I learned that she was a vaudeville performer and her horrendous opera singer audition was her schtick. She was acting this way on purpose. This scene is so irritating, I fast forward through it. Give me Jules Munshin pantomiming how to make a niçoise salad, any day–just to give you an idea of how annoying this act is. Give me Gene Kelly and Phil Silvers’ obnoxious “Heavenly Music” number (that I consider one of the worst musical numbers of all time). I would rather watch both of those routines back-to-back than ever see Arren’s “Audition” routine again. I cannot imagine paying to watch a vaudeville show and having to see/hear this. I’d definitely need to have my basket of produce ready for throwing.

Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire in one of the more gorgeous musical numbers ever, “Begin the Beguine.”

Eventually, as one can suspect, something happens in the plot that allows Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell dance together. If it didn’t, what would be the point of this movie? Fred and Eleanor appear in the last act on a gorgeous all black, highly reflective set. They look like they’re floating in space. Juxtaposed against the black set are Fred and Eleanor in all white. It makes for a very striking scene. Their tap work is exquisite, as is the final number, “Begin the Beguine.” This is hands down one of the best musical routines ever committed to film. Fred said that Eleanor was the only partner he was intimidated by, because she was so good. It definitely shows in this routine, she matches him step for step and the routine is absolutely flawless and impressive.

George Murphy’s dancing is fine, and maybe in another film, he would have been a standout. But Broadway Melody of 1940, he is the third best dancer in the film. He’s just there to lend a little conflict to the film, but this is Astaire and Powell’s film the entire way. Broadway Melody of 1940 has a fairly pedestrian plot, but the musical numbers more than make up for it. The entire closing number, all six minutes of it, is one of the highlights of the musical film genre. I would recommend this film, if only for the “Begin the Beguine” number.

Spring CMBA Hidden Classics Blogathon- A Girl, A Guy and A Gob (1942)

It’s not a secret that I love Lucille Ball. She’s been my favorite actress since I discovered her on her now iconic sitcom, I Love Lucy, playing the titular character, Lucy Ricardo. I Love Lucy not only made Lucille Ball a household name, it also forever cemented her identity as “Lucy.” Mention “Lucy” to almost anyone (at least those worth associating with) and Lucy Ricardo comes to mind. I was roughly 10-11 years old (circa 1994-1995) when I discovered Lucy and I Love Lucy. I began to borrow books about I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball during my family’s monthly trips to the library. As an 11-year old, I was able to read the biographies in the adult section, making it very easy to learn about my new favorite actress. In 1996, Lucy’s autobiography was published–7 years after her death. Apparently her daughter found her mother’s manuscript while going through her things and went forward with having them published. I may have been the only 12-year old who desperately wanted Lucille Ball’s autobiography.

Throughout my trips to the library and reading books about Lucille Ball, I learned about the movie career she had prior to finding stardom on television. Lucy appeared in over 70 movies prior to switching gears to the small screen. Her film career began in 1933 when she came to Hollywood to appear as a slave girl in Eddie Cantor’s Roman Scandals. Not one to turn down any offer of paid work, figuring that every job offered her the chance to learn and hone her craft, Lucy appeared in at least a couple dozen uncredited roles before building up her momentum enough to score small, speaking roles. By 1937, Lucy scored a juicy part in the A-list ensemble drama, Stage Door, co-starring Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. In 1938, Lucy was offered her first starring role in The Affairs of Annabel. Lucy plays Annabel Allison, an actress forced to carry out insane publicity schemes by her agent, played by Jack Oakie.

At the library, I managed to borrow every single Lucille Ball VHS that my library had. I was lucky in that my library seemed to have a large amount of the films in the “Lucille Ball Signature Collection.” This collection is how I saw many of Lucy’s movies, including the aforementioned The Affairs of Annabel, The Big Street, Dance Girl Dance, Too Many Girls, Seven Days Leave, and others. TCM had just come on the scene as well and I scoured the TV Guide (insert in newspaper, not the magazine) to review the upcoming week of programming. Any Lucille Ball movies were circled and set up to record on the VCR. Throughout my years of recording and watching Lucille Ball’s films, there was one film that I’d always wanted to watch and it seemed to elude me for years: A Girl, A Guy and A Gob.

Mercifully, TCM finally saved the day and aired A Girl, A Guy and A Gob at a time when I was able to see it. Then, Warner Archive went above and beyond and released the film on DVD. I have since built up a very decent sized collection of Lucille Ball’s films. Anyway, I digress.

Back to A Girl, A Guy and A Gob…

In this film, Lucy plays Dorothy ‘Dot’ Duncan, a young woman who has recently began work as a secretary to Stephen Merrick (Edmond O’Brien) a shipping magnate. Dot is obviously the “Girl” in the title. Stephen is the “Guy.” Playing the “Gob” is George Murphy. Murphy plays Claudius J. Cupp aka “Coffee Cup.” When I first watched this film, I had no idea what or who a “Gob” was. I learned that the term “Gob” refers to a sailor. Coffee Cup is a sailor in the United States Navy and it is established that he loves being in the Navy and regularly signs on for new missions after the previous one ends. It is also obvious that Dot and Coffee Cup have been together for quite some time, but I get the sense that Dot tires of waiting for Coffee Cup to settle down and somewhat resents being expected to stand idly by and wait for him to return over and over again.

Edmond O’Brien, Lucille Ball, and George Murphy in “A Girl, A Guy, and A Gob.”

The film opens with Dot and her family settling down to watch a play from inside a box seat at the theater. This is a big deal for the Duncan Family. It’s Mr. and Mrs. Duncan’s anniversary and their children have (seemingly) purchased box seats at the theater as a gift. Meanwhile, out in the lobby, Stephen and his horrible fiancee Cecilia and her equally horrible mother are impatiently waiting for Stephen to locate their tickets. Stephen’s tickets are for their box seat, the seats where he, Cecilia and her mother sit every night at the theater. Dot figures out that her brother “Pigeon,” didn’t actually buy these seats. In reality, he gambled away the ticket money (that Dot gave him) and just happened to find Stephen’s tickets. Dot and Stephen get into an argument that ends with Stephen, Cecilia and her mother having to sit in ::gasp:: the regular section of the theater. After Dot realizes how her brother happened to come away with the box seat tickets, she is embarrassed and leaves but not before accidentally dropping her purse (with a giant “D” monogram) on Stephen’s head.

The next day, Dot shows up for a secretary opening at the Herrick and Martin shipping company, unaware that the “Herrick” in the company’s name is Stephen Herrick whom she’d hit with her purse at the theater the night prior. Stephen recognizes Dot’s purse (with the very obvious “D” monogram) and identifies her as the woman from the theater. They get off to a poor start, obviously. Later that day, Coffee Cup shows up, home from another Navy “hitch” (as he calls them). Coffee Cup and Dot take a walk and Coffee Cup spots his friend Eddie, a fellow sailor who has a shtick where he bets onlookers that he can stretch himself and grow four inches. Coffee Cup and Eddie gather a crowd in front of a pet store, much to the owner’s (Franklin Pangborn) chagrin. Stephen happens to walk by, Dot spots him, and borrows five dollars from him to bet on Eddie. The contest ends in a brawl and Stephen ends up being knocked out.

When Stephen awakens, he finds himself lying on the couch in Dot’s family’s apartment. The scene is so chaotic with people dropping in, Mrs. Duncan delivers the neighbors baby and delivers the results of the bet that the family had over the weight of the new Liebowitz baby (#9). The scene is so boisterous, but full of so much love, Stephen finds himself captivated. Stephen has a date with Cecilia, but ends up dancing the night away with Coffee Cup and Dot at the Danceland Dance Hall. Cecilia ends up spending the night all dressed up, but with nowhere to go. Whoops. Cecilia is the typical fiancee of the lead–boring, snobby, a real stick in the mud.

Heartthrob (?) Edmond O’Brien and Lucille Ball

Throughout the remainder of the film, Stephen and Dot find themselves growing closer and closer together. Dot finds herself less enthusiastic about a future with Coffee Cup, despite admirably trying to carry on with him, because he is genuinely a nice guy. However, it is easy to see that a life with him may lack the stability that Dot may need. I get the idea she isn’t crazy about Coffee Cup leaving all the time. He’s also very much about having a good time, all the time and can be irresponsible. Stephen is a nice guy, but is also professional and runs a company. Stephen also realizes that a life with Cecilia would be stodgy and miserable. It is obvious that Cecilia is with Stephen for the material goods that he can provide and presumably the boost to her social class that he provides. Stephen also finds Dot’s spontaneity exciting and makes his day-to-day routine more fun.

Henry Travers who seems to be in everything, plays Stephen’s business partner, Abel Martin. Martin, who obviously dislikes Cecilia and sees through her true intentions, plays matchmaker in this film. He casually tries to convince Stephen that Dot is the woman for him and throughout the remainder of the film, he insinuates himself into their social group to try and get Stephen and Dot together.

This is such a fun and entertaining film. I love movies with love triangles. I love seeing such a young Edmond O’Brien. This was his third film. Dare I say that I thought O’Brien was somewhat cute in this film? George Murphy is always personable and of course Lucille Ball was fabulous. Harold Lloyd produced this film and his brand of physical humor is present throughout. Lucille Ball was able to show off both her skill for acting and physical humor. It isn’t often that we get to see O’Brien in a light-hearted film as he primarily made a lot of more intense films like White Heat and The Killers. George Murphy is affable and great. It’s easy to see how his enthusiasm and zest for life would make him the ideal candidate to join the boisterous Duncan family. However, this is Ball and O’Brien’s film and they convince me of their budding romance.

If you’re looking for a fun, light-hearted romantic comedy, I wholly recommend A Girl, A Guy, and A Gob.

Why was everyone kissing the bride a custom back then? I wouldn’t want to be kissed by all these random people. Ick.

Current Kick- Edmond O’Brien

Full disclosure, I’ve been known to be on simultaneous kicks at a time. Some are short-lived, others go on for awhile. Last year, I was on an Edmond O’Brien kick and watched a ton of his films. Then, I briefly moved onto a Burt Lancaster kick. Then, I moved onto Robert Ryan. More recently, I was obsessed with Ralph Meeker, then I moved onto Joel McCrea.

The Ida Lupino-directed film noir that ignited my first Edmond O’Brien kick

With my recent purchase during the Kino Lorber Summer sale (still going on, through August 3), I may have reignited my Edmond O’Brien kick. during the Kino sale, I purchased the Ida Lupino Filmmakers 4-movie set for $29.95 (regular retail price $79.98). In this collection, there are two O’Brien films: The Hitch-Hiker and The Bigamist, both from 1953. I’ve seen both films and they are excellent. Not everyone can make you sympathize with a man who knowingly commits bigamy, but O’Brien manages to do so.

Edmond O’Brien

I don’t know what it is about Edmond O’Brien that I like. He’s nowhere near Errol Flynn when it comes to looks and charm. He doesn’t have extraordinary dancing ability like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. He isn’t an amazing singer like Judy Garland. He isn’t adorable like Sandra Dee (ridiculous comparison, I know). Perhaps it has something to do with his everyman persona (displayed to perfection in 1949’s D.O.A.). Whatever it is, O’Brien is definitely underrated and deserves to be better known.

The Hitch-Hiker definitely served as the catalyst to my kick. From there, I pretty much watched a different O’Brien film each night for weeks. Prior to seeing The Hitch-Hiker, I’d seen O’Brien in A Girl, A Guy, and A Gob (1941). And the only reason I watched that film was because it stars my girl, Lucille Ball. I didn’t think much of him in this film, only that I thought he was more attractive than George Murphy and I wanted Lucy to end up with him. I recently just watched this film again–okay, I watched it today–and I just love him. I think I may embark on another O’Brien kick.

Edmond O’Brien and Lucille Ball in “A Girl, A Guy and A Gob.”

A Girl, A Guy and A Gob (produced by Harold Lloyd) stars Lucille Ball, George Murphy and Edmond O’Brien. Lucy plays Dorothy ‘Dot’ Duncan, a secretary who hails from an eccentric family. One night, Dot treats her parents to an anniversary present–box seats at the opera. However, her box seats actually belong to the affluent Stephen Herrick (O’Brien), his fiancee and her mother. It seems that Stephen accidentally dropped his tickets and Dot’s brother (who was sent to the box office by Dot) picked them up. He fails to tell Dot how he obtained the box seats, he let her pretend that these were the seats he’d purchased with the money she gave him.

Stephen and his guests are understandably upset by the guests sitting in their seats. However, not wanting to make a scene or be conspicuous, Stephen drops the matter and relinquishes the seats to Dot and her family. Stephen’s fiancee, Cecilia, is furious.

The next day, Stephen discovers that his secretary, Miss Comstock, has eloped with her fiance and has quit her job. Dot enters the room and is introduced to Stephen as his new secretary. He is furious and tries to fire her, but Dot pleads her case and explains the previous night’s ticket mishap. Stephen agrees to put the night behind him and agrees to hire her as his secretary.

Stephen soon finds himself enamored of Dot and charmed by her eccentric friends and family. He also meets Dot’s beau, “Coffee Cup” (George Murphy) a sailor who returns to town after his latest stint in the Navy. He makes it known that he is planning on settling down and marrying Dot.

The only person on this poster who looks like themselves is Lucy. Supposedly though, George Murphy is the sailor on the left and Edmond O’Brien is the businessman on the right. This poster looks like they used the same man to represent both male leads.

One day, Stephen awakens to find himself lying, trouser-less, in the Duncan’s living room. It seems that he was knocked out in the fracas in front of the pet shop after getting involved in the brawl that erupted after Coffee Cup bet onlookers $5/a piece that his friend Eddie couldn’t make himself grow 4-inches. Eddie’s talent for faking elongation and the money-making con that ensues is a running gag throughout the film.

Stephen finds himself completely charmed by Dot and her family and later accompanies her and Coffee Cup to a dance hall. He completely loses all sense of time and congas the night away, much to the chagrin of his fiancee, with whom he had a date. Oops! It’s okay though, because she sucks anyway.

One of my favorite motifs: The love triangle

As the film progresses, Stephen and Dot find their feelings for one another growing, all while Coffee Cup blissfully plans a life together for himself and Dot. This film features one of my favorite themes: the love triangle. It is obvious that Dot more than likely needs a man who is a little more serious and a little more dependable. Coffee Cup seems a bit flakey and truly loves the Navy. Whether or not he would truly be happy on land is questionable.

I actually thought that Edmond O’Brien was very attractive in this film. This is only his second film, he was only 26 when it was made. Unfortunately, bad habits led to him aging prematurely and affected his health. He had a heart attack at 45. He won the 1954 Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance in The Barefoot Contessa (which I haven’t watched yet. It’s on my DVR though).

Edmond O’Brien films that I’ve watched and recommend:

A Girl, A Guy, and A Gob (1941)

The Killers (1946)

A Double Life (1947)

Another Part of the Forest (1948)

White Heat (1949)

D.O.A. (1949)

Backfire (1950)

The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

The Bigamist (1953)

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

I’ll probably end up re-watching all of these and hopefully more.