This is the second film and first ‘talkie’ to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Though skepticism and scandal surrounds its Oscar win, no one can deny that The Broadway Melody is a charming film that’s a feast for the eyes and ears.Harriet “Hank” Mahoney and her sister Queenie are a vaudeville act in the Mid-West. Hank’s boyfriend Eddie writes a snappy number that gets the attention of a big-wig Broadway producer. Eddie convinces the girls to head to New York, assuring them that he’ll find a way to get them into the production. Hank and Queenie discover what it’s like to audition for the big time and what it takes to keep your spot once you’ve got it.
Eddie slowly grows cold for Hank and sweet for Queenie but the younger sister refuses to break her sister’s heart and begins dating a New York playboy. It doesn’t hurt that the show is a hit and Queenie is a rising star either. Rather than giving into the vices of the big city, Hank fights against them in an effort to keep Queenie and Eddie from making mistakes they’ll all regret.
Film snobs like to thumb their noses at this film. They believe the reasons it won Best Picture are because the 1929 crop of nominees were nothing but weak films as a result from studios scrambling to embrace the incorporation of sound and because the film’s producer Louis B. Mayer (the third ‘M’ in MGM) was the vote supervisor for the Oscars.
To be fair, this is the first film from 1929 that I’ve ever seen, so I have no true basis for comparison. And it’s true that The Broadway Melody pales in comparison to the scope of the inaugural winner Wings, but that doesn’t change the fact that this honestly looks like an Oscar-winning movie. Where Wings was an example of what location shooting and technical daring can do, The Broadway Melody triumphs in showcasing the virtues of the studio system.
Lavish costumes, dazzling sets and oozing with charm, this film really makes the most of its budget. The musical numbers are very clearly overdubbed but there’s no harm in that (what movie-musical doesn’t feature overdubbing anymore?). The concept of the ‘backstage’ musical and movie were probably nothing new with this film but it’s the first to do so in full sound. If you take the proper context into consideration, The Broadway Melody elevates this now-clichéd concept to new heights with the sound, music and very detailed sets.
The story, though tame by today’s standards, is appreciable. Hank is willing to make sacrifices to ensure her sister’s happiness and Queenie shows that even a star-eyed newcomer to the big city can maintain some semblance of morality. You can say all you want about ‘old-fashioned morals,’ but common sense never goes out of style.
The Broadway Melody may be almost pure confection but it sure tastes sweet. It may not rank among the best films to win Best Picture but, for what it was at the time, the honor makes complete sense. It’s not a crying shame that this film has largely been forgotten about (though fans of Singin’ in the Rain will find this is the source for several of that film’s numbers) but if you should have the opportunity to watch this little gem, please do so.
RATING: 3.75 out of 5
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