Editing Broadway Melody of 1936

{{short description|1935 film by W. S. Van Dyke, Roy Del Ruth}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name            = Broadway Melody of 1936
| image           = PosterBroadwayMelody1936_01.jpg
| caption         = original film poster
| director        = [[Roy Del Ruth]]
| producer        = John W. Considine Jr.
| writer          = Harry W. Conn<br>[[Moss Hart]]<br>Jack McGowan<br>[[Sid Silvers]]
| starring        = [[Jack Benny]]<br>[[Eleanor Powell]]<br>[[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]]<br>[[Una Merkel]]<br>[[Frances Langford]]<br>[[Sid Silvers]]<br>[[Buddy Ebsen]]<br>[[Vilma Ebsen]]
| music           = [[Nacio Herb Brown]]
| cinematography  = [[Charles Rosher]]
| editing         = [[Blanche Sewell]]
| studio         = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| distributor    = [[Loews Cineplex Entertainment|Loew's, Inc.]]
| released        = {{Film date|1935|09|20}}
| runtime         = 101 minutes
| language        = English
| country         = United States
| budget          = $1,062,000<ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.</ref>
| gross           = $2,871,000<ref name="Mannix"/>
}}
'''''Broadway Melody of 1936''''' is a musical film released by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in 1935.<ref name="Brown125">{{cite book |title=Movie Time: A Chronology of Hollywood and the Movie Industry from Its Beginnings to the Present |last=Brown |first=Gene |year=1995 |publisher=Macmillan |location=New York |isbn=0-02-860429-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/movietimechronol00brow/page/125 125] |url=https://archive.org/details/movietimechronol00brow/page/125 }} In New York, the film opened at the [[Capitol Theatre (New York City)|Capitol Theatre]], the site of many prestigious MGM premieres.</ref> In New York, the film opened at the [[Capitol Theatre (New York City)|Capitol Theatre]], the site of many prestigious MGM premieres. It was a follow-up of sorts to the successful ''[[The Broadway Melody]]'', which had been released in 1929, although, there is no story connection with the earlier film beyond the title and some music.

The film was written by Harry W. Conn, [[Moss Hart]], Jack McGowan and [[Sid Silvers]]. It was directed by [[Roy Del Ruth]] and starred [[Jack Benny]], [[Eleanor Powell]], [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]], [[June Knight]], [[Frances Langford]], [[Sid Silvers]], [[Buddy Ebsen]] and [[Vilma Ebsen]] (in their film debut). It was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]].

==Plot==
Irene Foster ([[Eleanor Powell]]) tries to convince her high school sweetheart, [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] producer Robert Gordon ([[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]]), to give her a chance to star in his new musical, but he is too busy with the rich widow ([[June Knight]]) backing his show. Irene tries to show Gordon that she has the talent to succeed, but he will not hire her. Things become complicated when she begins impersonating a French dancer, who was actually the invention of a [[gossip columnist]] ([[Jack Benny]], parodying [[Walter Winchell]]).

==Cast==
* [[Jack Benny]] as Bert Keeler
* [[Eleanor Powell]] as Irene Foster
* [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]] as Robert Gordon
* [[Una Merkel]] as Kitty Corbett
* [[Sid Silvers]] as Snoop Blue
* [[Buddy Ebsen]] as Ted Burke
* [[June Knight]] as Lillian Brent
* [[Vilma Ebsen]] as Sally Burke
* Nick Long, Jr. as Basil Newcombe
* [[Robert John Wildhack]] as Hornblow (credited as Robert Wildhack)
* [[Paul Harvey (actor)|Paul Harvey]] as Scully
* [[Frances Langford]] as herself
* [[Harry Stockwell]] as himself

;Cast notes
This was Powell's first leading role, and her first film for MGM. She would appear in the next two entries in the Broadway Melody series: ''[[Broadway Melody of 1938]]'' and ''[[Broadway Melody of 1940]]''. (These films were not related to each other in terms of storyline.) This also marked Ebsen's film debut.  Though she was dubbed in this film by Marjorie Lane, Eleanor recorded "You Are My Lucky Star" with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Victor 25158).

[[Don Wilson (announcer)|Don Wilson]], Jack Benny's regular announcer on ''The Jack Benny Program'', is not credited in ''Broadway Melody of 1936'', but his presence in the movie is evident at the beginning where he is the radio show host.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

==Soundtrack==
* "Broadway Rhythm" (1935)
** Music by [[Nacio Herb Brown]]
** Lyrics by [[Arthur Freed]]
** Performed by [[Frances Langford]]
** Performed by [[Buddy Ebsen]], [[Vilma Ebsen]], [[June Knight]], Nick Long Jr., and [[Eleanor Powell]]
* "You Are My Lucky Star" (1935)
** Music by Nacio Herb Brown
** Lyrics by Arthur Freed; Played during the opening credits
** Performed by Frances Langford and chorus
** Performed by Eleanor Powell (dubbed by [[Marjorie Lane]]) and chorus
** Performed by [[Roger Edens]] and Eleanor Powell
** Performed by Robert Taylor and chorus
* "Broadway Melody" (1929)
** Music by Nacio Herb Brown
** Lyrics by Arthur Freed
** Performed by [[Harry Stockwell]]
* "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" (1935)
** Music by Nacio Herb Brown
** Lyrics by Arthur Freed
** Sung by June Knight, Robert Taylor and chorus
** Performed by June Knight, Nick Long Jr., and chorus
** Performed by [[Frances Langford]]
* "Sing Before Breakfast" (1935)
** Music by Nacio Herb Brown
** Lyrics by Arthur Freed
** Performed by Buddy Ebsen, Vilma Ebsen, and Eleanor Powell (dubbed by [[Marjorie Lane]])
* "All I Do Is Dream Of You" ([[French language|French]] version) (1934)
** Music by Nacio Herb Brown
** Lyrics by Arthur Freed
* "On a Sunday Afternoon" (1935)
** Music by Nacio Herb Brown
** Lyrics by Arthur Freed
** Performed by Buddy Ebsen and Vilma Ebsen
* "The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)" (1851)
** Written by [[Stephen Foster]]
** Performed by [[Roger Edens]]<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026144/soundtrack Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935) - Soundtracks<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Accolades==
The film was nominated for three [[Academy Awards|Oscars]] at the [[8th Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Story|Best Writing (Original Story)]], and [[Academy Award for Best Dance Direction|Best Dance Direction]], winning the last one.<ref>{{Citation|title=Broadway Melody of 1936|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026144/awards|access-date=2018-05-30}}</ref> As this film is the second in a film series (though not a direct continuation), it could be viewed as the first "sequel" to ever be nominated for Best Picture.

The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:

* 2004: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]]:	
** "You Are My Lucky Star" – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/songs400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees |access-date=2016-07-30}}</ref>

==Box office==
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,655,000 in the US and Canada and $1,216,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $691,000.<ref name="Mannix"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[[Stanley Green (historian)|Green, Stanley]] (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed.), pub. Hal Leonard Corporation {{ISBN|0-634-00765-3}} page 48

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0026144}}
* {{TCMDb title|69748}}
* {{AFI film|4246}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|broadway_melody_of_1936}}

{{Roy Del Ruth}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broadway Melody Of 1936}}
[[Category:1935 films]]
[[Category:1935 musical films]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:1930s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about musical theatre]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Roy Del Ruth]]
[[Category:American musical films]]
[[Category:1930s American films]]
[[Category:English-language musical films]]