Broadway Rhythm (1944)

Broadway producer Johnny Demming courts big-name talent for his upcoming musical show, oblivious to the talent all around him, in his family and friends. When Johnny finally lands Hollywood... See full summary »

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Harry Clork (screenplay), Oscar Hammerstein II (play),

Stars:

George Murphy, Ginny Simms, Charles Winninger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Murphy	...	Johnny Demming
Ginny Simms	...	Helen Hoyt
Charles Winninger	...	Sam Demming
Gloria DeHaven	...	Patsy Demming (as Gloria de Haven)
Nancy Walker	...	Trixie Simpson
Ben Blue	...	Felix Gross
Lena Horne	...	Fernway de la Fer
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	Eddie
Hazel Scott	...	Herself - Hazel Scott
Kenny Bowers	...	Ray Kent
Aggie Ross	...	Dance Specialty (as The Ross Sisters)
Elmira Ross	...	Dance Specialty (as The Ross Sisters)
Maggie Ross	...	Dance Specialty (as The Ross Sisters)
Dean Murphy	...	Hired man on Farm
Louis Mason	...	Farmer

Storyline

Broadway producer Johnny Demming courts big-name talent for his upcoming musical show, oblivious to the talent all around him, in his family and friends. When Johnny finally lands Hollywood star Helen Hoyt for his cast, Helen herself tries opening Johnny's eyes to the talents of his dad and sister. But Johnny remains adamant. Will his family and friends launch their own show, in competition with Johnny's?

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Plot Keywords:

fantasy sequence | piano | tap dancing | father son relationship | theatrical family | 

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Genres:

Family | Music

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Broadway Melody of 1944

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original project was intended to be the fifth film in the "Broadway Melody" series, and was to star Gene Kelly, Eleanor Powell, and Lena Horne. Studio chief Louis B. Mayer decided instead to turn it into a vehicle to make a star out of his then mistress Ginny Simms. Horne was then placed into this film in a supporting role and her "Brazilian Boogie" and "Somebody Loves Me" numbers (originally filmed for 'Broadway Melody of 1943') was inserted into this one. Her other number filmed for 'Broadway Melody', "Honeysuckle Rose", was placed into Thousands Cheer along with two other numbers meant for the abandoned film: Eleanor Powell's "Boogie Woogie" tap dance and Gene Kelly with the Flying Corbinos.

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Goofs

Impressionist Dean Walker, impersonating Joe E. Brown, is in a barnyard sketch with Nancy Walker. His armpit sweat varies from shot to shot - very wet, a couple smalls spots, dry and wet again.

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Quotes

Johnny Demming: Here we are - three weeks before the opening and we haven't got a leading lady.

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Connections

Featured in Vito (2011)

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Soundtracks

"What Do You Think I Am"
Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
Sung by Gloria DeHaven and Kenny Bowers

User Reviews

All The Things You Are Is Salvaged

I can hardly believe that Broadway Rhythm started out as Very Warm For May on Broadway, one of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, II's flop musicals. A look at the biography of Jerome Kern by Gerald Bordman tells me that other than it being a backstage story, the plot of Very Warm For May and Broadway Rhythm is completely different. The character names have been changed and almost an entire new score was written for the film.

The one song retained from Kern's score is one of the best he ever wrote, All The Things You Are. It happens that way sometimes, a flop musical can yield a gem of a hit. Ginny Simms sings it beautifully.

Don Raye and Gene DePaul wrote the original songs, nothing terribly memorable. Some other material was interpolated among them my favorite George Gershwin song, Somebody Loves Me which guest star Lena Horne sings to perfection. Oddly enough the song Broadway Rhythm isn't heard here or may have wound up on the cutting room floor.

George Murphy plays a Broadway producer and son of an old time vaudeville performer Charles Winninger. Winninger thinks Murphy has gone too high hat and feels that sentimentality and schmaltz will always sell on Broadway. To prove it he and movie star Ginny Simms who Murphy is trying to get to star in a new show he's producing go out and invest their money and produce an old show that Murphy had discarded years ago.

Broadway Rhythm has a lot of good talent in the cast like Nancy Walker, Ben Blue, Hazel Scott, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Sad that it was all wasted on a very trite backstage story.