The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

Betty Comden (writer)
Adolph Green (writer)

Release Date:

1 September 1949 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Joyously Together Again!

Plot:

Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful (though argumentative) musical-comedy team, yet Dinah chafes as Galatea to her husband's Pygmalion...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Broadway New York City | Astaire And Rogers | Dancer | Dance

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Josh Barkley
Ginger Rogers	...	Dinah Barkley
Oscar Levant	...	Ezra Millar
Billie Burke	...	Mrs. Livingston Belney
Gale Robbins	...	Shirlene May
Jacques François	...	Jacques Pierre Barredout
George Zucco	...	The Judge
Clinton Sundberg	...	Bert Felsher
Inez Cooper	...	Pamela Driscoll
Carol Brewster	...	Gloria Amboy
Wilson Wood	...	Larry

Also Known As:

You Made Me Love You (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #13473) | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Fred Astaire had sung "They Can't Take That Away from Me" to Ginger Rogers previously in Shall We Dance (1937), but they had never danced to it. Rogers suggested that they use the song again (this time dancing), and so it was included.

Goofs:

Continuity: In "Shoes with Wings on" dance, one dancer has his shoes off when trying the tap shoes. When he takes them off and gives them to Fred Astaire's character, the dancer forgets to pick up his shoes when he walks out the door. After that, they are not to be found when the routine continues.

Quotes:

Ezra Millar: Thank you. I'm touched, the piano's touched, and Tchaikovsky's touched.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Some of the Best (1949)

Soundtrack:

Concerto in B-flat Minor for Piano, First Movement

Very watchable comedy

This is my first Astaire Rogers film and it was better than I expected. They are both good at the fast dialgue. Although older looking in this one, Ginger is pretty to look at. She has an intelligent wisecracking way about her in this film. It is fast paced and never lags. It is highly entertaining, and if this is one of their least watchable, I can't wait to see the others. The dialogue is quite witty. The storyline may be a little far-fetched, not exactly realistic, but a good picture. I enjoyed it more than some of the better known stuff. I would for instance take them over Hepburn and Tracy. They look good together visually. Someone did a clever job with their dressing table decor and attire. It is fun to watch them as they primp in front of the mirror and carry on with each other.