“Broadway Melody of 1940” is a classic MGM movie musical starring Fred Astaire and George Murphy as a dance team down on their luck and unemployed. A Broadway producer (Frank Morgan) decides to hire Astaire to dance with Eleanor Powell, but a mix-up sends Murphy to be her partner. The comedy and drama proceeds from there, with top-rate direction by Norman Taurog (“Boys Town” 1938). He employs excellent production values in all areas, with a great screenplay by Leon Gordon, George Oppenheimer, and Dore Schary.
The stars of the show are Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, considered to be the top dancers of their time, the only movie pairing of the two stars. The supporting cast includes George Murphy (later a U. S. Senator from California, 1965-1971), Frank Morgan (most famous as The Wizard in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz”), Ian Hunter, Florence Rice, Lynne Carver, Ann Moriss, Trixie Firschke as a jugler, and Herman Bing and Mel Blanc in uncredited cameos. “Broadway Melody of 1940” was popular in general release for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the fourth and final movie in MGM’s “Broadway Melody” movie series (1929, 1936, 1938, 1940).
Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)
cinema
My Review
“Broadway Melody of 1940” is a classic MGM movie musical starring Fred Astaire and George Murphy as a dance team down on their luck and unemployed. A Broadway producer (Frank Morgan) decides to hire Astaire to dance with Eleanor Powell, but a mix-up sends Murphy to be her partner. The comedy and drama proceeds from there, with top-rate direction by Norman Taurog (“Boys Town” 1938). He employs excellent production values in all areas, with a great screenplay by Leon Gordon, George Oppenheimer, and Dore Schary.
The stars of the show are Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, considered to be the top dancers of their time, the only movie pairing of the two stars. The supporting cast includes George Murphy (later a U. S. Senator from California, 1965-1971), Frank Morgan (most famous as The Wizard in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz”), Ian Hunter, Florence Rice, Lynne Carver, Ann Moriss, Trixie Firschke as a jugler, and Herman Bing and Mel Blanc in uncredited cameos. “Broadway Melody of 1940” was popular in general release for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the fourth and final movie in MGM’s “Broadway Melody” movie series (1929, 1936, 1938, 1940).