Broadway Melody of 1938 **** (1937, Robert Taylor, Sophie Tucker, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy, Judy Garland, Buddy Ebsen, Sid Silvers) – Classic Movie Review 3626

Director Roy Del Ruth’s toe-tapping 1937 musical brings Robert Taylor back as a young Broadway producer-impresario – it is exactly the same part but has different character name, Steve Raleigh – who again is urgently seeking a reliable angel to support his show.

Happily, MGM’s second sequel to its 1929 Oscar-winning smash The Broadway Melody and sequel to Broadway Melody of 1936 also brings the scintillatling Eleanor Powell back too as the show’s star, Sally Lee, who, luckily, has a winning race horse!

It is perhaps a slight notch down from Broadway Melody of 1936, thanks to a marginally less thrilling score and a wearier-seeming Taylor. But it is still extremely bright and lively, with Powell back to dazzle once more, plus top guest stars, especially Sophie Tucker and a magnetic Judy Garland, who sings the all-time great ‘You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want to Do It)’ to a photograph of the King of Hollywood, Clark Gable.

Garland’s performance turned the teenage singer into an overnight sensation, leading to her being cast in The Wizard of Oz in 1939 as Dorothy.

The still inspired songs, including the wonderful ‘Broadway Rhythm’, again as in 1929 and in 1936, are with music and lyrics by the brilliant Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed.

Also in the cast are George Murphy, Buddy Ebsen, Sid Silvers, Billy Gilbert, Raymond Walburn, Binnie Barnes, Robert Benchley, Willie Howard, Charley Grapewin, Robert Wildhack, Barnett Parker and Helen Troy.

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© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3626
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