Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7144 in VHS
• Released on: 1992-04-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 110 minutes

Customer Reviews

Fun, splendid dancing, Tucker, Garland!
Yes, the plot leaves a few questions unanswered such as where did Powell's character learn to dance like that on a farm--but then again, who cares? The film is great fun--an awesome display of Powell's dancing capabilities! Judy Garland is wonderful in the "Everybody Sing" number and "Dear Mister Gable" is a classic not to be missed. It was also a treat to watch Sophie Tucker on the screen! Get this movie--it's harder to find for a GOOD reason!

Watch this Flick to See Powell & Garland & Tucker
I just watched this video last night, and although I must admit it is indeed a turkey for all seasons, there are still three highly worthwhile reasons for watching it: the magnificently graceful dancing of Eleanor Powell, the stunning singing of young Judy Garland, and the fiery, passionate vocalizations of Sophie Tucker. Ms. Powell's remarkable athleticism and splendidly controlled "stop-on-a-dime" tapdancing, as well as her whirling, swirling duo-dancing with George Murphy, are an absolute delight to see. And she makes it all seem so genuinely effortless. She clearly proves in this film why she has earned such a lofty place in the Pantheon of cinematic tapdancers (right up there with Astaire, Kelly, and the Nicholas Brothers). And young Judy!! What a GREAT, GREAT voice. Although, she doesn't have much to do in this flick (she was still a teen-ager), she sings the unforgettable "Dear Mr. Gable..You Made Me Love You" and "Everybody Sing." And finally, the film affords the viewer with a glimpse of the immortal, Sophie Tucker, who just burns the house down with a memorable rendition of "Some of these days!"

Less than the Sum of Its Often Brilliant Parts
The story of BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938 is not so much zany as just simply bizarre. Raised on a horse farm where she also somehow learned to sing and dance, Eleanor Powell goes to New York in search of fame and fortune on the Great White Way, where she meets (a) George Murphy and Buddy Ebsen, two horse trainers who are also dancers; (b) Robert Taylor, a producer determined to star her in his new show; and (c) one of the horses from her farm. When the horse comes up lame, Eleanor rescues him--and before too long it becomes necessary for the horse to win the big race in order to finance the show!

Eleanor Powell was MGM's great dancing star of the era, George Murphy was one of the screen's most reliable hoofers, and Buddy Ebsen was reknowned as a character actor with an eccentric dance style--all three have tremendous star quality and they generate several charming moments. But today the film is chiefly recalled for two supporting players: Sophie Tucker and Judy Garland.

Sophie Tucker had been a great stage star for more than 20 years when this film was made, and MELODY offers one of her rare screen appearances: with her no-nonsense, no-holds-barred style, she leaves little doubt about why she was so celebrated--especially when she launches into her signature song "Some of These Days." Garland, on the other hand, was just really beginning her film career, a slightly chunky teenager with a great big voice--and after putting it through the bullseye with a knockout performance of "Everybody Sing" she nailed the audiences of the day with her famous version of "You Made Me Love You," sung to a photograph of Clark Gable. It was the stuff dreams are made of, and from that moment on her film career was straight up all the way.

The stars knock themselves out to make it fun, and very often it is. But as a whole, it never really seems work in a consistent sort of way. When all is said and done, BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938 is the sort of show that you watch for certain scenes rather than for the show itself, which is considerably less than the sum of its parts. Recommended for 1930s musical fans, but even they will likely find very thin stuff indeed.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer