The Barkleys of Broadway
(C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'The Barkleys of Broadway' (directed by Charles Walters & written by the husband/wife team of Comden & Green) is most well-known for being the last cinematic pairing of legends Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers; and their only pairing in Technicolor. Originally conceived as a follow-up musical to the successful Fred Astaire-Judy Garland vehicle Easter Parade, Garland fell ill (her usual psychological issues), Ginger Rogers replaced her ... and the rest is history. The light comedy plot has the famous husband/wife musical comedy team of the Broadway stage, Josh & Dinah Barkley (Fred & Ginger), argumentative off-stage, & verging on separation at all times. Their usual friction picks up in intensity when Dinah gets an urge to leave musicals to be a 'dramatic' actress.
Josh & Dinah's producer is worried about her commitment to the musical act & introduces an understudy into their show. Dinah gets mightily insecure about this and, at the same time, falls prey to the European flattery of theatrical "genius" director Jacques Barredout (Jacques Francois); who begs her to play lead in his new 'dramatic' play based on the life of the Sarah Bernhardt. And so, the Barkleys split; with Svengali-like Josh becoming depressed all by his lonesome self. All this while, comic relief is provided by the couple's wisecracking composer/pianist friend, Ezra (Oscar Levant). Aaaand so, will hijinks enter the fray? Will Josh & Dinah get back together in the end? Will there be a big song-&-dance number to close it all out? Um, a-duhhh.
So, the script is paper-thin. The plot exists SOLELY to showcase Fred, Ginger, their dancing, their singing, & their stylish outfits. Neither of them dance as majestically as they did in their 1930s ventures. But hey, they're still pretty darn excellent. The movie's highlights include: a special effects-fueled solo dance by Fred titled "Shoes with Wings On", "My One & Only Highland Fling," "You'd Be Hard to Replace", "They Can't Take That Away From Me" (also from Fred & Ginger's Shall We Dance?). Also memorable is Ginger Rogers' climactic, impassioned, French recitation of "The Marseillaise" as an audition piece for her dramatic show.
But really, though this movie was successful, it could have been quite a bit better. The direction is unusually flat (for Charles Walters; perhaps he was sad that his friend Judy Garland had to back out). The script, as mentioned, is thin; and also flat. It doesn't help matters that the music by Harry Warren & Ira Gershwin is slight. I mentioned the songs/routines in the above paragraph, but none of them are overly memorable or exceptional. Fred Astaire is fine. 37 yr. old Ginger Rogers is beautiful and acquits herself well with the material she's given. Oscar Levant's "Sabre Dance" piano sequence is pretty cool to watch. But yeah, I just couldn't get excited over this cinematic endeavor. 'The Barkleys of Broadway' has wit, music, dancing, & light humor ... but all of it is only so-so.
Josh & Dinah's producer is worried about her commitment to the musical act & introduces an understudy into their show. Dinah gets mightily insecure about this and, at the same time, falls prey to the European flattery of theatrical "genius" director Jacques Barredout (Jacques Francois); who begs her to play lead in his new 'dramatic' play based on the life of the Sarah Bernhardt. And so, the Barkleys split; with Svengali-like Josh becoming depressed all by his lonesome self. All this while, comic relief is provided by the couple's wisecracking composer/pianist friend, Ezra (Oscar Levant). Aaaand so, will hijinks enter the fray? Will Josh & Dinah get back together in the end? Will there be a big song-&-dance number to close it all out? Um, a-duhhh.
So, the script is paper-thin. The plot exists SOLELY to showcase Fred, Ginger, their dancing, their singing, & their stylish outfits. Neither of them dance as majestically as they did in their 1930s ventures. But hey, they're still pretty darn excellent. The movie's highlights include: a special effects-fueled solo dance by Fred titled "Shoes with Wings On", "My One & Only Highland Fling," "You'd Be Hard to Replace", "They Can't Take That Away From Me" (also from Fred & Ginger's Shall We Dance?). Also memorable is Ginger Rogers' climactic, impassioned, French recitation of "The Marseillaise" as an audition piece for her dramatic show.
But really, though this movie was successful, it could have been quite a bit better. The direction is unusually flat (for Charles Walters; perhaps he was sad that his friend Judy Garland had to back out). The script, as mentioned, is thin; and also flat. It doesn't help matters that the music by Harry Warren & Ira Gershwin is slight. I mentioned the songs/routines in the above paragraph, but none of them are overly memorable or exceptional. Fred Astaire is fine. 37 yr. old Ginger Rogers is beautiful and acquits herself well with the material she's given. Oscar Levant's "Sabre Dance" piano sequence is pretty cool to watch. But yeah, I just couldn't get excited over this cinematic endeavor. 'The Barkleys of Broadway' has wit, music, dancing, & light humor ... but all of it is only so-so.