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Simply Perfect

Beautiful, moving film.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

While this is bright and colorful with some wonderful music this MGM musical is most assuredly not a top of the line production.Based on a successful Broadway show, Very Warm for May, that the producers chose to cut to ribbons taking many of the songs out and turning into an ordinary backstage story of a brash blow-hard trying to put on a show.A big indicator of the lower expectations that befell the property is the cast. None of the top line Metro stars are on board. While originally intended for Judy Garland the lead is now filled by lesser light Ginny Simms. Simms had a beautiful voice and a lovely face but knowing the part was meant for Judy allows the viewer to consider star quality and the impact one performer makes on screen over another. Whereas Judy was always relaxed, natural and alive when the cameras were trained on her Ginny comes across as stiff and uneasy. You can almost see her counting down until the other person in the scene finishes talking so she can say her lines. However when she sings she's more at ease and accessible. This was to be her big chance at above the title screen stardom but the movie was an under performer and after a few more supporting roles, one in Night and Day showed her to good advantage, she went back to the bandstand. She doesn't ruin the film but she doesn't help it much.The next performer that indicates the lower expectations of the picture is George Murphy in the lead. A top star in 30's musicals and a fine dancer he had moved down to second leads and B's by this point so his casting in this as opposed to Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire shows the studio didn't firmly believe in the material.It's not all bad, the supporting cast has a few saving graces, although Gloria De Haven is arch and annoying. Charles Winninger and Rochester are there with their stock but amusing characters and blessedly Nancy Walker adds spice whenever she shows up on the scene, to bad her part wasn't bigger. As was the custom at the time the film has several specialty numbers and they are a very mixed bag. The bad: impressionist Dean Murphy while not untalented tries way too hard in his bit. Contortionist sister act The Ross Sisters are remarkably limber but their routine is downright creepy.The good: Although I'm not a fan Lena Horne comes across well in her two numbers and the great Hazel Scott tears it up at the piano working her special magic.Filmed in rich eye popping Technicolor this is a pleasant diversion but nowhere near the peak of what MGM was capable of at this point. For that see the same year's Meet Me in St. Louis.

In my next contribution of comments of African-Americans in films in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now in 1944 with Broadway Rhythm. This movie is the perfect example of how the unwritten rule of black actors not being allowed to perform with their white counterparts of the time unless they're domestics comes into play. Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson plays Eddie here and has scenes with Charles Winninger, Gloria DeHaven, and the star, George Murphy. They're all as the family butler. The one exception is the George and Ira Gershwin number, "Sombody Loves Me", performed by Lena Horne with Eddie being the silent partner in the act. Afterwards, Eddie makes a deal with Winninger for them to be in the show. That scene, along with the Hazel Scott piano swing version of "Minute Waltz" are positioned in such a way that Southern theatres could cut those sequences without hurting the story (as evidenced by their absence in the final production number). By the way, Leon Warwick is the doorman in the Scott sequence and Archie Savage is Horne's dance partner in her other number, "Brazilian Boogie-Woogie". Both of Horne's numbers and Scott's were very entertaining. Leading lady Ginny Simms does fine with the only Kern-Hammerstein song, "All the Things You Are", sang intact from the original play source, "Very Warm For May". I also liked Gloria DeHaven in her numbers and Winninger's duet with Tommy Dorsey on "I Like Corny". The Ross Sisters also provide their own acrobatic charm here. Nancy Walker and Ben Blue are pretty hilarious with the "Milkman Keep Those Bottles Quiet" number with Dorsey. What I didn't like was Dean Murphy as a farm hand who does celebrity impersonations that I half didn't recognize and didn't think was funny when I did (like his Mortimer Snerd). He definitely should be cut. After Lena's last number the movie could have been over by then and I wouldn't have cared. Having said all that, I do recommend Broadway Rhythm for anyone who loves musicals even with the threadbare plots like the one presented here.

Hey Gang let's put on a musical! We can use that barn down the road and I know a Hollywood star who's just dying for a launching pad to Broadway. She's read the script and she's sure that it's a winner, much better than that new one that Uncle Johnny wrote. Boy we'll show him won't we? There's the story of Broadway Rhythm in a nutshell. With a great cast it might have made a passable time waster. But then great casts usually steer clear of lame scripts. So this movie got a pretty uneven cast. When Tommy Dorsey is a standout in the acting department you know you have to worry. Apparently Gene Kelly and Eleanor Powell were originally slated for this movie, fortunately they took different paths in their careers. The movie would have been much much better, but it might have sandbagged their careers. Unfortunately the leads went to George Murphy and Ginny Simms. Simms wears more make-up than a Macdonald's clown and always has a fake TV commercial smile plastered on her kisser. The effect is eerie. She gets to sing one of the finest songs of that era, "All the Things You Are" and it is almost a complete waste. It's her best moment but it certainly isn't the song's. Murphy's idea of wooing Ms Simms appears remarkably similar to dickering for a used car. According to the plot he's supposed to be a much better dancer than the youngster he won't give a break to even though he's the son of his father's former partner. To prove that he's such a great dancer, he doesn't dance. There is some dancing and singing that is worth watching. Most of it comes from Gloria deHaven, who looks gorgeous and natural next to Simms. She may just have inspired the term hot pants with her outfit in one of the scenes from their little musical. Nancy Walker, the comedy relief in "MacMillan and Wife" appears as a wannabe performer and she is a standout especially in her musical number. In an unrelated sighting (to the plot that is) we also see Lena Horne, who is given the number "Brazilian Boogie Woogie". For some that alone will be worth watching. The strangest bit has to be a trio who pop out of nowhere as the kids are negotiating for the barn. They sing like the Andrew Sisters and dance like Chinese acrobats. Was it a measure of the times that everybody seems to be under the impression that Spanish is the language of Brazil? Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Ginny Simms was at her best in acting and at the height of her beauty. The movie is worth watching just to see Ginny. Tommy Dorsey was great as usual, wish he had played more tunes. George Murphy, Ben Blue, Rochester, Lena Horne, Nancy Walker all helped make the movie very enjoyable.