Les coulisses de Broadway

Old-fashioned without being embarrassing, "Broadway" features Janet Leigh as a sparkling small town lass who moves to the Big Apple to work in theater, falling in league with other young hopefuls and staging their own revue. Not too far-fetched(Carol Burnett did the same thing in real-life)and Janet bounces happily throughout. Not really remarkable, but a nice time-filler. Bob Crosby pokes fun at older brother Bing in the film's most self-conscious moment. **1/2 from ****

I hated this film when I first saw it, perhaps thanks to a truly embarrassing performance from Tony Martin (a good singer but not the world's greatest actor).

Janet Leigh, Gloria de Haven, and Ann Miller want to make it big in show-business, and come through their vaudeville roots to stage a revue that they hope will be taken up by the Bob Crosby Show. There's some pretty good musical numbers along the way but the film creaks and drags badly in some sections (although the girls are consistently good). Crosby has a number all about 'brother Bing' which is fun. And there's a good support role from Eddie Bracken.

On subsequent viewings I have warmed a bit more to 'Two Tickets to Broadway'. It isn't all bad and there are certainly musicals out there which are worse. But I still can't watch Tony Martin in a number in Indian dress without cringing ...

I'm not a big fan of musicals in general, so I tend to like only the really good ones (Guys and Dolls, Anchors Aweigh, Singing in the Rain, American in Paris, etc.). I thought I'd give this a try because I usually love Janet Leigh movies. However, I found this film to be rather mediocre.

First what Iiked. Janet Leigh and the supporting cast did well with their roles. Some of the songs were kinda catchy and I enjoyed several of the performances. Tony Martin really sings well, and Eddie Bracken is his usual dopey self.

Now what I didn't like. Tony Martin can't act. Or at least he couldn't in this movie. Plus I didn't like his character at all. He seemed way too old for this role. He looked old enough to be Janet Leigh's father - and he acted like it too. It was very creepy and I didn't care for it at all.

I didn't like the deli owners, either. I found them to be annoying and I was tempted to fast-forward all of their scenes. The movie plot was rather weak, as is usual in musicals. But this one especially seemed like a disjointed collection of song and dance routines. For me, a good musical is one that can weave songs and dances into the narrative more organically. This didn't do it for me.

I thought Bob Crosby's number making fun of his more famous brother Bing was amusing, but honestly I thought it detracted from the flimsy storyline in the first place. I probably would have left it out of the movie entirely.

And near the end of the film, there's a rather insensitive (if not offensive) routine when the main characters dress up like Native Americans and portray them in a stereotypical manner. I didn't care for this at all, and I'm sure there will be many people who would find it to be offensive. True, this was made in 1951 when such portrayals were not seen negatively, but I still didn't like it. If you are offended by such content, you shouldn't see this movie - or you should at least fast-forward the film through this part.

Overall, I give this a 5/10, though I think it's probably closer to a 4.

First of all, to those upset about the Indian number - get a life. This was '51. Don't take it so seriously - and keep away from pictures with Mantan Moreland, etc.

Then there are the criticisms about Tony Martin. He has the dark look, so some people automatically assume he should portray gangsters. Prejudice, prejudice against dark-haired people. Tsk.

Martin sang grand opera in this movie, pop songs, novelties and did beautifully with all of them. Not all of the music was memorable, but even the songs that might be described as mediocre were beautifully presented. The girls were attractive and personable. Miss Leigh was a doll and, yes, she did her own singing and dancing.

No one can knock Ann Miller. What a great talent. Speaking of talent, The Charlivels were outstanding as a high wire act, and as dancers.

Interesting casting was Max Baer's bro, Buddy, also a boxer, as a tough swabbie.

The Bob Crosby number, where he compares himself with brother Bing was very well done - real life situation. The one thing I missed - I wish his band had played some of its trademark Dixieland. OOoops - is that word offensive to northern ears? The plot was ancient but, who cares. Howard Hughes put this together and came up with a fun, pleasant movies.

Two Tickets to Broadway was to be Howard Hughes's answer to MGM type musicals and in fact he engaged the two leads from MGM, Tony Martin and Janet Leigh. The usual criticism was voiced with Martin being 15 years older than Leigh, but in this case it works because part of the plot is fresh faced Ms. Leigh avoiding being taken in by older Broadway sharpies.

No memorable songs were written by composers Jule Styne and Leo Robin for this film and that's a pity because if a hit had come out of it, the film would be better remembered. Martin, I'm sure realized no hits were coming out of this and he probably had two of his own songs put in there. He had hit records around this time of the Prologue from Pagliacci and There's No Tomorrow (O Sole Mio). He performs them well.

I would love to know if Janet Leigh was dubbed and by who. I don't believe she ever sang in any other film. For that reason I suspect a dubbing if for no other reason that she wouldn't want to be going up against a singer with as powerful a voice as Tony Martin.

Ironic that two of the players in this Ann Miller and Janet Leigh died this year. Nobody had to worry about dubbing Ann Miller in any department. She performs her big number, Let the Worry Bird Worry for You in classic style.

Bob Crosby who by that time was known as the afternoon Crosby because his radio and later TV show came on in the afternoon unlike his legendary brother. Being the Bing Crosby fan that I am, I have a soft spot in my heart for his Let's Make Comparison where he's comparing himself to brother Bing. Bob led a pretty good jazz band at that time and had a modest career in B films.

Eddie Bracken who was so good in his Paramount films was cloying and annoying in this one. His machinations trying to get his clients on the Bob Crosby show were downright stupid here and not terribly funny.

The ending though was an unintentional hoot. Janet Leigh comes from Pelican Falls, Vermont and early in the film she's given a send off by the high school band performing their alma mater song. I thought the ending with the high school band, interrupting Bob Crosby's broadcast to reprise their high school song was ridiculous. Was that Howard Hughes's idea? Well he didn't do as much damage here as he did on The Outlaw.

The film had a lot of potential and it could have been done better even at RKO, but I suspect Howard Hughes meddled a bit too much here.