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 ****

Designed partially as a showcase for RKO owner Howard Hughes girlfriend, Janet Leigh. Hughes could afford to import quite a lot of first rate talent in the effort, mostly from best in the musical business MGM. Current or former MGM talent included Leigh, Ann Miller, Gloria DeHaven, and Tony Martin, along with musical number director Busby Berkeley. Leigh proved herself competent as a singer and dancer, and is certainly pleasant in personality and a pleasure to look at.

In the musical numbers featuring the four "girls", Gloria DeHaven is the standout (sorry Ann Miller fans). DeHaven sings superbly, handles the dancing with aplomb, has just the right mix of charisma, humor, sincerity, and takes a back seat to no one in the beauty department.

I thought the musical numbers well staged and mostly very pleasant (exception the very banal Pellican Falls school song). The comedy of Smith and Dale, I could live without, if you'll excuse the expression. And Eddie Bracken is too frenetic and broad in his comedy for my taste.

Though none of the songs became a standard, a couple are excellent; I especially enjoyed "The Worry Bird", and "The Closer You Are" has a gorgeous melody.

All in all, the film is the equal of many of the lower budget MGM musicals, and that ain't bad at all.

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.

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 was getting ready for work this morning, but almost didn't come in thanks to this movie being on TCM. This was a totally silly, frothy, fun movie to watch, and was reminiscent of "Bye Bye Birdie" (at least in the opening) and a thousand other movies that involve a small-town girl moving to the Big Apple to pursue her dreams of being a Broadway star.

Tony Martin was a revelation to me; I don't think I'd ever heard of him or heard his singing, but I thoroughly enjoyed his performances, solo and with "his girlfriends". Janet Leigh was a solid choice for the ingenue. Bob Crosby looked and sounded like a slightly more famous man with the same last name, and even did a song poking fun at that.

:LIke I said in the title, you'll never mistake this movie for "Citizen Kane", but it's a funny take on the girl-makes-good genre.