Walking Down Broadway

1938's "Walking Down Broadway" is a Fox programmer directed at a fast clip by Norman Foster, who helmed six of the studio's eight 'Mr. Moto' features. Six showgirls become sad at the closing of "Manhattan Revue" on New Years Eve, so they make a pact to reunite in a year to celebrate their upcoming good fortune. Alas, not everyone will be available, as Sandra (Lynn Bari) is immediately struck down in the street after signing a new Hollywood contract. Tiny (Dixie Dunbar) continues in show business, while Joan (Claire Trevor) goes into fashion design, carefully watching over the mistakes made by the others. Jerry (Jayne Regan) is engaged to Tom (Thomas Beck), who only wants to marry her after becoming a financial success. Vicki (Phyllis Brooks) makes the mistake of juggling multiple boyfriends, one of whom is a notorious gambler (Leon Ames) who eventually winds up gunned down trying to collect a debt from another racketeer (Douglas Fowley), successfully framing chanteuse Linda Martin (Leah Ray) for the crime, leaving her young daughter in Joan's care. With six lead actresses and only 69 minutes it never gets dull, even when the melodramatics grow more absurd (someone has to have a happy ending!). Alas, not among the unbilled players are Lon Chaney and Robert Lowery, cast as delivery men, both ending up on the cutting room floor, nearly always side by side in Fox titles like "The Lady Escapes," "Wife, Doctor and Nurse," "Charlie Chan on Broadway," "Life Begins in College," "Second Honeymoon," "City Girl," "Happy Landing," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Josette," "Passport Husband," "Straight Place and Show," and John Ford's "Submarine Patrol" (Chaney alas found his roles deleted in "Love is News," "That I May Live," and "Born Reckless").

And neither does the one in this film. The 'behind the scenes' look at the life of showgirls and Broadway hopefuls was a hot topic for late 30's films, from Warner's "Gold Diggers' series, to MGM's Stage Door--this doesn't measure up to them, but it's Fox's nice little soap opera-ish drama with some comedy overtones. The story is about six show girls who finish their last performance on New Year's Eve, and sign a promise to meet in one year. The women are Claire Trevor, Phylls Brooks, Lynn Bari, and 3 not so familiar--Leah Ray, Jayne Regan, and Dixie Dunbar.

Each has a type--the one bound for success with a Hollywood offer, the serious one with good sense, the one faithful to her boyfriend, the spacey silly one, the divorcee with a young child, the one who tosses over nice guy for shady gambler. This isn't really an upbeat film, despite some clever patter along the way..in fact, more than one of the women can't make the reunion. It is fast paced (6 women, one year, packed into an hour and 15 minutes...) but watchable melodrama, with Trevor clearly in the lead.