Mahoney Sisters Can’t Carry A Melody

“The Broadway Melody” (1929) – movie review
Today’s review is for the landmark musical drama “The Broadway Melody” (1929), directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Charles King as Eddie Kearns (a songwriter and performer whose ambition is matched only by his romantic entanglements), Anita Page as Queenie Mahoney (the younger sister whose beauty and vulnerability draw both admiration and exploitation), and Bessie Love as Hank Mahoney (the elder sister, pragmatic and fiercely loyal, whose dreams of stardom are tested by betrayal and sacrifice).  Supporting roles include Jed Prouty as Uncle Jed, Kenneth Thomson as Jock Warriner (a wealthy socialite with predatory intentions), and Mary Doran as fellow performer May.  This ensemble anchors MGM’s first all-talking musical, a film that not only defined the backstage musical genre but also became the first sound film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.  Perhaps less significant due to its being only the second ever Best Picture winner, it was also the first film to double-up as the highest gross attendance for the year.
Background:  In my continuing effort to gain an appreciation for cinema, I’m trying to work my way through a number of lists of great movies.  This film was second to receive the Best Picture Oscar.  I watched this on YouTube for free with no commercial interruptions.  Released in 1929, “The Broadway Melody” arrived at the dawn of Hollywood’s transition from silent films to “talkies.”  MGM promoted it as its first all-sound motion picture, and audiences flocked to see the spectacle of synchronized music, dialogue, and dance.  With a modest budget of $379,000 and a box office return of $4.4 million, the film was both a commercial and cultural triumph.  Its success paved the way for sequels (“Broadway Melody of 1936“, 1940, 1947) and cemented the musical as a dominant Hollywood genre.
Plot:  The story follows sisters Hank and Queenie Mahoney, vaudeville performers who journey to New York City to break into Broadway. Eddie Kearns, a songwriter and Hank’s longtime friend, introduces them to producer Francis Zanfield.  While Hank struggles to secure their place in the show, Queenie’s beauty attracts attention, particularly from wealthy Jock Warriner.  Eddie, initially Hank’s romantic interest, finds himself drawn to Queenie, creating a painful love triangle.  As Queenie is tempted by Jock’s wealth and Hank realizes Eddie’s affections have shifted, tensions rise.  Ultimately, Queenie rejects Jock’s superficial advances, Eddie declares his love, and Hank sacrifices her own happiness for her sister’s future.
So, is this movie any good?  How’s the acting?  The filming / FX?  Any problems?  And, did I enjoy the film?  Short answers:  Yes;  earnest but uneven;  innovative but dated;  several;  frankly, no, but with historical appreciation.
Any good?  Historically, yes;  personally, no.  “The Broadway Melody” is a fascinating artifact of early sound cinema.  While its narrative feels melodramatic by modern standards, its cultural significance and pioneering use of sound make it essential viewing for film historians and enthusiasts.
Acting:  Bessie Love delivers the standout performance as Hank, balancing grit with vulnerability.  Her Oscar nomination for Best Actress was deserved.  Anita Page embodies Queenie’s innocence and allure, though her role leans heavily on archetype.  Charles King’s Eddie is energetic but occasionally stiff, reflecting the transitional acting style of early talkies.  The supporting cast provides texture, though most characters serve as foils rather than fully developed personalities.
Filming / FX:  The cinematography by John Arnold captures both the intimacy of backstage life and some of the spectacle of musical numbers from that period.  The film includes two brief Technicolor sequences — a novelty at the time — which underscores MGM’s ambition.  Musical highlights include “You Were Meant for Me” and the titular “Broadway Melody,” staged with choreography that, while static compared to later musicals, thrilled audiences in 1929.
Problems:  Multiple and some severe.  The pacing is uneven, with melodramatic dialogue that feels stilted today (IMHO).  Having said that, there are some expressions used and I don’t know whether they are New York, Broadway, or simply era based.  For example:  Hank accuses Eddie of not fighting for Queenie because the other guy has more “jack” (money) than he (Eddie) does.  The love triangle dominates the narrative at the expense of deeper exploration of Broadway’s competitive world – which IS explored in cinema at least once in every decade since.  Sound technology was still in its infancy, resulting in awkward pauses and limited camera movement.  Queenie’s characterization leans toward objectification, reflecting gender norms of the era.  The acting, dancing and singing is actually quite terrible from all three of the lead characters.  It’s difficult to tell if the fault is the sound recording available in those days, or if the actors were really just that bad.  LoL  The female leads asks the male lead to sing them a song in their hotel room and a full orchestration breaks out in the background.  At no point did I feel there was any chemistry (romantic or sisterly) between any of the three leads.  Credit to the two female leads, they held their own (acting) in their individual / solo scenes.  King tries to sing a “swing” based version of the title song, but it comes across as a poor man’s Al Jolson – and suffers in the comparison.  There were more problems, but I don’t want to proverbially “beat a dead horse.”
Did I enjoy the film?  No — with reservations.  What enjoyment I did have came less from the story itself and more from the film’s historical significance.  Watching “The Broadway Melody” is like stepping into cinema’s transitional moment, where silent-era theatricality meets the promise of synchronized sound and black and white has brief intersections with sepia-colorization.
Final Recommendation:   Strong recommendation — for historical significance;  Low recommendation otherwise.  “The Broadway Melody” may not dazzle modern audiences (to put it lightly) with its plot, pacing, dancing or musicality, but it remains a cornerstone of film history.  As the first sound film to win Best Picture, it represents both the excitement and limitations of early talkies.  If you are interested in the evolution of musicals, the Academy Awards, or Hollywood’s leap into sound, this film belongs on your list for reference viewing.  Watch it not for perfection, but for the moment when cinema found its continuous voice.
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Click here (29 December) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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