Eleanor Powell Dances on ‘The Great White Way’

Eleanor Powell, in "Broadway Melody of 1936." (MovieStillsDB)

The first all-sound film to win an Academy Award ever made was “The Broadway Melody” in 1929. It was also MGM’s first musical film and included a Technicolor sequence. It introduced such classic Arthur Freed and Nacio Brown songs as “Broadway Melody,” “You Were Meant for Me,” and “The Wedding of the Painted Doll.” The film won Best Picture at the second Academy Awards ceremony and began Hollywood’s highly successful musical genre.

Lobby card for "Broadway Melody." (MovieStillsDB)

Because of the success of “The Broadway Melody,” MGM made three subsequent films in the “Broadway Melody” series. They were “Broadway Melody of 1936” (“1936”), “Broadway Melody of 1938” (“1938”), and “Broadway Melody of 1940” (“1940”). Popular tap dancer Eleanor Powell starred in the three films, with different musical and nonmusical co-stars.

The stories of all four films have to do with putting on a show, but there are some interesting comparisons and contrasts between “1936” and “1938.” At one point, “1938” was going to be a sequel to “1936,” with some of the same actors reprising their roles. When those actors were removed from the production, the plot of “1938” plot took a different direction. “1936” and “1938” were both directed by Roy del Ruth and feature Robert Taylor as Eleanor Powell’s romantic lead with Buddy Ebsen in a supporting musical role.

‘1936’

“1936” stars Powell and Taylor, but semi-likeable antagonist Jack Benny received top billing. This movie also marked the film debut of dancing duo Buddy Ebsen and his sister, Vilma.

Eleanor Powell starred in "Broadway Melody of 1936." (MovieStillsDB)

The story focuses squarely on Broadway. Bob Gordon (Taylor) is a young producer and songwriter who is trying to put on his first Broadway show. Gordon has become the target of a vicious newspaper and radio gossip columnist, Bert Keeler (Benny), who is building his own popularity by spreading dirt about Gordon. Gordon’s childhood sweetheart, Irene Foster (Powell), visits his office to audition for him. When she discovers that a French actress being promoted doesn’t exist, Foster takes the role herself.

‘1938’

“1938” features an even more impressive cast of musical talent, with Powell and Taylor still in the leads. Song-and-dance-man George Murphy plays Powell’s other romantic admirer and dance partner in several numbers, since Taylor wasn’t a musical performer. Buddy Ebsen completes the musical trio as Murphy’s sidekick.

Singer Sophie Tucker plays a former Broadway star, and 15-year-old Judy Garland plays her daughter. In this film, Judy’s rendition of “Dear Mr. Gable,” an intro to “You Made Me Love You” about actor Clark Gable, made her a star.

This story starts a little off Broadway, in a stable. Two out-of-work dancers, Sonny Ledford (Murphy) and Peter Trot (Ebsen), get jobs as trainers for a beautiful horse named Stargazer. While traveling with the horse to New York by train, the two men discover Sally Lee (Powell), Stargazer’s former owner, who was hiding out to be sure that her beloved horse receives proper care.

A Melodious Double Feature

If you watch these films together, you won’t get bored or feel like you’re watching the same movie. Although they share some common actors and the title song, they feature unique performers in roles and songs which highlight separate aspects of their talent. In both films, Powell tap dances her signature version of a top-hat-and-tails ensemble in the finale of both movies.

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(L–R) Buddy Ebsen, Eleanor Powell, and George Murphy, in “Broadway Melody of 1938.” (MovieStillsDB)

Robert Wildhack is hilariously featured in both films. He is credited as “The Snorer” in the first movie and “The Sneezer” in the second. In an incredibly droll voice, he describes and demonstrates different types of snoring in the first movie, and it was so funny that he reprised the role by doing the same thing with sneezes in the second film.

“Broadway Melody of 1929” has the carefree air of the Jazz Age before the stock market crash and “Broadway Melody of 1940” already has the peppy style of the 1940s, but “1936” and “1938” are great examples of the 1930s style of the movie musical.

They both provided relief from Depression-era woes with stories about simple people who find creative ways to overcome difficult circumstances, decorated with glittering costumes and exquisite dance routines to lift everyone’s spirits.

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