The Big Broadcast of 1937

I will tell you up front that I am not a big fan of the Big Broadcast movies. To me, they are a bizarre mix of various acts, good and bad, and are like watching a variety show combined with just a little bit of plot. I'd rather watch a traditional movie from the period instead, as "The Big Broadcast of 1937" is no exception--mostly because the film is so uneven.

The film finds Jack Benny and Ray Milland (an odd combination) in charge of a radio station. The plot, such as it is, involves bringing a talented lady singer to the station to work--and to keep her off the radio. I know this doesn't make any sense...it never really did in the movie either. However, eventually the lady STILL becomes a star and both men fall for her.

In the midst of this slight plot you have many appearances by Burns and Allen, a hillbilly comedian who was just annoying and made little sense (how many times can this guy just walk into the sound stage and interrupt a live radio show and it still be funny or make sense?!), Leopold Stokowski (the guy behind "Fantasia" just a few years later) and Benny Goodman as well as several other unimpressive acts (the "La Bamba" opening act was excruciatingly bad). The mix, as I said, comes off like a variety show...and not a very good one at that--mostly because quality of the acts and styles were all so different. 'Long hair' Stokowski just didn't seem to fit in the mix, though these musical numbers were among the better things in the film. Perhaps you'll have a different opinion...I just wasn't particularly entertained and wish they'd not tried to cram so much into this movie.