Two Girls on Broadway

It's a much better film than the one it was remaking, although perhaps too streamlined. The core trio of Lana Turner, Joan Blondell, and George Murphy was a definite improvement over Bessie Love and whoever the other two actors were. I don't quite know what LIFE Magazine meant by calling Turner a "glamour-plus girl," but it was clear, even in her feature film debut, that she had more going for her than looks. George Murphy was fine. The emotional core of the story, though, is Joan Blondell and she showed quite a bit of depth in what could have been a thankless supporting role. By this point in her career, she was beginning to settle into more matronly parts, but it really seemed like she gave it her all. Overall, I found this to be quite good, although a little more music wouldn't have hurt.

"Two Girls on Broadway" is a remake of "Broadway Melody". Considering that "Broadway Melody" was such an early musical (with rather primitive sound) it's not surprising that the studio would remake the film.

The film begins with a young singer/songwriter (George Murphy) getting discovered. However, Eddie's a regular guy and he's sure to not only take this great job but make sure there's a job for his old sweetie, Molly (Joan Blondell), and her kid-sister, Pat (Lana Turner). Unfortunately, when Molly and Pat try out for the show, the producers like Pat but have no use for Molly. Molly, however, insists that Pat take the job and they give Molly a job as a cigarette girl. Now Pat and Eddie are poised for stardom...but what about nice-girl Molly? And what about Pat? The lecherous producer might just have his eyes on her...as does Eddie!

So is the film any good? Well, it's pleasant and enjoyable--and with a few amazing sets which hark back to the original "Broadway Melody". As for the story, it is a bit old fashioned but the actors did a nice job and managed to make it work. Also, Blondell's character, Molly, is a HUGE improvement over the original film in which 'Hank' is very unlikable--whereas here, Molly is much more likable and you can understand Pat and Eddie's concerns about her--which makes the plot make more sense. Overall, not a great musical by any stretch but enjoyable if you like the genre and a slight improvement over the original.

By the way, I did have to laugh about the subplot in the film where Eddie and Molly are worried that sweet, innocent Pat might get seduced by the playboy producer--a man who's been married several times. Lana Turner (Pat) in real life was married eight times (one of the husbands she married twice), so these concerns seemed a bit silly.

I'll be honest, the main reason to watch this film is the gorgeous Lana Turner, who was just 19 years old when she starred in it. It's not her first film, but it was made just as her career was about to take off. Her acting is a little clumsy in places (as is George Murphy's), but it's a delight to see her dancing, and each of her close-ups. The story is a little thin, and has Joan Blondell and Turner as sisters, who come to New York to try to get jobs on stage with Blondell's slick-talking but affable fiancé, Murphy. Unfortunately, between the two of them, it's only Turner they want, and Blondell is relegated to selling cigarettes. Murphy tries to look out for Turner and shield her from a lecherous playboy (Kent Taylor), but then things get worse for Blondell when Murphy starts falling for Turner himself. There are some nice scenes of Blondell sacrificing herself with a brave face; she does the best she can with the material, and her character is a model of class. Unfortunately, there's also an extended scene with a Japanese butler that has some ugly racism on full display. The film wants to be a comedy, a romance, and a musical, and is pretty average at all three. It's concise at 73 minutes, and I liked seeing Turner and Blondell, but if those two aren't of interest, you should probably skip this one.

TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940), directed by S. Sylvan Simon, is a lightweight, updated partial remake to the ever popular Academy Award winner of THE BROADWAY MELODY (MGM, 1929). While the update could have been titled BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940, this latest edition as TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY, based on the original story by Edmund Goulding, is more of a second feature (74 minutes) and showcase for young Lana Turner. Supported by such screen veterans as Joan Blondell and George Murphy, it also displays Turner's rare ability as a singer and dancer, but soon proving her future success in the movies would be in dramatic roles instead.

The story begins in Rome City, Nebraska, where Trooper One, Molly Mahoney (Joan Blondell), runs a dancing school for children along with Trooper Two, her kid sister, Pat (Lana Turner), Dismissing their class to listen to the radio program, "Oddities of the Air," as hosted by Mr. Boyle (Don Wilson), by which Trooper Three, Eddie Kearns (George Murphy), Molly's fiance, happens to be auditioning one of his composed songs with a song and dance. Eddie wins audience approval and a spot in Buddy Bartell's (Richard Lane) upcoming musical show. Telephoning the good news to Molly, he invites the girls to take the next bus out to join him for a possible audition. Upon their arrival, Molly and Pat do a song and dance for Bartell, whose main interest is more on Pat. To keep Pat under his employ, he offers Molly a night club job working as a cigarette girl. Regardless of this humiliation and wanting Pat to succeed in show business, Molly accepts the job. As Pat finds herself becoming more interested in Eddie during dress rehearsals, she decides to spend more time with her sponsor, Chat Chatsworth (Kent Taylor), so not to come between Molly and Eddie's plans for marriage. Problems arise when Molly discovers from Jed Marlowe (Wallace Ford), a reporter friend of hers, that Chatsworth is a womanizer with five ex-wives with intentions on having Pat as wife number six. Others in the cast include Otto Hahn (Ito); Lloyd Corrigan (Judge Hennessey); and Edward Gargan (The Policeman),

The distinction between TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY and THE BROADWAY MELODY are its acting and production numbers. Though the original 1929 had its merits of success, its over-the-top acting among the leading actresses (Bessie Love and Anita Page) along with brief production numbers consisting of cart-wheels and back flips by ensembles, both weaken the original for contemporary viewers. Blondell, in her role originated by Bessie Love, gives a more natural performance as does Lana Turner's carnation to Anita Page's kid sister performance. For being Turner's movie, it is Blondell who proves herself more of a real trooper than the others.

The production numbers, well choreographed by Bobby Connolly, consisting of "My Wonder One, Let's Dance" (sung by George Murphy); "Broadway's Still Broadway" (dance rehearsal dance with Lana Turner) and reprise of "My Wonderful One, Let's Dance" (performed by Murphy and Turner) are entertaining enough, but not as memorable in scoring as the 1929 original that produced such classic tunes as "You Were Meant for Me." George Murphy, like Charles King, displays good showmanship in the entertainment department, yet it was Murphy who lasted a lot longer as a movie actor than the heavily New York accented Charles King, whose movie career ended in 1930.

As much as TWO GIRLS ON BROADWA Y is not a scene by scene remake to THE BROADWAY MELODY, it does lead to a similar structure to the original. Never distributed on video cassette but available on DVD, both TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY and THE BROADWAY MELODY can be seen and compared whenever shown on Turner Classic Movies cable television. (**1/2)

Joan Blondell and Lana Turner co-star with future US Senator George Murphy in Two Girls On Broadway. The three are from Rome City, Nebraska and Murphy is in New York to try and hit it big again as he's been somewhat at liberty since vaudeville declined. The women who are sisters operate a dance studio in Nebraska and Blondell was once Murphy's dance partner.

Murphy pulls off quite a con game but gets a big break with an appearance Richard Lane's nightclub and he parlays it for Blondell and Turner to come east. Now it's Turner who is Murphy's partner and Blondell gets work as a cigarette girl.

It's all looking good, but there's a Broadway wolf in the picture. Kent Taylor is a Tommy Manville type who's already been to the altar 8 times. He zeroes in on Turner who goes along because while she likes Murphy she doesn't want to hurt her sister. It all gets straightened out in the end as it always does.

I think a lot of you will recognize some sets from The Great Ziegfeld which makes it look like this film is more expensive and lush than it is. Wallace Ford has an interesting role as a Broadway Winchell like columnist which would be true to life since Winchell was a performer before he took up journalism. He knew Blondell and Murphy from vaudeville days.

Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed and Roger Edens wrote My Wonderful One Let's Dance as part of the score and if it sounds familiar you're thinking of Cole Porter's Riding High. Porter really could have sued over that one.

Two Girls On Broadway showcases its star's talents well. Murphy was quite a hoofer before he went into Republican politics.