Bathtubs Over Broadway

One needn't enter into viewing this documentary with any background knowledge of either musical theater or the corporate world to find oneself deeply moved by an exploration of the strange landscape where those two worlds meet. Initially, the film presents itself as a quirky investigation of the bizarre world of industrial musicals, played for laughs. By the end, it turns into something much sweeter and stranger, a testament to friendship, passion, and the human spirit. I laughed, cried, smiled, and wondered. The film is worth every minute of your time.

Where has this movie been hiding this year? Perhaps because so many documentaries, the vast majority, are serious and often eager to expose troubling events in the world, it's hard to imagine such a film being delightful and charmingly eccentric. Yet that is exactly what this documentary is. One of a kind, this is a nostalgic look at a type of entertainment that existed only on the stages of auditoriums hosting company business conferences. Car and tractor companies, dog food manufacturers, and plumbing and bathroom suppliers - all financed these peculiar stage musicals to entertain and encourage their salesmen and employees in cities across the U.S.A. One of the head writers of the David Letterman Show seems to have literally discovered this forgotten branch on the tree of show business. The results of his digging around obscure record shops and interviewing writers and actors, as well as uncovering rare film clips of some of these lively performances - are on display here. For fans of Broadway style musicals and the fringes of show business, this gets close to heaven.

An absolute gem. These arcane industrial musicals aren't particularly compelling, but the stories behind them are fetching, lovingly told, and peppered with sweet reveals that sneak up on you and steal your heart. The finale features a life lesson that is inspiring and pitch perfect.

The General Public has never seen the likes of these shows. Now for the first time everyone can delight in this Marvelous Musical Madness. Bravo/a.

As a former would-be Broadway actor, I always SO wanted to get cast in an "industrial." I never made it, but at last I can participate, even if only from the audience.

This little film is a gem, and you'll learn more than you ever suspected you didn't know about this art form. It's great fun!