Movie Cosmos - The Barkleys of Broadway

Description:

Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful musical-comedy team, known for their stormy but passionate relationship. Dinah feels overshadowed by Josh and limited by the lighthearted musical roles he directs her in. So she decides to stretch her skills by taking a role in a serious drama, directed by another man.

Top Cast >

Fred Astaire

As Josh Barkley

Ginger Rogers

As Dinah Barkley

Oscar Levant

As Ezra Millar

Billie Burke

As Mme Livingston Belney

Jacques François

As Jacques Barredout

Gale Robbins

As Shirlene May

George Zucco

As The Judge

Clinton Sundberg

As Bert Felsher

Inez Cooper

As Pamela Driscoll

Carol Brewster

As Gloria Amboy

Wilson Wood

As Larry

Margaret Bert

As Mary

Claire Carleton

As Marie

Lorinne Crawford

As Cleo Fernby

Mary Jo Ellis

As Clementine

Joyce Mathews

As Genevieve

Frank Ferguson

As Mr. Perkins (uncredited)

Roberta Johnson

As Henrietta (uncredited)

Dick Gordon

As Audience Member (uncredited)

Patrick Miller

As Bobby Soxer (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Charles Walters

Director

Betty Comden

Screenplay

Adolph Green

Screenplay

Sidney Sheldon

Writer

Harry Stradling Sr.

Director of Photography

Arthur Freed

Producer

Ira Gershwin

Lyricist

George Gershwin

Songs

Harry Warren

Songs, Original Music Composer

Albert Akst

Editor

Lennie Hayton

Original Music Composer

Hugh Boswell

Production Manager

Edward C. Carfagno

Art Direction

Wallace Worsley Jr.

Assistant Director

Cedric Gibbons

Art Direction

Fred Valles

Costume Design

Edwin B. Willis

Set Decoration

Irene

Costume Design

Hermes Pan

Choreographer

Charles E. Wallace

Sound

Otto Dyar

Still Photographer

Douglas Shearer

Recording Supervision

Reviews:

John Chard (7/10)

I find that girl completely resistible.

The Barkleys of Broadway is directed by Charles Walters and written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Oscar Levant, Billie Burke, Gale Robbins and Jacques François. Music is by Lennie Hayton and cinematography by Harry Stradling Sr.

Fred and Ginger play the Barkleys, a successful husband and wife musical comedy team that seems to thrive on feuding. However, one day it goes too far and a break up appears certain when the wife entertains an offer from Jacques François to become a serious actress.

Firsts and lasts here as it was the first film Astaire and Rogers did for MGM, their first in colour, and their last they would make together after reconvening after 10 years - Rogers stepping in when Judy Garland fell to her troubled wayside. The screenplay is pretty thin, serving only as a thin piece of meat to the dance and musical numbers sandwich, but with stand-outs like the wonderful "Shoes with Wings On" and the joyous uplift of 'They Can't Take That Away from Me' to spend time with, it's a film to brighten the darkest of days. 7/10

2015-05-07