- Published on
Can't sing? Can't dance? That's entertainment!
Screenland, Sept 1929
Release Date: June 30, 1929
Studio: First National
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Writers: Monte Katterjohn, Humphrey Pearson, Paul Perez
Choreography: Larry Caballos
Costumes: Max Rée
Music: Al Bryan, Harry Akst, Grant Clarke, George W. Meyer
Cast: Alice White (Delight Foster), Charles Delaney (Billy Buvanny), Fred Kohler (Percé Gessant), Tom Dugan (Scotty), Bodil Rosing (Sarah Durgen), Sally Eilers (Navarre King), Marion Byron (Florine Chandler), Jocelyn Lee (Blossom Royale), Louis Natheaux (Gus Brand), Maurice Black (Nick)
Another backstage musical and vehicle for Alice White, Broadway Babies was loosely based on the short story “Broadway Musketeers” by Jay Gelzer.
Similarly to Show Girl, the critics were not enamored with Broadway Babies. The Film Daily (June 25, 1929) commented that the film was “A rather obvious story of life as seen from the chorus line.” Educational Screen (September 1929) stated it was “Lively but cheap. Another contribution to bad taste.” Meanwhile Variety (June 26, 1929) claimed the film “does not even contain a suggestive gesture,” and that the camera frequently cut off the limbs of the dancers.
The reviewers all generally agreed that despite its flaws, the film was fun entertainment. The audiences felt the same way and, despite a lukewarm opening, Broadway Babies played to good houses — particularly in regional areas.
The entertainment factor fulfilled director Mervyn LeRoy’s fervent goal that movies be just that: entertaining. LeRoy started out in vaudeville before moving to film where he worked in a variety of departments until he became a writer and actor. Under the guidance of Cecile B. DeMille, LeRoy became a director and went on to direct a variety of well-received films including Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), Little Caeser (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Madame Curie (1943), Rose Marie (1954) and Gypsy (1962).
The average script can be attributed to Monte Katterjohn, who predominantly only wrote during the silent era.
Humphrey Pearson contributed dialogue to the film. He was a prolific writer whose work appeared on both stage and film. In under seven years he wrote over twenty scripts including Hot Stuff (1929), They Never Grow Up (1930), and Face in the Sky (1933). The 1929 musical On With the Show was based on his play Shoestring. Still only on the cusp of a promising career, Pearson was tragically shot dead in his home in what was deemed an accident.
Modern day viewers are far more generous with their criticism of Broadway Babies. Film historian Edwin M. Bradley describes it as “very watchable.” The reviews on IMDb call the film a “terrific little musical,” “a treat” and “highly, highly recommended.” Jeff Cohen at Vitaphone Varities writes “Best of all, by today’s standards, Broadway Babies doesn’t dull the senses – it excites them.”
Studio: First National
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Writers: Monte Katterjohn, Humphrey Pearson, Paul Perez
Choreography: Larry Caballos
Costumes: Max Rée
Music: Al Bryan, Harry Akst, Grant Clarke, George W. Meyer
Cast: Alice White (Delight Foster), Charles Delaney (Billy Buvanny), Fred Kohler (Percé Gessant), Tom Dugan (Scotty), Bodil Rosing (Sarah Durgen), Sally Eilers (Navarre King), Marion Byron (Florine Chandler), Jocelyn Lee (Blossom Royale), Louis Natheaux (Gus Brand), Maurice Black (Nick)
Another backstage musical and vehicle for Alice White, Broadway Babies was loosely based on the short story “Broadway Musketeers” by Jay Gelzer.
Similarly to Show Girl, the critics were not enamored with Broadway Babies. The Film Daily (June 25, 1929) commented that the film was “A rather obvious story of life as seen from the chorus line.” Educational Screen (September 1929) stated it was “Lively but cheap. Another contribution to bad taste.” Meanwhile Variety (June 26, 1929) claimed the film “does not even contain a suggestive gesture,” and that the camera frequently cut off the limbs of the dancers.
The reviewers all generally agreed that despite its flaws, the film was fun entertainment. The audiences felt the same way and, despite a lukewarm opening, Broadway Babies played to good houses — particularly in regional areas.
The entertainment factor fulfilled director Mervyn LeRoy’s fervent goal that movies be just that: entertaining. LeRoy started out in vaudeville before moving to film where he worked in a variety of departments until he became a writer and actor. Under the guidance of Cecile B. DeMille, LeRoy became a director and went on to direct a variety of well-received films including Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), Little Caeser (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Madame Curie (1943), Rose Marie (1954) and Gypsy (1962).
The average script can be attributed to Monte Katterjohn, who predominantly only wrote during the silent era.
Humphrey Pearson contributed dialogue to the film. He was a prolific writer whose work appeared on both stage and film. In under seven years he wrote over twenty scripts including Hot Stuff (1929), They Never Grow Up (1930), and Face in the Sky (1933). The 1929 musical On With the Show was based on his play Shoestring. Still only on the cusp of a promising career, Pearson was tragically shot dead in his home in what was deemed an accident.
Modern day viewers are far more generous with their criticism of Broadway Babies. Film historian Edwin M. Bradley describes it as “very watchable.” The reviews on IMDb call the film a “terrific little musical,” “a treat” and “highly, highly recommended.” Jeff Cohen at Vitaphone Varities writes “Best of all, by today’s standards, Broadway Babies doesn’t dull the senses – it excites them.”
Though his name is not well known today, Larry Ceballos was an innovative choreographer of stage and screen who worked in Hollywood from 1927 until 1951. His credits include ten Broadway shows and over sixty films including On With the Show! (1929), Honky Tonk (1929), No, No, Nanette (1930), Redheads on Parade (1935), Follies Girl (1943) and an episode of The Colgate Comedy Hour (1951) which was a tribute to vaudeville.
Ceballos was the head of dance at Warner Bros and First National from its early talkie days.
Many sources cite Busby Berkley and Fred Astaire for changing the way dance was filmed. In the few years before either arrived on the scene, Ceballos was creating dance sequences that were innovative and often well received by the critics and loved by audiences. In 1930 a feature article (as referenced on Vitaphone Varieties) describes how Ceballos understood that in order for the camera to effectively capture the chorus line on camera, it was better to stage the dancers vertically instead of horizontally.
Ceballos advocated for a variety of camera angles in filming his sequences, such as from the perspective of the orchestra pit, the top of the curtain, and from the follow spot. Although a live theatre audience would not be able to see from all those angles, Ceballos understood that film requires “greater realism than the stage.” In increasing the shots available to the audience, Ceballos aimed to create a more authentic viewing experience for the audience. It would be fascinating to see what Ceballos would come up with given today’s technology!
As she did for Show Girl, Alice White received mixed reviews. The critics found her to be a fine enough actress, but could not understand how an actress with no singing or dancing ability kept getting cast in musical comedies. After watching the clips included in this post, I'm unfortunately inclined to agree.
Ceballos was the head of dance at Warner Bros and First National from its early talkie days.
Many sources cite Busby Berkley and Fred Astaire for changing the way dance was filmed. In the few years before either arrived on the scene, Ceballos was creating dance sequences that were innovative and often well received by the critics and loved by audiences. In 1930 a feature article (as referenced on Vitaphone Varieties) describes how Ceballos understood that in order for the camera to effectively capture the chorus line on camera, it was better to stage the dancers vertically instead of horizontally.
Ceballos advocated for a variety of camera angles in filming his sequences, such as from the perspective of the orchestra pit, the top of the curtain, and from the follow spot. Although a live theatre audience would not be able to see from all those angles, Ceballos understood that film requires “greater realism than the stage.” In increasing the shots available to the audience, Ceballos aimed to create a more authentic viewing experience for the audience. It would be fascinating to see what Ceballos would come up with given today’s technology!
As she did for Show Girl, Alice White received mixed reviews. The critics found her to be a fine enough actress, but could not understand how an actress with no singing or dancing ability kept getting cast in musical comedies. After watching the clips included in this post, I'm unfortunately inclined to agree.
Broadway Babies contained three songs, “Broadway Baby Dolls” and “Jig, Jig, Jigaloo,” and “Wishing and Waiting for Love.” The score was composed by Tin Pan Alley composers Al Bryan, Harry Akst, Grant Clarke, and George W. Meyer.
Al Bryan, also known as Alfred Bryan, was a composer for stage and screen. He frequently collaborated with Fred Fisher, and some of his well-known songs include “Come Josephine in my Flying Machine,” the popular antiwar song “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier,” and “Oui, Oui, Marie.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Harry Akst was a talented pianist and a prolific composer. Collaborating with Sam Lewis, Irving Berlin, and Benny Davis, Akst wrote hundreds of songs. Some of his well-known compositions include “Am I Blue,” “Baby Face,” “Dinah,” and “In the Land of Let’s Pretend.” Akst is credited with discovering Judy Garland whilst he was on one of many tours. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983.
Grant Clarke was a charter member of ASCAP and wrote for stage and screen. He contributed lyrics to The Jazz Singer and, in collaboration with a host of other composers composed “My Sahara Rose,” “Ragtime Cowboy Joe,” and “Second Hand Rose.”
George W. Meyer was a charter member of ASCAP, and for a considerable time also served as its director. His hit songs include “For My and My Gal,” “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” and “Under my Umbrella.”
Unfortunately I had trouble tracking down a copy of Broadway Babies. It has been released on Blu-Ray, but not on DVD. According to Project Gutenburg, it has been aired on television and cable. The film can also be viewed at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Al Bryan, also known as Alfred Bryan, was a composer for stage and screen. He frequently collaborated with Fred Fisher, and some of his well-known songs include “Come Josephine in my Flying Machine,” the popular antiwar song “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier,” and “Oui, Oui, Marie.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Harry Akst was a talented pianist and a prolific composer. Collaborating with Sam Lewis, Irving Berlin, and Benny Davis, Akst wrote hundreds of songs. Some of his well-known compositions include “Am I Blue,” “Baby Face,” “Dinah,” and “In the Land of Let’s Pretend.” Akst is credited with discovering Judy Garland whilst he was on one of many tours. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983.
Grant Clarke was a charter member of ASCAP and wrote for stage and screen. He contributed lyrics to The Jazz Singer and, in collaboration with a host of other composers composed “My Sahara Rose,” “Ragtime Cowboy Joe,” and “Second Hand Rose.”
George W. Meyer was a charter member of ASCAP, and for a considerable time also served as its director. His hit songs include “For My and My Gal,” “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” and “Under my Umbrella.”
Unfortunately I had trouble tracking down a copy of Broadway Babies. It has been released on Blu-Ray, but not on DVD. According to Project Gutenburg, it has been aired on television and cable. The film can also be viewed at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
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