Broadway Melody of 1936 Is Playing on TCM on June 5 (USA)

Posted on May 28, 2021 by giraffe44

Broadway Melody of 1936, made in 1935, is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Saturday, June 5 at 6:15 a.m.

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Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell, Jack Benny, Una Merkel. June Knight, Buddy Ebsen, Vilma Ebsen.

Broadway Melody of 1936 is a confection of a movie, meant to sweeten the lives of Depression weary Americans. It stars the unlikely triumvirate of Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell and Robert Taylor. The plot is flimsy, involving the parallel efforts of a columnist (Benny) trying to save his career, a Broadway producer (Taylor) trying to find a star for his new show and a dancer (Powell) trying to get her big break on Broadway.

All this is secondary to the wonderful songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed: “I’ve Got a Feelin’ You’re Foolin’”; “Broadway Rhythm”; “You Are My Lucky Star”; “On a Sunday Afternoon”;” Sing Before Breakfast.” The production numbers for each song range from clever to spectacular. “I’ve Got a Feelin’ You’re Foolin” is sung by Taylor and New York actress June Knight. The special effects are a delight, especially as they are done so long before CGI.

Powell proves, as always, that she is unmatched as a dancer—her energy, grace and strength are a marvel. She dances solo, with Buddy and Vilma Ebsen, with Nick Long, Jr. and with huge choruses.

Nor can the acting be faulted. Jack Benny is excellent as the gossip-obsessed wise-cracking and scheming columnist. Robert Taylor is remarkably poised and mature for his years (24) and even has a nice singing voice. The second banana roles are filled admirably by Sid Silvers and Una Merkel. If Powell and Knight are less impressive when their feet are still, it doesn’t matter—their dancing more than redeems them.

“Broadway Melody of 1936” was a high budget, high gloss, pull out all the stops, MGM production. No expense was spared for the costumes, sets, choreography or photography. The direction by Roy del Ruth is crisp and effective. We could use more films like this in our own difficult times. Review by me for the IMDB.

Robert Taylor and June Knight filmed a dance sequence for Broadway Melody of 1936 that did not appear in the final film.  These pictures are all that is left.

Some behind the scenes photos:

Robert Taylor and Eleanor Powell.
Robert Taylor and June Knight
Robert Taylor and Eleanor Powell
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Above and Beyond, 1952, Is Playing on TCM on May 29. (USA)

Posted on May 23, 2021 by giraffe44

Above and Beyond, 1952 is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Saturday, May 29 at 4:45 a.m..  This is one of several roles for which Robert Taylor should have won an Oscar.  He was outstanding.

Larry Keating and Robert Taylor

Considering that  Above and Beyond was made during the height of the hysteria now known as McCarthyism, one would have expected a jingoistic flag-waver out of Hollywood. Instead, surprisingly, the screenplay as written allows the Paul Tibbets character (Robert Taylor) the opportunity to register a variety of emotions, in a most realistic and compelling performance.

This is ironic, seeing as the real Tibbets, decades after the event (the bombing of Hiroshima), is to this day unrepentant. Not to criticize his position in any way, because that was a different time and place, and it’s Tibbets’ view that he had a job to do, and the morality of it all, he has stated, is best debated by others.

Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker

But the film is all the more compelling because of the ambivalence written into the Tibbets character, and Taylor’s especially fine work. There are uniformly strong performances throughout the cast, notably those of Eleanor Parker (Lucy Tibbets), James Whitmore (the security officer) and Larry Keating (General Brent).

Another surprise: the team of Melvin Frank and Norman Panama (screenplay, direction) had been best known for their Bob Hope comedies, when under contract at Paramount. Their first dramatic effort was “Above and Beyond,” and they acquitted themselves admirably.

Final note: the musical score by Hugo Friedhofer is immensely satisfying: stirring in an emotional sense, with just a touch of, but not too much of, militaristic flavor.

Dore Schary, a Democrat, had succeeded fervent Republican Louis B. Mayer at MGM in 1951, and had encouraged the production of Above and Beyond. One wonders if (a) the film would have been made at all on Mayer’s watch, and (b) if it had, would it have been more of a cornball, John Wayne-type flag-waver. Thankfully, those questions are moot. “Above and Beyond” is a stirring, finely-crafted film. I would stress again the unusual nature of the protagonist’s ambivalence as portrayed in a film made during a very sensitive time in America’s history.  Review by Alan Rosenberg, Toronto, Canada for the imdb.

Note: I don’t agree with some of this reviewer’s comments but I thought the review is worth reading.  Judith

Some behind the scenes photos:

Actor Robert Taylor, seated on a chest, entertains his colleagues Eleanor Parker, Ricardo Montalban, Jonathan Cott and James Whitmore during a break from shooting the movie ‘Above and Beyond’. USA, 1952. (Photo by Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
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A World Apart

Posted on May 15, 2021 by giraffe44

by Marsha Saunders From the movie magazine Modern Screen. For I1 years Bob and Barbara had set an example by their “perfect marriage.” The statement issued by Barbara and Bob says: “In the last few years, because of our professional … Continue reading →

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Cattle King, 1963, Is Playing on TCM on May 18

Posted on May 12, 2021 by giraffe44

Cattle King, 1963, is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Tuesday, May 18 at 7:45 a.m.

Cattle King is the last picture Robert Taylor made under his MGM contract. His full-time contract had ended in 1959 but he agreed to do three more pictures. Cattle King is the third. Mr.Taylor plays a large scale cattle rancher whose is being threatened by a Texas cartel who want to build a cattle highway from Texas to Canada. This would bring thousands of undesirable cattle to Mr. Taylor’s Wyoming home. It’s a nice twist on the old cattle ranchers vs. sheep herders story. Instead of wanting to leave the range free for cattle to roam, Sam Brassfield (Mr.Taylor) wants to fence in land for the controlled breeding of high quality bovines. The only sheep herder in the picture ends up siding with Brassfield. The cinematography is outstanding with a pallette that brings out the beauty of the area near Yellowstone
Park. There are numerous scenes of groups of people riding which must have looked wonderful on the big screen.

The acting is done by seasoned professionals like Robert Middleton, Ray Teal and William Windom and a newcomer Robert Loggia. They are all excellent. As usual in westerns, Joan Caulfield as the love interest for Sam isn’t given enough to do. President Chester A. Arthur (Larry Gates) plays a pivotal role. In many ways Robert Taylor’s colleagues at MGM made this a warm farewell. The name Robert Taylor fills the screen from top to bottom in the credits.
photographed lovingly with numerous close-ups. There’s a wonderful scene where Mr. Taylor stands proudly, legs apart in the western stance facing his enemy when the camera slides into a screen filling close-up. Robert Taylor was very good at playing characters who were larger than life, people who made a difference without losing their integrity. There’s even a bit of humor as he spends a fair amount of time fussing with his various ties. Cattle King is a solid, well-acted beautifully photographed Western.

Behind-the-Scenes:

Robert Taylor, Maggie Pierce, Robert Ivers and Virginia Christine.

Tessa, Ursula, Terry and Robert Taylor.
Chow line. No special privileges for the star.

Frame grabs:

Poster
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The Big Push

Posted on May 8, 2021 by giraffe44

Probably July 1948. I have posted about this before, but this contemporary account seems worth seeing. This happened at the British Premier of The Other Love with Ms. Stanwyck and David Niven.

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