Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)
(Norman Taurog, US 1940, 102 min., 35mm)
The last in a loose series bearing the Broadway Melody title, this film once again finds artists striving for success on the Great White Way. Featuring songs by the unparalleled Cole Porter, the film follows Johnny Brett (Fred Astaire) and King Shaw (George Murphy) as an aspiring dance team that is separated when Murphy is mistakenly given the starring role in a Broadway show. Murphy eventually realizes, though, that it is his partner who truly deserves the role and feigns illness to give Astaire the chance to shine alongside the unforgettable Eleanor Powell. The rare teaming of Astaire and Powell is inspired and fully showcased in the legendary “Begin the Beguine” number that is the centerpiece of this magical musical.
Post-screening discussion with Michael Lasser.