The Broadway Melody is a curious little film, and certainly a testament to the mythos of the Academy, and the weight that a term like “Oscar-winner” is expected to imply. It was the first sound movie to win that now-coveted Best Picture award, but in revisiting it, viewers may find it a little… lacking.
One of the loveliest surprises in watching vintage movies is picking something at mostly-random–a poster, or an actor, or a general feeling–and having it turn out to contain something much deeper than your original shallow intentions.
That’s what happened to me and A Date with Judy, a choice I plucked somewhat randomly from the Netflix queue–mostly because I recognized the title from scouring the That’s Entertainment list, and when I saw that it combined the forces of Elizbaeth Taylor and Jane Powell, my subconscious lizard brain took over, and the next thing I knew, I was inserting the disc into my DVD player.
Mario Lanza fans… this month TCM is really looking out for you. Although it’s a relatively light month otherwise, in terms of Not-on-Netflix musicals, September 18th brings a bounty of five rare Lanza musicals to TCM throughout the day. They’ve played a few of these in the past couple months, though I haven’t watched them …
It’s funny how, no matter what year a movie actually came out, it can only take a few lines to cement its place as a timeless classic–or damn it as a dated time capsule. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with a movie being “dated,” but it can be yet another barrier for modern viewers trying to enjoy a film in as much of its original context as possible.
I’m taking a step back from a somewhat overwhelming stockpile of musicals in my DVR to get back to the basics, continuing on my “That’s Entertainment” list and just generally being open to watching new things, without the threat of Warning! Your DVR is currently 98% full!. That’s not the most conducive environment for watching films, so I’m going to go through my list and identify those that are most important to my overall education.
Set your DVRs and request your reminders… here are the rare, Not-On-Netflix classic musicals airing for the remainder of August on TCM: Stingaree (1934) – August 4, 6:00am New Moon (1940) – August 4, 1:00pm Music for Madame (1937) – August 6, 6:00am A Damsel in Distress (1937) – August 6, 7:30am Screen Director’s Playhouse: It’s a …