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The Barkleys of Broadway

The Barkleys of Broadway

  • Status: Released
  • 04-05-1949
  • Runtime: 108 min
  • Score: 6.8
  • Vote count: 48

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.

Fred Astaire

Josh Barkley

Ginger Rogers

Dinah Barkley

Oscar Levant

Ezra Millar

Billie Burke

Mme Livingston Belney

Jacques François

Jacques Barredout

Gale Robbins

Shirlene May

George Zucco

The Judge

Clinton Sundberg

Bert Felsher

Inez Cooper

Pamela Driscoll

Carol Brewster

Gloria Amboy

Wilson Wood

Larry

Margaret Bert

Mary

Claire Carleton

Marie

Lorinne Crawford

Cleo Fernby

Mary Jo Ellis

Clementine

Joyce Mathews

Genevieve

Frank Ferguson

Mr. Perkins (uncredited)

Roberta Johnson

Henrietta (uncredited)

Dick Gordon

Audience Member (uncredited)

John Chard

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