Reviews (19) 
Page a Wow!
This always fascinating movie came out just at the end of the Roaring Twenties. If you've always wanted to see a genuine, real-life jazz baby, then this is it! Anita Page, who plays the gorgeous, indepenent sister of a duo act steals the movie. The blonde bombshell is sensational. One only wonders why she never became a superstar. She's alleged her MGM boss, Louis B. Mayer, put the moves on her and she resisted, thus ending her movie career. Bessie Love is an acquired taste. Charles King has a good voice but during film, he consistenly forgot his lines. Anita remembers how hellaciously hot it was on the set. She fainted at one time. A book should be written about this charismatic star who should have been one of the great ones. Fascinating to see the Jazz Age gowns of the gals, especially the knockout white, spangled outfit of Anita's and her ermine-lined cape she wears to a party. One sequence, Wedding of the Painted Dolls, was filmed in early Technicolor, but you don't see this on the video version. Anita, at this writing, is still alive and well. She's featured prominently in the biography of Billy Haines entitled "Wisecracker". See the gin-splashed ambiance of how it really was at the end of the Jazz Age. Buy your own copy and rejoice--over and over.
Granddady Of The Musical Genre
Well, if you want to watch an early talkie masterpiece, you won`t find it here. Though the film certainly wrote screen history in some way and even received an Oscar, "Broadway Melody" is a painfully crude early talkie musical which makes the "Jazz Singer" (released 2 years earlier) look like a motion picture masterpiece. The acting is very stagy, the film mostly plays in stuffy decors and the camera movements are a great setback from the sophistication of the silent era. On the other hand it is still one of the best remembered films of this transition era between silents and sound films and therefore should be watched by everyone interested in movie history. Beside this point Bessie Love is still fun to watch (though the other actors can be discarded easily) and the "Wedding of the painted doll"-sequence is certainly an eye-filler. To conclude, the movie captures the new definition of the musical genre at the dawn of the sound era perfectly and is one of the landmark films of MGM between 1929 and 1930, just don`t watch it when you are too tired to concentrate on the boring plotline .... but judge for yourself.
Hasn't Stood the Test of Time
Neither awful nor wonderful. Tremendously popular in its time but little more than an artifact of entertainment industry history. Certainly not a bad movie by any means and definately worth a rental if you can find a copy.
The Broadway Melody
I thouroughly loved this one! I wouls only add to the other reviewers words by saying I've always loved the song "Broadway Melody", both the music and gleefully,carefree happy time flavor of those 1929 lyrics. Thought I'd never be able to listen enough times to this song to satisfy me,BUT,this movie justabout does the trick. I shall be keeping this gem among my treasures and to think I was able to purchase a $680,000.00 movie which grossed 4 million bucks, for only [$$$] here at Amazon. This movie has delicious nostalgia. and if you really try, you can almostget a tangible scent of the places theaters and ambience of the ornate beautiful movie palaces all so new at that time. A time piece and keep-sake of a happier and more carefree "era,dear-ah." (Credit Ruth Donelley from her book) If you've got a love for old movies you just may love this.(vo-dody-oh-do!)
A Trip Back to a Happier Day
This wonderful movie was made in both silent and talkie versions in 1928, and released the following year.Bessie Love and the beautiful Anita Page star as two sisters trying to make it big on the NY stage, and both in love with the same man. Charles King,(1889-1944), a fairly well-known hoofer and song man of the era, plays Eddie. He does well in this movie, but it has been recorded elsewhere that he had great problems remembering his lines. Miss Page, 18 at the time, gives a stellar performance as a typical Jazz Age baby, but yet very naive and innocent.There is much of Miss Page in real life as she was here in this movie. She is still alive and making movies today, at 93. Love is great as the scared-of-nothing older sister. The unbilled costume designer gives the ultimate fey performance everytime he appears. Jed Prouty is good as the stuttering Uncle Jed. Unfortunately, a lot of the men are very heavily and overly made up. The music is great, except for overkill of "You Were Meant for Me"(originally written for Anita Page by Nacio Herb Brown) and "Broadway Melody." 20's wisecrack remarks abound, especially well delivered by Mary Doran, who plays Flo. A great, great movie to be seen again and again. Because it is from 1929 is one of its charms. It is never outdated.
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Blood, Gore and Kathleen St. Lawrence