Movie spotlight
The vaudeville act of Harriet and Queenie Mahoney comes to Broadway, where their friend Eddie Kerns needs them for his number in one of Francis Zanfield's shows. When Eddie meets Queenie, he soon falls in love with her—but she is already being courted by Jock Warriner, a member of New York high society. Queenie eventually recognizes that, to Jock, she is nothing more than a toy, and that Eddie is in love with her.
Two sisters, Hank and Queenie Mahoney, travel from their small hometown to New York City with dreams of Broadway stardom. Queenie, the more ambitious and glamorous of the two, quickly catches the eye of a successful songwriter, Eddie Kerns, and a wealthy producer. Hank, more reserved, struggles to find her place while dealing with unrequited love for Eddie, who is smitten with Queenie. The film follows their intertwined romantic and professional lives as they navigate the cutthroat world of show business.
As the first sound film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, 'The Broadway Melody' was a landmark achievement in cinema history. While its technical innovations were groundbreaking for the era, its dramatic elements and musical numbers are now considered somewhat dated. Nevertheless, it was a significant box office success and is remembered for its role in ushering in the era of the movie musical.
Praised as a technically innovative and successful early talkie.
Acknowledged for its historical significance as a Best Picture winner.
Noted for its dated musical numbers and melodramatic plot by modern standards.
Google audience: Information on specific Google user reviews from 1929 is not available. Historical reception suggests audiences were amazed by the sound and music, contributing to its box office success.
Won Academy Award for Best Picture (1930). Nominated for Academy Award for Best Actress (Bessie Love).
The film was originally intended to be a silent film, but production was halted and converted to a part-talkie when the success of 'The Jazz Singer' proved the viability of sound films.
AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources
“Eddie” (Charles King) invites his girlfriend “Hank” (Bessie Love) and her sister “Queenie” (Anita Page) to join a show being staged by legendary producer “Zanfeld” (Eddie Kane) on Broadway. That’s about as simple as the plot gets because q...