The Broadway Melody (1929)
October 16, 2022 9:06 AM - Subscribe

A pair of sisters from the vaudeville circuit try to make it big time on Broadway, but matters of the heart complicate the attempt. Often cited as the single worst film ever to win Best Picture.

Ceritifed Rotten on RT.

Currently available for digital rental in the US on multiple outlets. JustWatch listing.
posted by DirtyOldTown (9 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Today, I posted a half dozen Best Picture winners that have not had a FF post.

This one is pretty terrible. I suspect sound was new enough that people were just hypnotized by a large scale musical.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:08 AM on October 16, 2022 [1 favorite]


Is it really worse than Green Book?
posted by octothorpe at 11:50 AM on October 16, 2022 [2 favorites]


I don't remember it being flagrantly offensive, no. It was just... pretty blah.
posted by humbug at 1:03 PM on October 16, 2022


It's desperately boring and barely a story.

Some people like Green Book. And it is reportedly a coherent (if trite and ill-advised) story with good actors in it.

This is a musical with meh songs, so so dancing, little to no plot, indifferent direction, and wooden acting.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:14 PM on October 16, 2022 [2 favorites]


Is it really worse than Green Book?

Ha! I was going to ask if it's really worse than Crash.
posted by mochapickle at 3:35 PM on October 16, 2022 [2 favorites]


It's worse than either of those.

"Some people think it's great but it's egregious if you think about it" is one thing, "Desperately boring and unwatchable to all comers" is another.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:02 PM on October 16, 2022


Okay - you know how a couple years ago, the Academy talked about having TWO Best Picture Awards, with one award being for more "artistic" films and the other being for more "box office blockbuster" kind of films?

The 1929 Academy Awards (the first awards ever) actually did exactly that. The more "blockbustery" Best Picture award was simply called "Best Picture", and went to a World War I drama from 1927 called Wings. The other award was called "Best Unique and Artistic Picture", and went to a film called Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans. But the "Unique and Artistic Picture" award was eliminated the following year, along with an award for "Best Title Writing" (since sound was becoming A Thing in film, they didn't need that any more anyway).

I kind of wonder if there was some confusion about the Academy knocking out the "Artistic Picture" award and that's what lead to this win.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:43 AM on October 17, 2022


Is there any connection between this and the several Broadway Melody of 193x films?
posted by bartleby at 8:59 PM on October 18, 2022


MGM made four of those movies: this one, 1936, 1938 and 1940.
posted by octothorpe at 6:09 AM on October 19, 2022


« Older Movie: Oliver!...   |  Saturday Night Live: Megan The... Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

poster