Broadway Musketeers

Last updated
Broadway Musketeers
Broadway Musketeers.jpg
Directed by John Farrow
Written by
  • Don Ryan
  • Kenneth Gamet
Produced by Bryan Foy
Starring
Cinematography L. William O'Connell
Edited by Thomas Pratt
Production
company
Warner Bros.–First National
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • October 8, 1938 (1938-10-08)
Running time
62–63 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Broadway Musketeers is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by John Farrow for Warner Bros. Starring Margaret Lindsay, Ann Sheridan and Marie Wilson as three women who grew up in an orphanage and cross paths later in life, [1] it is a remake of the Warners pre-code crime drama film, Three on a Match . [2]

Contents

Plot

Isabel Dowling, Fay Reynolds, and Connie Todd are three women who grew up together in an orphanage, and who meet again later in life. Each woman's life has taken a very different path: Isabel is married with a young daughter, Connie is an office secretary, and Fay performs in nightclubs. The three are reunited when Fay is arrested for performing a striptease, and Isabel and Connie arrive to bail her out. They make plans to keep in touch every year on the same day, at the same restaurant.

Isabel is bored and unhappy in her marriage. Her husband, Stanley Dowling, goes away to California. When she and Connie go to a nightclub to watch Fay sing, she meets gambler Phil Peyton and they soon begin an affair. They are in an automobile accident that makes the headlines just as Stanley returns to New York. Their daughter's nurse, Anna, meets the train and tells him about the affair. At the hospital, Fay tries unsuccessfully to cover for Isabel. Dowling divorces Isabel and retains custody of their daughter Judy. Isabel marries Phil, whose gambling soon ruins them. Meanwhile, Fay and Stanley fall in love and marry.

Isabel has been separated from her daughter for some time when Fay takes pity on her and one day allows her to take Judy for a visit. Phil puts the child up as security against his debts. The gangsters to whom he owes money discover he has deceived them. They kill Phil in retribution and decide to hold on to Judy, planning to demand a ransom, and leaving police to assume that Isabel killed Phil. Eventually, Isabel overhears the gangsters deciding to kill the two of them to cover their crimes. One of them, Milt, has grown fond of Judy. He protests and is killed. In a bid to save her daughter, Isabel tears the front page off a newspaper with the headline "Held by Murder Gang" over photos of herself and Judy, clutches it in her fist, and plunges through a closed window to die on the pavement below, trading her life to reveal Judy's whereabouts to police. Judy is rescued. At the trio's next ritual birthday meeting—a celebration of Connie's impending marriage to her boss, who turns out to be love-sick rather than hypochondriacal— little Judy arrives to take her mother's place at the table.

Cast

Production

The film was announced in May 1938 under the title Three Girls on Broadway. [3]

The black-and-white film was produced from late May to late June 1938. At the end of filming Sheridan had her contract renewed for three years and Lyndsay's for two years. [4]

M.K. Jerome and Jack Scholl wrote two songs for the film, both sung by Sheridan: "Has It Ever Occurred to You?" and "Who Said That This Isn't Love?" [2]

Release

Released October 8, 1938, Broadway Musketeers garnered tepid to poor reviews. The New York Times reviewer Frank Nugent compared the film to a nightmare in its difficulty to follow, [5] while Variety called it "a programmer of average distinction". [6] The review in Film Daily found the cast superior to the story, saying that the plot elements did not "add up". [7] An Orlando Sentinel reviewer called it a "sordid melodrama." [8]

Decades later, Leonard Maltin gave the film two and a half out of four stars in his Movie Guide and called it "a snappy remake ... with some interesting plot variations". [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Another Thin Man</i> 1939 film directed by W. S. Van Dyke

Another Thin Man is a 1939 American detective film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, the third of six in the Thin Man series. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and is based on Dashiell Hammett's Continental Op story "The Farewell Murder". The Charles' son Nicky Jr. is introduced for the first time. The cast includes their terrier Asta, Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, C. Aubrey Smith, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, Patric Knowles, Sheldon Leonard, Tom Neal, Phyllis Gordon and Marjorie Main. Shemp Howard appears in an uncredited role as Wacky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Silvers</span> American actor (1911–1985)

Phil Silvers was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly 60 years. He achieved major popularity when he starred in The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S. Army post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest (Ernie) Bilko. He also starred in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). He was a winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on The Phil Silvers Show and two Tony Awards for his performances in Top Banana and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He also wrote the original lyrics to the jazz standard "Nancy ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Sterling</span> American actress (1921–2004)

Jan Sterling was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s, Sterling received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The High and the Mighty (1954), as well as an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. Her best performance is often considered to be opposite Kirk Douglas, as the opportunistic wife in Billy Wilder's 1951 Ace in the Hole. Although her career declined during the 1960s, she continued to play occasional television and theatre roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Wald</span> American screenwriter and producer (1911–1962)

Jerome Irving Wald was an American screenwriter and a producer of films and radio programs.

<i>The Bat</i> (1959 film) 1959 film

The Bat is a 1959 American crime-mystery thriller starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead. It is the fourth film adaptation of the story, which began as a 1908 novel The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart, which she later adapted into the 1920 play The Bat. The first film version of the play was the 1926 American silent film The Bat. The film version was adapted by playwright Crane Wilbur, who also directed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Lindsay</span> American actress (1910–1981)

Margaret Lindsay was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive. She was noted for her supporting work in successful films of the 1930s and 1940s such as Baby Face, Jezebel (1938) and Scarlet Street (1945) and her leading roles in lower-budgeted B movie films such as the Ellery Queen series at Columbia in the early 1940s. Critics regard her portrayal of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Hepzibah Pyncheon in the 1940 film The House of the Seven Gables as Lindsay's standout career role.

<i>Three on a Match</i> 1932 film by Mervyn LeRoy

Three on a Match is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama released by Warner Bros. The film was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and stars Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak and Bette Davis. The film also features Lyle Talbot, Humphrey Bogart, Allen Jenkins and Edward Arnold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Broderick</span> American actress (1891–1959)

Helen Broderick was an American actress known for her comic roles, especially as a wisecracking sidekick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joyce Compton</span> American actress (1907–1997)

Olivia Joyce Compton was an American actress.

<i>Twins of Evil</i> 1971 British horror film directed by John Hough

Twins of Evil is a 1971 British horror film directed by John Hough and starring Peter Cushing, with Damien Thomas and the real-life identical twins and former Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson.

<i>Presenting Lily Mars</i> 1943 film by Norman Taurog

Presenting Lily Mars is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, produced by Joe Pasternak, starring Judy Garland and Van Heflin, and based on the novel by Booth Tarkington. The film is often cited as Garland's first film playing an adult type role. Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby appear with their orchestras in this Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production.

<i>Ziegfeld Girl</i> (film) 1941 film by Robert Zigler Leonard, Busby Berkeley

Ziegfeld Girl is a 1941 American musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner, Tony Martin, Jackie Cooper, Eve Arden, and Philip Dorn. The film, which features musical numbers by Busby Berkeley, was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>Cry Havoc</i> (film) 1943 film by Richard Thorpe

Cry 'Havoc' is a 1943 American war drama film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern and Joan Blondell, and features Fay Bainter, Marsha Hunt, Ella Raines, Frances Gifford, Diana Lewis, Heather Angel, Dorothy Morris and Connie Gilchrist.

<i>Tight Spot</i> 1955 film by Phil Karlson

Tight Spot is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Ginger Rogers, Edward G. Robinson and Brian Keith. The story was inspired by then prominent U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver's strong-arm tactics in coercing Virginia Hill to testify in the infamous Bugsy Siegel organized crime prosecution.

<i>Storm in a Teacup</i> (film) 1937 film

Storm in a Teacup is a 1937 British romantic comedy film directed by Ian Dalrymple and Victor Saville and starring Vivien Leigh, Rex Harrison, Cecil Parker, and Sara Allgood. It is based on the German play Sturm im Wasserglas by Bruno Frank, as well as the English-language adaptations: London's Storm in a Teacup and Broadway's Storm Over Patsy, both written by James Bridie. A reporter writes an article that embarrasses a politician. Meanwhile, the newspaperman is also attracted to his target's daughter.

<i>The Unholy Three</i> (1930 film) 1930 American melodrama film

The Unholy Three is a 1930 American Pre-Code melodrama directed by Jack Conway and starring Lon Chaney. Its plot involves a crime spree. The film is a sound remake of the silent 1925 film of the same name, with both films based on the novel The Unholy Three, by Tod Robbins.

<i>Little Miss Thoroughbred</i> 1938 film by John Farrow

Little Miss Thoroughbred is a 1938 film directed by John Farrow. Peggy Ann Garner made her debut in the film. It was also known as Little Lady Luck.

<i>Tall, Dark and Handsome</i> (film) 1941 film by H. Bruce Humberstone

Tall, Dark and Handsome is a 1941 gangster comedy film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Caesar Romero, Virginia Gilmore, and Charlotte Greenwood. It was released by Twentieth Century Fox.

Dancing Feet is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and written by Jerome Chodorov, Olive Cooper and Wellyn Totman. It is based on the 1931 novel Dancing Feet by Rob Eden. The film stars Ben Lyon, Joan Marsh, Edward Nugent, Isabel Jewell, James Burke and Purnell Pratt. The film was released on January 20, 1936, by Republic Pictures.

<i>Murder by Phone</i> 1982 American film

Murder by Phone is a 1982 science fiction slasher film directed by Michael Anderson. Its plot follows a series of murders committed by a disgruntled phone company employee who designs a device that kills victims when they answer their telephones.

References

  1. ↑ "Broadway Musketeers". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Broadway Musketeers". Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute . Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  3. ↑ "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD". The New York Times. May 20, 1938. ProQuest   102591756.
  4. ↑ Schallert, E. (Jun 23, 1938). "Isa miranda quits "zaza" after collapse". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest   164862142.
  5. ↑ Nugent, Frank (October 14, 1938). "A New Version of 'It Happened One Night' Is Shown at the Music Hall—'Broadway Musketeers' Here At the Criterion". The Screen. The New York Times . Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  6. ↑ "B'way Musketeers". Film Reviews. Variety . 132 (6): 12. October 19, 1938. Retrieved 2015-09-12– via Internet Archive.
  7. ↑ "Broadway Musketeers". Reviews of the New Films. The Film Daily . 74 (87): 5. October 20, 1938. Retrieved 2015-09-12– via Internet Archive.
  8. ↑ Klepper, Elaine (7 November 1938). ""King of Alcatraz" Offers Gunplay On The High Seas". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 2. Retrieved 20 January 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (2008). Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide . Plume. p.  184. ISBN   978-0-452-28978-9.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.