Long before Hollywood, the center of mass entertainment was New York City on the Great White Way- Broadway. With that said, it has been the case for 80 odd years that the movie industry has made films based on that fabled street. The culmination of all this has produced some of the best loved pictures and some forgettable flops. Here now, I present my favorite Broadway-themed movies.
7. The Broadway Melody 1929.
This movie was the second winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture and the first “talkie” to win the honor. The premise is simple- stage hopefuls go through the backstage drama and angst of a Broadway musical. Although praised upon its release, the film is seen today as terribly trite and cliche- ridden. I will have to agree. Nonetheless although it may be worth viewing only as a landmark film in cinema, it does have its moments of humor.
6. Footlight Parade 1933
This classic film stars James Cagney as a Broadway producer who puts on more and more lavish musicals, becoming so involved with his work that he doesn’t notice his secretary has fallen in love with him. The film is a truly worthwhile classic (as opposed to the previous title), for not only are the numbers really spectacular but you get to catch the rare sight of Cagney showing off his amazing footwork.
5. Easter Parade 1948
Who doesn’t love Fred Astaire and Judy Garland? This film a classic treat for not only the holidays, but any day of the year.
4. The Country Girl 1954
As opposed to the other pictures on the list, this movie stands in sharp contrast. Not a musical, this stark drama is based on the Clifford Odets’ play about a washed up actor who is given a second chance, with his wife there for the strength he needs to be great again. The movie stars Big Crosby (in the greatest performance I’ve seen him give), Grace Kelly, and William Holden. With that kind of cast you can’t be disappointed, and you’re not. A wonderful glimpse into the rehearsal process of a Broadway play.
3. The Producers 1968
The title itself sets it up for Broadway. We all know the story, especially since the real Broadway adaptation took the theatre world by storm, but it’s so loved for a reason. Mel Brooks is comedic genius and really put New York theatre in a light it had never been in before- insanity- and he forever changed both Hollywood and Broadway in doing so.
2. The Great Ziegfeld 1936
Based on one of the greatest Broadway producers of all time, Florenz Ziegfeld, it stars the impeccable William Powell as the titular character. The film is longer than you would expect but there is never a dull moment with the humor and depth Powell gives to Ziegfeld.
1. Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942
If Florenz Ziegfeld is the second greatest ever producer of Broadway musicals, George M. Cohan is the undisputed number one. Like the previous film, this biopic also shows the life and times of a producer from Broadway’s early vaudeville days to its golden age in the 1920s. Of course I don’t need to tell you to go see it, it stars James Cagney in his Oscar winning role dancing and singing his heart out, and is indeed one of the greatest movies of all time.
Other movies there are renowned classics that deal with Broadway that I’ve seen are All About Eve, Funny Girl, and Kiss Me Kate.
So there you have it, my favorite movies based on my favorite place in the world- Broadway.
Adapted from the classic 1912 novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this silent epic is the film that set the standard for the next 70 years. This was not the King’s film debut, but it was his breakthrough role, all in glorious stop motion animation as well. The special effects were top notch and directly lead to Merian C. Cooper being able to film the wondrous creatures in King Kong.
As a young man now in 2009, I can say that as a child one of my biggest fears was Sharptooth in The Land Before Time. What ’90s kid did not have nightmares about T- Rex after watching this movie? We have rooted for Littlefoot and the gang against their struggles with Tyrannosaurus through thirteen movies but it was the early ones and most importantly the original that has stuck in our subconscious even a decade into the 21st century.
OK, yeah, it is technically a television series but can we really take this blog that seriously? Rugrats started the same year many of us were born and we therefore really did grow up with Reptar, the green T- Rex who was more hero than villain in this instance. As babies in the early ’90s, we tended to have the same view as the babies were watching on the screen and consequently loved Reptar as much as Tommy and the rest. This T- Rex was a breath of fresh air when compared to the alternative Sharptooth and as young kids we craved Reptar Bars at Halloween.
In perhaps the greatest visualization of T- Rex came in this landmark film by Merian C. Cooper. The special effects that allowed Tyrannosaurus to come alive in this movie were directly descendant from The Lost World, only this time they were taken to even great heights when Kong and the T- Rex met in one of the most epic fights ever filmed. And it was all done in stop motion animation. Our favorite dinosaur, while on screen for such a limited time, (a cameo if you will?) instantly stole the show from Kong and successfully imprinted himself into the retinas of subsequent generations despite his gruesome demise.
The Japanese jumped onto the science fiction bandwagon of the ’50s with this pop culture superstar. For over fifty years Godzilla has either destroyed Tokyo or saved it and we love him no matter what he decides to do. Although technically not a T- Rex, it is clear that old Rex was the defining inspiration so I will make a call now and say that Godzilla belongs on the list (same as Reptar). Godspeed Godzilla, and may you wreck our world for another fifty years.
We all knew this would be the last and greatest T- Rex movie on the list and for good reason. EVERYTHING changed with this movie, Tyrannosaurus got a make over that was well over due. Up until 1993, T- Rex had always been portrayed as a sluggish upright lizard that could hardly walk straight, let alone run. If you don’t believe me scroll up and look at all the other pictures. It was with this film that suddenly T- Rex could run really fast, was more sleek, and almost given personality. What made this possible? Like King Kong and The Lost World revolutionized special effects, so did Jurassic Park. After its release, computer animation open the doors wide open for every movie from the remakes of Kong and Godzilla to even The Lord of the Rings. 

