Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)

Broadway Melody of 1940 (Dir: Norman Taurog, 1940).

Fred Astaire is in tiptop form in this MGM song and dance spectacular from the golden age of movie musicals. 

The fourth and final entry in the narratively unrelated Broadway Melody series; this one concerns struggling dancer Johnny Brett (Fred Astaire) accidentally passed over in a lead dancing role for his less talented partner King Shaw (George Murphy). The rose between two thorns is Shaw's new partner Clare Bennett (Eleanor Powell) who quickly realises the wrong half of the double act has been engaged as her new collaborator. Hot headed, party loving Shaw is soon spending more time nursing his hangovers than practicing his routines, so Fred steps up and - Okay, no spoilers, although it is pretty obvious in which direction the plot is heading and who is gonna get the girl come curtain call. But with the wonderful stars and a clutch of top songs by Cole Porter, who really cares about the plot? What we are here for is the dancing and in this department Broadway Melody of 1940 doesn't disappoint.

Astaire was rarely more suave, more elegant or more engaging as he is here. His solo number I've Got My Eyes on You is an obvious highlight. But Fred is not the only hoofer present. George Murphy had considerable talent as a song and dance man. He doesn't quite possess the grace and poise of Astaire, but honestly, who else does? As Fred's first onscreen male dancing partner he particularly shines in the opener Please Don't Monkey with Broadway, the first of the film's numerous standout routines. Matching Fred toe to toe is the wonderful Eleanor Powell; possibly Astaire’s most talented dance partner and one of the finest dancers to grace the silver screen. Powell's athletic style - part tap, part gymnastics - is used to great effect in the jaw-dropping All Ashore, a Navy themed number with perhaps the highest high kicks ever filmed! 

There is genuine movie magic in the outstanding finale which finds Powell and Astaire dressed head to toe in white on a black set with a mirrored floor. The pair are the epitome of class as the shimmy across the screen to Porter's classic Begin the Beguine. The routine ranks among the the greatest dance numbers ever committed to celluloid. Little else like it has been seen in Hollywood for 80 years and alone makes the movie worth watching.  

A couple of novelty acts feel a little shoehorned in and while they undoubtedly have a curiosity value, they do nothing to further the plot. Their placement within an otherwise conventional narrative structure seems frankly odd and mean that Broadway Melody of 1940 cannot quite be considered among the top tier of MGM's output. But it comes pretty darned close. 

While it may lack a little polish in the story department, this final Broadway Melody is, nonetheless, a sparking diamond among movie musicals and the best of the popular series. An absolute gem well worth making a song and dance about.