Broadway Baby

Started off a hot, sunny morning with Brunch With the Beatles. "Rock and Roll Music" was the theme today; in other words, songs that were just pure hard rock. These ranged from "Come Together" to "Get Back," "Drive My Car" to "Day Tripper" to George's "All Those Years Ago," Ringo's cover of "You're Sixteen," and the boys' early covers of "Rock and Roll Music" and "Twist and Shout."

I had half of two loaves of  home-made bread that had been around for weeks, almost a month, in the case of the Irish Soda Bread. Time to make French Toast. I paired that with a half of grapefruit and lots of real maple syrup for a very pleasant breakfast.

When I finished eating and the show was over, I dubbed The Broadway Melody of 1936 and fooled around online. Eleanor Powell's first big vehicle at MGM features her as a young lady from Albany hoping to land a role in the Broadway show being put on by her former boyfriend (Robert Taylor). Taylor, however, is being pursued by the socialite backing his show (stage star June Knight) and doesn't recognize her. A big-time columnist (Jack Benny), the producer's secretary (Una Merkel), and a friendly brother-sister dance team (Buddy Ebsen and his real-life sister) come up with a fictional French actress to promote in Benny's column and let Powell take the role in order to get her in the show.

Definitely one of the stranger Busby Berkley imitation semi-revues of the mid-30s. Taylor sings pretty well, but is otherwise out-of-place. The story makes no sense at all - Benny's hardly a believable Walter Winchell type, and Powell's no Frenchwoman, either (or a blond). As with Rosalie, the music, this time by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, is the saving grace. Three standards from this movie were later incorporated into Singin' In the Rain - "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" (done as a charming duet between Taylor and Knight that's built into a huge nightclub number), "You are My Lucky Star" (heard many times, from a simple radio rendition in the opening sequence to a huge number in an empty stage for Powell), and "Broadway Rhythm" (the big finale).

Also did a few more episodes of Max & Ruby. I really loved the ones I hadn't seen. "Ruby's Detective Agency" was especially cute. Ruby plays Kinsey Milhone with Max as her assistant to find her lost stuffed duck. Max, however, seems to know more than he's telling, but it's Grandma who has the biggest surprise of all. 

Headed to work shortly after the movie ended. Work was very busy when I arrived, but for the first time in over a week we had plenty of night help, and there were no major problems. I was in and out.