Made on Broadway


1h 8m 1933
Made on Broadway

Brief Synopsis

A public relations man tries to keep the mayor out of trouble.

Film Details

Genre
Drama
Release Date
May 19, 1933
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 8m
Film Length
7 reels

Synopsis

Every night from his speakeasy, which adjoins his uptown apartment, Jeff Bidwell, the most effective public relations man in New York City, advises politicians, generals, divorcees and businessmen on how to conduct their public lives. Even his independent ex-wife Claire confers with Jeff at the speakeasy about her fledgling women's boutique. One night, while taking in the night air at a riverside dock, Jeff sees a woman jump into the water and dives in to save her. While returning to the dock, Jeff prepapes a dramatic story for the would-be suicide, whose name he changes from Minnie Martin to Mona Martine, to tell to the waiting reporters. Instead of Jeff's story, however, Mona tells the reporters that she saved Jeff from drowning after he fainted and fell unconscious into the river. Impressed by Mona's inventiveness, Jeff determines to transform her from a rough working class girl into a refined and sophisticated woman. With Claire's selfless help, Mona learns how to dress, talk and act, and soon is accepted into New York's most exclusive society. Although aware that Jeff has fallen in love with her, Mona engages Ramon Salinas, a gigolo, while encouraging the attentions of the rich and influential General Boylan. Unable to endure Mona's flirtations, Jeff abandons her at a restaurant one night, but later receives a telephone call from her in which she confesses that she has just shot and killed Salinas in her apartment. Before he goes to Mona, Jeff telephones a police inspector, a judge, a lawyer and a bondsman in an attempt to take immediate control of the case. Heavily prompted by Jeff, Mona tells Inspector Burch a ludicrous story of feminine self-defense, while confessing later to Jeff that she killed Salinas because he tried to take love letters written to her from General Boylan that she herself wanted to save for future blackmailing. From her arrest through her trial, Jeff counsels Mona on how to behave like a blameless victim, while seeking solace from Claire. Although Mona's very rehearsed testimony fails to fool Claire, who criticizes Jeff for his poor taste in women and his inability to express his inner emotions, the jury finds Mona innocent. Finally fed up with his protegée, Jeff burns Boylan's letters and tells Mona he is leaving for an extended, solo vacation in Paris. Soon after sailing, however, Jeff writes a telegram to Claire asking her to join him, then discovers that she has anticipated the reconciliation and already is on board.

Film Details

Genre
Drama
Release Date
May 19, 1933
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 8m
Film Length
7 reels

Articles

Made on Broadway


Four years and 25 films into his career as an MGM star, Robert Montgomery appeared in Made on Broadway (1933), a satire of the power of publicity. Montgomery plays Jeff Bidwell, a dashing Broadway press agent who has his own private club where he cultivates the rich and powerful. With the help of his selfless ex-wife (Madge Evans), Jeff molds an illiterate, suicidal young woman (Sally Eilers) into a celebrity socialite. After his protégée tries to use him to escape a murder rap, he finally realizes that his ex is the only woman for him.

The movie's double-entendre title became even more explicit in England, where it was called The Girl I Made. It was one of four films Montgomery made for director Harry Beaumont; the others were Our Blushing Brides (1930), Faithless (1932) and When Ladies Meet (1933).

The year 1933 was important in Robert Montgomery's private life because it marked the birth of his daughter, Elizabeth, who would become a star in her on right thanks to the television series Bewitched; and the beginning of his involvement with the newly formed Screen Actors Guild. Two years later he was elected to the first of four terms as SAG president, in which capacity he achieved recognition in 1939 for helping to expose racketeering in the film industry. Through his SAG work, he also would be hailed as a fearless champion of underpaid actors.

Producer: Lucien Hubbard
Director: Harry Beaumont
Screenplay: Courtney Terrett, based on her story "Public Relations"
Cinematography: Norbert Brodine
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons
Editing: William S. Gray
Costume Design: Adrian
Cast: Robert Montgomery (Jeff Bidwell), Sally Eilers (Mona), Madge Evans (Claire Bidwell), Eugene Pallette (Terwilliger), C. Henry Gordon (Mayor Starling), Jean Parker (Adele).
BW-68m.

by Roger Fristoe
Made On Broadway

Made on Broadway

Four years and 25 films into his career as an MGM star, Robert Montgomery appeared in Made on Broadway (1933), a satire of the power of publicity. Montgomery plays Jeff Bidwell, a dashing Broadway press agent who has his own private club where he cultivates the rich and powerful. With the help of his selfless ex-wife (Madge Evans), Jeff molds an illiterate, suicidal young woman (Sally Eilers) into a celebrity socialite. After his protégée tries to use him to escape a murder rap, he finally realizes that his ex is the only woman for him. The movie's double-entendre title became even more explicit in England, where it was called The Girl I Made. It was one of four films Montgomery made for director Harry Beaumont; the others were Our Blushing Brides (1930), Faithless (1932) and When Ladies Meet (1933). The year 1933 was important in Robert Montgomery's private life because it marked the birth of his daughter, Elizabeth, who would become a star in her on right thanks to the television series Bewitched; and the beginning of his involvement with the newly formed Screen Actors Guild. Two years later he was elected to the first of four terms as SAG president, in which capacity he achieved recognition in 1939 for helping to expose racketeering in the film industry. Through his SAG work, he also would be hailed as a fearless champion of underpaid actors. Producer: Lucien Hubbard Director: Harry Beaumont Screenplay: Courtney Terrett, based on her story "Public Relations" Cinematography: Norbert Brodine Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons Editing: William S. Gray Costume Design: Adrian Cast: Robert Montgomery (Jeff Bidwell), Sally Eilers (Mona), Madge Evans (Claire Bidwell), Eugene Pallette (Terwilliger), C. Henry Gordon (Mayor Starling), Jean Parker (Adele). BW-68m. by Roger Fristoe

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Courteney Terrett's screen story was titled "Public Relations." A February 1933 Film Daily news item announced that Mae Clarke was to star in this picture. A later Film Daily item included Raymond Hatton in the cast, but his participation in the final film has not been confirmed.