Broadway Hostess

Broadway Hostess (1935) was advertised as "Red hot rhythm...against a background of Broadway night life!" It was also the film that was supposed to launch former Ziegfeld Follies singer and Broadway actress, Winifred Shaw, to star status at Warner Bros. Shaw, who had been given a contract at the studio, introduced hits like "Lullaby of Broadway" in Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935) and "The Lady in Red" (her signature tune) in In Caliente (1935), but was always underused in movies. In Broadway Hostess, she was costarred with Genevieve Tobin, Lyle Talbot, Phil Regan (billed as "The Golden Voice of Screen and Radio"), and Allen Jenkins and Spring Byington (who the studio declared to be "The Funniest of All Comedy Teams"). Written by George Bricker and directed by Frank McDonald, with choreography by Bobby Connolly (who would be nominated for a Best Dance Direction Academy Award for the Playboy of Paree number), Broadway Hostess went into production on August 9, 1935 in time for a December 7th release. Shaw plays Winnie Wharton, winner of a popularity contest from Ohio, who auditions for a new show, gets the role and becomes a star. She also becomes involved in a love triangle, falling for her manager, "Lucky" Lorimer (Talbot), a gambler who is in love with heiress Iris Marvin (Genevieve Tobin). Warner Bros. advertised Broadway Hostess with a trailer that proclaimed, "The Lady in Red is Coming Back Again! [a reference to Shaw's biggest song hit, "The Lady in Red".] Starred by Public Request and Popular Acclaim in a Big Warner Bros. Musical Show." In the trailer, Shaw addresses the audience saying, "It was because of you that Warner Bros. gave me the starring role in Broadway Hostess, and I'll do my best to please you always." As Shaw sings "He Was Her Man," the titles read, "The Story of a Famous Torch Singer Who Fell in Love with the Wrong Man. You've Heard These Song Hits on the Radio, Now See Them on the Screen". The soundtrack, with songs written by the teams of Al Dubin and Joseph Burke and Allie Wrubel and Mort Dixon, gave Shaw the opportunity to sing hits like "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" and "He Was Her Man" but little else. New York Times film critic Andre Sennwald blasted the movie in his December 16, 1935 review. "Sitting through the new film at the Strand is like having to be polite to the boss while he tells an old story badly. [...] [T]he manufacturers of Broadway Hostess have succeeded in rounding up all the clichés of the Broadway comedy-with-music cycle and herding them into one photoplay. With or without malice, the Warner Brothers selected the piece as a vehicle for Miss Winifred Shaw, a sultry torch-singer whose way with a song is rather more considerate than her way with an acting role. Genevieve Tobin, Lyle Talbot, Allen Jenkins, Phil Regan and Spring Byington are also, to put it as gently as possible, among those present. The gentleman who accompanied me to the Strand on Saturday made the most pertinent comment. He suggested that the title be changed to "Show Them No Mercy."" With reviews like this, it's not surprising that the film did not make Shaw a film star. She eventually retired from films in 1939 and returned to Broadway. Director: Frank McDonald Screenplay: George Bricker; Benjamin M. Kaye (story, uncredited) Cinematography: Arthur Miller Art Direction: Esdras Hartley Music: Ray Heindorf, Heinz Roemheld (both uncredited) Film Editing: Jack Killifer Cast: Winifred Shaw (Winnie Wharton), Genevieve Tobin (Iris Marvin), Lyle Talbot (Lucky Lorimer), Allen Jenkins (Fishcake Carter), Phil Regan (Tommy Blake), Marie Wilson (Dorothy Dubois), Spring Byington (Mrs. Duncan-Griswald-Wembly-Smythe), Joseph King (Big Joe Jarvis), Donald Ross (Ronnie Marvin), Frank Dawson (Morse - Iris' Butler), Harry Seymour (Club Intime Emcee). BW-68m. by Lorraine LoBianco SOURCES: Motion Picture Herald: Volume 20 1935 Sennwald, Andre "The Strand Theatre Presents 'Broadway Hostess'" The New York Times 16 Dec 35 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-FhXpFilYg IMDB