Bathtubs Over Broadway

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source: Bathtubs Over Broadway

Bathtubs over Broadway is perhaps the best documentary I have ever seen... It is delightfully entertaining, exceedingly funny, charming and heartwarming and overall an unexpected delightful experience!! i cant wait to see it again...and again...

The General Public has never seen the likes of these shows. Now for the first time everyone can delight in this Marvelous Musical Madness. Bravo/a.

Bathtubs Over Broadway follows a touching insightful expedition to uncover a musical genre heretofore hidden from the general populace. I'll never look at a tractor the same way ever again.

Steve Young (who wrote for Letterman for 30+ yrs) in an unlikely yet lovable and quirky star of this journey into industrial musicals of the sixties. I had read Steve's book on the subject but did not expect to laugh and get misty eyed about toilets, silicone and the performers that brought it all to life.

"Bathtubs Over Broadway" is a deep-dive into the world of corporate industrial musicals, told thru the lens of one man's obsessive quest to collect evidence of these obscure works. Longtime Letterman head writer Steve Young is the human subject of Dava Whisenant's charming film, which at first glance could be mistaken for a kitsch novelty. And don't get me wrong: there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, hearing snippets of these songs about bathroom fixtures, life insurance, and a variety of durable goods. The true power of Whisenant's film is its storytelling, as she and Young track down the creators of these often beautifully-crafted American musicals. Ultimately, it's a sublime and moving film about the value of creative work, no matter how kitschy and niche-y.

Snark turns into heart as former Letterman head-writer Steve Young becomes more and more involved in the mysterious world of industrial musicals. For several decades, unbeknownst to the general public, corporate America treated its sales and management staff to custom made musical theater, all themed to product lines and selling strategies. Through the discovery of some souvenir records, originally obtained for "Dave's record collection" bits on Late Night with David Letterman, Young goes down the rabbit hole of this bizarre world of big-budget corporate one-off musicals. The film begins offering bits and pieces of this strange world as Young's obsession with collecting the rare relics leads him to contacting various players from the world of industrial musicals. Early-on, it becomes clear that Young's appreciation has moved beyond snark into genuine affection. He still finds the music absurd, but he is charmed by It nonetheless. However, for the first half of the film he appears to be on a self-serving, obsessive quest to acquire these records, and the relationships he develops with other collectors he seem to be just a means to that end. Gradually, he begins to meet the players involved in the creation of the musicals: the songwriters and actors, many of whom used these evanescent works as their sole means of support. He, and the film's audience, cannot help but be charmed by these characters and their enthusiasm for what they created. It is only toward the latter third of the film that Young moves from a fairly engaging guide through the history of industrial musicals to a character the audience can root for. He goes from a sort of disaffected comedy nerd to a more evolved and empathetic human being. It's that sub-plot that gives this gem of a documentary it's real heart.

"Life can be so rich and wonderful when we step off the logical path and embark on eccentric adventures." I won't spoil the context in which it's delivered, but that sentence, spoken during a pivotal scene in "Bathtubs Over Broadway" perfectly sums up my experience viewing this film. What could've easily just been a quirky, humorous, deep dive into the obscure world of industrial musicals, becomes a powerful, poignant portrait of an unsung group of talented artists who finally get the recognition they deserve, and a jaded comedy writer who finds his passion and his tribe. You will laugh. You will cry. "It'll change your life!"

This film begins on a whimsical touch as it introduces former long-time Letterman writer Steve Young as he goes about his business preparing an upcoming taping. Steve then explains how he inadvertently discovered this under-the-radar genre of Industrial Musicals while preparing segments for "Dave's Record Collection." Intrigued by its mystery, he scours the planet in search of as many records and films as he can. All fascinating and entertaining on its own. But then the documentary takes an unexpected turn into something far more substantial, far more deeper, far more enlightening than I think even Steve had envisioned when he took on this journey. And that's what makes this film so delightfully lasting. While the professionalism shines through in all aspects -- the direction, the editing, the production, the graphics, the wonderful soundtrack -- it's the story that holds it all together as it builds to a finish that'll take your breath away. I can't recommend this highly enough.