She's Back on Broadway

Moviecut—She's Back on Broadway

Someone took this movie, or at least the first half of it, and made A Chorus Line out of it. The musical, not the movie - but even the added scenes in the Chorus Line movie come from this movie. The relationships, some of the conversations, and even some of the characters themselves - they are too close to be coincidental. Obviously not *everything* is the same - but I think I noticed the storyline from the point of the "argument" between Catherine and Rick. The former boyfriend is directing the show that the fading star needs to bring back her career. And the argument is very reminiscent of the song/scene, "Let Me Dance for You" from the CL movie... and Rick is a moody sort, like the Michael Douglas character from the CL movie... (a better comparison than to someone from the BWay cast that people may never have seen, even if they have seen the musical.) Or. take the guy who tries to get a part by auditioning for everything.... At least they improved it with the musical...

Excellent. 10. Great dancing. Mayo shines. Wymore is superb. Cochran is a mess. Cigarettes. Who wants to kiss a chimney? Mayo, back then. Ugh. Smoking was big in those days. Mardi Gras scene was superb. Lots of beautiful costuming and great dancing. Gene Nelson dancing. I always like his performances. Bright colors are wonderful. Makes up for the dour personalities of some characters in this film.

Starts off with the premise that unless an actress abandons Hollywood for NYC she will artistically and literally die. And the songs are worse!

'She's Back On Broadway' stars Virginia Mayo, Steve Cochran and Gene Nelson, and is rather a pedestrian example of a minor 50s musical. Characters are fairly stock - from Mayo's star-struck ingénue to Nelson's charming hoofer. Songs are OK but unmemorable and not that well-staged. There are many better musicals than this - 'She's Working Her Way Through College' and 'Painting The Clouds With Sunshine' (the loose remake of 'Gold Diggers of 1933') for example. There are better musical stars from the same period - Vera-Ellen, Doris Day. Warner Bros musicals like this one were no threat to the gloss of MGM, while Gene Nelson is no Gene Kelly. However, if you like musicals generally, 'She's Back On Broadway' is watchable, but not groundbreaking.