The Barkleys of Broadway

"Joyously together again!"

1949 1h 48m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 54

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful musical-comedy team, known for their stormy but passionate relationship. Dinah feels overshadowed by Josh and limited by the lighthearted musical roles he directs her in. So she decides to stretch her skills by taking a role in a serious drama, directed by another man.

“Joyously together again!”

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Cast

Fred Astaire
Josh Barkley
Ginger Rogers
Dinah Barkley
Oscar Levant
Ezra Millar
Billie Burke
Mrs. Livingston Belney
Gale Robbins
Shirlene May
Jacques François
Jacques Barredout
George Zucco
Judge
Clinton Sundberg
Bert Felsher

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charles Walters
Writers: Adolph Green, Betty Comden
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charles Walters, shot by Harry Stradling Sr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Harry Warren. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Albert Akst shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and Oscar Levant carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Joyously together again!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charles Walters directs. Harry Stradling Sr. behind the camera. Harry Warren scores. Albert Akst cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
277 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
4Directed by Charles Walters, shot by Harry Stradling Sr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Harry Warren. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Albert Akst shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and Oscar Levant carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Joyously together again!".
9IMDB entry: tt0041158 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 54 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Harry Stradling Sr.
Original score: Harry Warren
Editing: Albert Akst
Costume design: Fred Valles
Makeup / hair: Sydney Guilaroff
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Status: Released
Budget: $2,250,000
Box office: $4,421,000
Return: 196% of budget
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

Also by

Charles Walters

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-05-07
★ 7/10
I find that girl completely resistible. The Barkleys of Broadway is directed by Charles Walters and written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Oscar Levant, Billie Burke, Gale Robbins and Jacques François. Music is by Lennie Hayton and cinematography by Harry Stradling Sr. Fred and Ginger play the Barkleys, a successful husband and wife musical comedy team that seems to thrive on feuding. However, one day it goes too far and a break up appears certain when the wife entertains an offer from Jacques François to become a serious actress. Firsts and lasts here as it was the first film Astaire and Rogers did for MGM, their first in colour, and their last they would make together after reconvening after 10 years - Rogers stepping in when Judy Garland fell to her troubled wayside. The screenplay is pretty thin, serving only as a thin piece of meat to the dance and musical numbers sandwich, but with stand-outs like the wonderful "Shoes with Wings On" and the joyous uplift of 'They Can't Take That Away from Me' to spend time with, it's a film to brighten the darkest of days. 7/10

Production companies