Lord Byron of Broadway
Encyclopedia
Lord Byron of Broadway also known as What Price Melody?, is an American musical drama film, directed by Harry Beaumont
and William Nigh
. It was based on a best selling book by Nell Martin, which "was widely praised by critics as an extremely true and amusing romance of stage life." It was filmed in black and white with two-color Technicolor
sequences.
(Record Number 4718). These songs were "Should I" and "A Bundle of Love Letters". Both of these songs proved to be major song hits in late 1929 and early 1930 and were recorded by numerous artists. For example, James Melton
and Lewis James
recorded vocal versions of "A Bundle of Love Letters" while Frank Munn recorded "Should I".
into a musical starring stars William Haines
and Bessie Love
. However, as they both had mediocre singing voices, they were replaced by Charles Kaley, star of Earl Carroll's Vanities
and Ethelind Terry, star of Florenz Ziegfeld
's Rio Rita
. At that time, Kaley and Terry were well-known stage stars.
MGM used the "Woman in the Shoe" musical segment in two short films, Nertsery Rhymes
(1933) and Roast Beef and Movies
(1934).
Harry Beaumont
Harry Beaumont was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including Fox, Goldwyn, Metro, Warner Brothers and MGM....
and William Nigh
William Nigh
William Nigh was an American film director, writer, and actor. His film work sometimes lists him as either "Will Nigh" or "William Nye".He was born in Berlin, Wisconsin....
. It was based on a best selling book by Nell Martin, which "was widely praised by critics as an extremely true and amusing romance of stage life." It was filmed in black and white with two-color Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
sequences.
Cast
- Charles Kaley as Roy Erskine
- Ethelind Terry as Ardis Trevelyn
- Marion ShillingMarion ShillingMarion Shilling was an American film actress of the 1930s.Shilling was born as Marion Schilling in Denver, Colorado in 1910 as per , although some biographers had formerly cited 1911 or 1914. She started her acting career as a stage actress, starring in stage plays such as Miss Lulu Betts and Mrs....
as Nancy Clover - Cliff EdwardsCliff EdwardsCliff Edwards , also known as "Ukelele Ike", was an American singer and voice actor who enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes. He had a number-one hit with "Singin' in the Rain" in 1929...
as Joe Lundeen - Gwen LeeGwen LeeGwen Lee was an American film actress from Hastings, Nebraska. Her given name was Gwendolyn Lepinski.-Acting career:...
as Bessie ("Bess") - Benny RubinBenny RubinBenny Rubin was an American comedian and film actor. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Rubin made more than 200 radio, film and television appearances over a span of 50 years.-Radio and television:...
as Phil - Jack Byron as Mr. Millaire (as John Byron)
- Gino CorradoGino CorradoGino Corrado was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 355 films between 1916 and 1954, almost always in small roles as a character actor.-Career:...
as Riccardi - Iris AdrianIris AdrianIris Adrian was an American film actress.-Life and career:Born in Los Angeles, California as Iris Hostetter, Adrian won a beauty pageant and worked with the Ziegfeld Follies, before she entered films at the end of the silent era in Chasing Husbands and appeared as an extra or chorus girl in early...
(uncredited) - Jack BennyJack BennyJack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
(uncredited) - Ann DvorakAnn DvorakAnn Dvorak was an American film actress.Asked how to pronounce her adopted surname, she told The Literary Digest: "My name is properly pronounced vor'shack. The D remains silent...
(uncredited)
Soundtrack
Charles Kaley recorded two of the songs for Brunswick RecordsBrunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
(Record Number 4718). These songs were "Should I" and "A Bundle of Love Letters". Both of these songs proved to be major song hits in late 1929 and early 1930 and were recorded by numerous artists. For example, James Melton
James Melton
James Melton , a popular singer in the 1920s and early 1930s, later began a career as an operatic singer when tenor voices went out of style in popular music around 1932-35...
and Lewis James
Lewis James
Lewis James Lewis James Lewis James (unknown - February 19, 1959 was a vocalist and among the most active of recording artists in the United States from 1917 through much of the 1930s. He was a member of the The Shannon Four, The Revelers, and The Criterion Trio. He had many Top Ten hits during...
recorded vocal versions of "A Bundle of Love Letters" while Frank Munn recorded "Should I".
- "A Bundle of Love Letters"
-
- (1930)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics Arthur Freed
- Played on piano by Marion Shilling and sung by Charles Kaley
- Played on piano by Marion Shilling and sung by Cliff Edwards and Charles Kaley in a vaudeville show
- "The Japanese SandmanThe Japanese SandmanThe Japanese Sandman is a song from 1920, composed by Richard A. Whiting and with lyrics by Raymond B. Egan.-Content:The song is about a sandman from Japan, who exchanges yesterdays for tomorrows...
"
- "The Japanese Sandman
- (1920)
- Music Richard A. Whiting
- Lyrics by Ray Egan
- Sung by Cliff Edwards in his vaudeville show
- "The Doll Dance"
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics Arthur Freed
- Danced to by Rita Flynn and Hazel Craven in a vaudeville show
- "Blue Daughter of Heaven"
- (1930)
- Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
- Lyrics by Ray Egan
- Sung offscreen by James Burroughs and danced to by Albertina Rasch Ballet\
- "Should I?"
- (1930)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics Arthur Freed
- Sung by Charles Kaley at a nightclub
- Reprised by Ethelind Terry at a recording studio
- Played at the end
- "The Woman in the Shoe"
- (1930)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics Arthur Freed
- Sung by Ethelind Terry, an offscreen male singer and the chorus in a show
- Danced to by the chorus
- Reprised by male trio
- "Old Pal, Why Did You Leave Me?"
- (1930)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics Arthur Freed
- Played on piano and sung by Charles Kaley and Benny Rubin
- "Only Love Is Real"
- (1930)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics Arthur Freed
- Played on piano by Marion Shilling on radio and sung by an unidentifed male singer
- Reprised by Ethelind Terry on radio
- "You're the Bride and I'm the Groom"
- (1930)
- Music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics Arthur Freed
- Played on piano and sung by Charles Kaley
- "Love Ain't Nothin' But the Blues"
- (1930)
- (From "Chasing Rainbows (1930)")
- Music by Louis Alter
- Lyrics by Joe Goodwin
- Played instrumentally
Production
In 1928, MGM announced it was going to turn the novel Lord Byron of Broadway by Nell MartinNell Martin
Nell Martin was an American author from Illinois specializing in light-hearted mysteries and short stories. She was at one time the girlfriend of writer Dashiell Hammett...
into a musical starring stars William Haines
William Haines
Charles William "Billy" Haines was an American film actor and interior designer. He was a star of the silent era until the 1930s, when Haines' career was cut short by MGM Studios due to his refusal to deny his homosexuality...
and Bessie Love
Bessie Love
Bessie Love was an American motion picture actress who achieved prominence mainly in the silent films and early talkies. With a small frame and delicate features, she played innocent young girls, flappers, and wholesome leading ladies. Her role in The Broadway Melody earned her a nomination for...
. However, as they both had mediocre singing voices, they were replaced by Charles Kaley, star of Earl Carroll's Vanities
Earl Carroll
Earl Carroll was an American theatrical producer, director, songwriter and composer born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
and Ethelind Terry, star of Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. , , was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies , inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris. He also produced the musical Show Boat...
's Rio Rita
Rio Rita (musical)
Rio Rita is a 1927 stage musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson , music by Harry Tierney, lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, and produced by Florenz Ziegfeld...
. At that time, Kaley and Terry were well-known stage stars.
MGM used the "Woman in the Shoe" musical segment in two short films, Nertsery Rhymes
Nertsery Rhymes
Nertsery Rhymes is the first short film starring "Ted Healy and His Stooges", a musical comedy released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Some footage was from the unfinished MGM musical The March of Time , which was originally to feature Healy and the Three Stooges.-Synopsis:The Stooges are children and...
(1933) and Roast Beef and Movies
Roast Beef and Movies
Roast Beef and Movies is a short subject starring George Givot, along with Curly Howard , Bobby Callahan, and the Albertina Rasch Dancers...
(1934).
Critical response
The expensive film received mixed reviews, mainly due to the lackluster direction of William Nigh and Harry Beaumont. Its Technicolor sequences and musical score, however, were universally praised. Sheet music sales and sales of phonograph records with songs from the film were brisk. "Should I" and "A Bundle of Old Love Letters" proved to be among the most popular song hits of the year 1930.External links
- Lord Byron of Broadway at Allmovie
- Lord Byron of Broadway at TCM
- Lord Byron of Broadway review by The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Lord Byron of Broadway at Answers.com