Lullaby of Broadway (1951)

Good movie but grossly overrated

As Good As It Gets

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Isn't here a line in a movie where one of the characters is singing an old time favorite and attempting to pass it off as new--and the auditor says something like--"Yeah, I already remember that..." This 1951 movie brought out the old songs in a revue format--so that they are not old songs in new garb--but old songs in old garb.Doris Day sings "Just one of those things" in a tux and steals the show at the outset. Never mind she gives verve to a song about dumping a flame after a few dates. "Bye Bye mien Herr" from 'Cabaret' gives the same jazzy up-temps to the same topic of moving on quickly from one affair to another. But in any event--Doris Day knocks the song out of the park--so to speak.The comedy team of Billy de Wolfe and Anne Triola are a delightful comedy duet--actors acting as servants so they don't starve to death."Lullaby of Broadway" is a delightful romp, showcasing many talents to produce something lite and frothy and surprisingly enduring. The froth disguises something dark and central to the acting profession. People who are washed up too early for the wrong reasons--yet endure beyond reasonable expectations. The song "Lullaby of Broadway" is itself a ballad/ode of what amounts to frenzied and self-destructive lifestyle. Gene Nelson pretending he can't dance when he is a great dancer--all to seduce Doris Day; well that's trickery and deceit which she rightfully resents. And Doris Day's own mother is not a world class performer but a barely and rarely sober cabaret singer in a gin joint. "Your getting to be a habit with me" is one of those nightmare scenarios of addiction that no actor wants to fall into--and yet many do. And, of course, the whole premise of the movie to fool Doris Day into thinking this palatial residence actually belongs to her mother.Despite the dark central themes to the move, it appears light and frothy--one more deception, this time on the movie goer.One wonders how this movie could have been made with different actors and one suspects it couldn't be made any better.

This is not one of the great film musicals, but it's quite good. Certainly there's an abundance of great songs, such as "Somebody Loves Me" and the title song. The color photography is great and the sets are very good.Despite the quality of her voice, I always preferred Doris Day in dramas and some of the romantic comedies of later years. She wasn't as polished her in terms of acting as she later became, but she did well. I was quite impressed with her dancing in this film, particularly the closing number on the steps.Gene Nelson, her co-star here, never really hit the big time in terms of acting or dancing. His dancing is quite good, but after a while I began to feel it was more flash and less finesse than you might see from, for example, Astaire or Kelly. And, somehow he just didn't appeal to me as a leading man. Not bad; not great.S.Z. Sakall is around as the older man who appears to be having an affair with young Doris Day. He's always fun to watch, though he almost always had only one character.I always thought Billy De Wolfe was quite a funny supporting actor who never got his fair share of films. Ah well. I enjoy him when I do run across him. Florence Bates is a very good character actress and has some good supporting scenes here.While there's not a lot to stand up and cheer about this film, neither is there much to complain about. Very middle of the road musical that's worth a watch if you are into musicals or Doris Day.

I'm watching "Lullaby of Broadway" right now during TCM's "Summer Under the Stars." The entire production looks good in color (especially Doris). But it's a 100% idiot plot. The whole Runyonesque deception that her mother is a washed-up drunk seems particularly unnecessary. Everyone is aware of this except her own daughter?I find the Gene Nelson's character Tom, who assumes Melinda is a slut, especially creepy. Maybe it's his slick veneer or the fact that he's practically stalking her. One Hollywood essential in the 50's was the happy ending. The easiest way to end a picture was just show that a girl who says "no" really means "yes, take me away." Everybody lives happily ever after. Times have changed, at least I hope so.As a musical, the song and dance numbers look great. I was unaware what a good dancer Doris Day was! There's no denying she is enormously talented performer, whether it's your cup of tea(for two) or not. She made a lot of show-biz pictures- all vehicles that highlight her considerable appeal (the only other performer who comes close is Debbie Reynolds). I hope she comes out of retirement long enough to make an appearance at this years TCM Festival.

Overlooking the slight and highly improbable storyline, LULLABY OF Broadway is a minor showcase for Doris Day during her early years at Warner Brothers.She acts, sings and dances with consummate ease, does some good routines with co-star Gene Nelson, and makes it easy to see why she was such a natural in front of the Technicolor cameras. Songs are sprinkled throughout to overcome the uninspired plot which has her searching for her long lost mother (Gladys George), unaware that her mother is on the skids singing in cheap bars for a living.A reunion of mother and daughter sponsored by friend Billy DeWolfe paves the way toward a happy show biz ending, highlighted by Day and Nelson doing a nifty tap-dancing routine up and down a staircase with dozens of extras while rendering the title tune in bright fashion.Nelson's zesty rendering of "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" shows off his ability to sing and dance with the best of them. Too bad his career at Warners never reached full potential.S.Z. Sakall and Florence Bates are on hand for comedy relief, making this a pleasant diversion for Doris Day fans who relish her kind of sunny disposition in musicals.