Broadway (1942 film)

Plot

A Hollywood dancer (George Raft) returns to Manhattan and recalls working in a nightclub with a bootlegger's (Broderick Crawford) girlfriend.

Cast

Production

The film was an adaptation of a Broadway show which had previously been filmed in 1929. On Broadway, Lee Tracy played the dancer and Thomas Jackson played the detective and Paul Porcasi played the night club owner. In the 1929 film, Jackson and Porcasi reprised their roles and Glenn Tryon replaced Tracy. Pat O'Brien once played the detective role in a road show.

Universal had paid $175,000 for the rights.) Raft had wanted to make it at Universal - he was announced in February 1941 - but Jack Warner refused to loan him out so Raft spent eight months on suspension. Eventually Warners relented and Raft made the film. Raft said he had to pay $27,500 out of his own pocket and negotiate so that Warners could borrow Brod Crawford from Universal.

Producer Bruce Manning wanted to make a reasonably faithful adaptation. However he added a prologue and epilogue. He did consider making the bootleggers into foreign agents. He discussed the story with George Raft and recognised the similarities the story of Roy, the dancer, had with the career of George Raft.

Reception

The film was a success with audiences.

The Los Angeles Times called it a "sock melodrama".