melodies

Melody Time (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
$19.99
I was going to order this, but fortunately I was smart enough to read first. I found it had been edited, so now I'll just watch the clips on Youtube instead, and for FREE too.

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself
$15.95
The condition of the book was poor. I expected a slightly used, but clean product. It was well-used. The cover was worn in, pages dog-eared, and it was already highlighted throughout the book. I was disappointed.

Interrupted Melody
$28.98
I am an opera lover. The first time when I saw this film, I wanted to see it again. At last, I was able to add it to my collection.
It is the life story of Australian opera star Marjorie Lawrence (Eleanor Parker) who meets an American Doctor (Glenn Ford) in Paris while in school. They meet again in the States and get married. She is stricken with polio but she overcomes it and returns to perform one of the Wagner's best operas.
Eleanor Parker is great and the story is magnificent. I recomend it specially to opera lovers.

The Broadway Melody of 1929
$19.98
The Broadway Melody Of 1929 was the first "talkie" to receive an Oscar for Best Picture. The film was distinctly modern for its time although in our times the story would never suffice as a movie plot. Some people say that the thin plot was essentially an excuse for song and dance numbers--and they are right. Bessie Love and Anita Page play the two sisters Hank and Queenie Mahoney respectively; and they do a good job of it. Just one look at Charles King as Eddie Kearns tells you he's the good guy who can't help being human; and Kenneth Thomson gives a great performance as the rich playboy Jacques Warriner (a reference to Jack Warner, I would think). Arthur Freed himself gets a small role as a bystander in the rehearsal room for Francis Zanfield's latest Broadway production; the character of Francis Zanfield clearly refers to the great Flo Ziegfeld--excellent!

When the film starts, we meet sisters Hank and Queenie who arrive in New York to seek fame and fortune on Broadway. They talk it over with Eddie (Charles King), who loves Hank until he gets a glimpse of Queenie now that she's "all grown up." Eddie tries to get the sisters into the latest Broadway show being staged by Francis Zanfield. Things begin to happen both for the better and for the worse as Eddie realizes that he loves Queenie and not Hank anymore. Queenie tries not to interfere with Eddie and Hank; she doesn't want to steal her sister's boyfriend. Queenie dates a rich playboy named Jacques (Kenneth Thomson) so that Hank still has a real chance to be happy with Eddie. However, Jacques' money may not be enough to win Queenie's true love. Queenie winds up having to choose between Eddie and Jacques; and her decision effects Hank's life, too.

The shades of black and white complement the fine acting perfectly; and the superb musical numbers strike you as infectious even today. The movie score boasts the infectiously happy "The Broadway Melody;" "You Were Meant For Me" and "Truthful Parson Brown." These numbers are sung with the great sensitivity you expect from a MGM musical and the musical arrangements reflect forethought, too. There are some intertitles cards so that the audience can easily understand the way the plot is going--you can tell by this that Hollywood hadn't completely disposed of some of silent picture devices when this film was made.

The cinematography is quite good--for it's time. The opening moments feature beautiful aerial views of Manhattan; the lighting is good and the subjects are well framed within the screen. The strength of the choreography shows in the dance numbers as well as the brief fight scene between Eddie and Jacques. In addition, the sound quality is actually pretty good--thanks to people who walked around very quietly while carrying microphones, safely out of the range of the camera.

The DVD offers wonderful extras, too. MGM spoofs its own movie with "The Dogway Melody." The trained dogs act out a story that is remarkably similar to The Broadway Melody of 1929; and it's actually quite entertaining! We get some "Metro Movietone Revues," too, which showcase other talented acts in short movies. Gus Van and Joe Schenk perform in their own musical short as well.

Sure, the plot is somewhat corny, contrived and predictable--but, then again, who cares? The film is excellent for its time; and I love that. The actors show the human sides of the characters they play through good acting; and the musical numbers exceed my expectations for a film from this era. The movie held my attention throughout and the themes of love, humanity and wanting success will remain forever relevant to us both today and in the future. I tip my hat to MGM and these outstanding actors for producing such a treat as The Broadway Melody of 1929! Great job, everyone!