2hotFeature one of my absolute favorites!

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Alex da Silva Fred Astaire (Johnny) and George Murphy (King) have a double act that is going nowhere until Murphy is mistakenly given a break to dance in a show as a leading man to star Eleanor Powell (Clare). Frank Morgan (Casey) is the talent scout who recommends the wrong dancer, Murphy, to show director Ian Hunter (Matthews). Given that this musical stars Astaire and Powell, we spend the film waiting for this pair to come together and do their stuff. And they don't disappoint.Superb technique, quick movement, visually graceful and entertaining to watch…..and that's just George Murphy who is the 3rd best dancer on show! We watch the story unravel but we are really only interested in the musical segments. It is these which elevate my score of the film. The first time Astaire and Powell dance together, we see that they are rivalling one another as demonstrated by their rapport at the end of the sequence. They take turns in giving each other knowing laughs of approval. It's a quality moment. And their finale during Begin the Beguine is an outstanding tap sequence. When George Murphy joins them right at the end for the encore, there is no lapse in the entertainment.I found Frank Morgan irritating at times, Eleanor Powell's mouth has too many teeth and I find it funny how Astaire manages to cut it as a leading man. Who cares, the film has some great dance moments.

Steve Downs So many of the reviews imply that Fred's most famous partner, Ginger Rogers, was overrated when compared to Eleanor Powell. I strongly disagree with this contention, at least in regard to this movie. There is no doubt Powell could tap dance circles around Rogers, and as this movie shows, she could certainly do the splits (in the one fairly ridiculous number with the sailors), but I found her character development herein sadly lacking when compared to most of Rogers' characters in her movies with Fred. Much of the movie revolved around Fred's interactions with George Murphy, with only occasional glimpses of the Powell character. With the Astaire/Rogers movies there is much more banter/interaction between the two leads. The one exception is the scene quite late in the movie where, unbeknown to Fred, Powell watches him carry out a whimsical solo dance while toting around a picture of her, this followed by a scene where there's finally some substantial interaction during a luncheon date. The highly touted Begin the Beguine dance number may have been spectacular, but I actually found this solo dance by Fred more enjoyable because of the feeling/emotion involved. This all being said, Powell is certainly a spectacular dancer, and I agree that it would have been nice to see what results further collaboration with Astaire produced. I also agree that she had an amazing smile--she may have exerted as much energy in maintaining that as she did the hoofing.And I would be remiss if I didn't ask why the film-makers found it necessary from time-to-time to put an imbecile in Astaire movies (think Edward Everett Horton, who was often an annoying distraction in the Rogers movies). Frank Morgan's antics may have been mildly amusing initially, but after awhile it became embarrassingly obnoxious, including the lame running gag with the fur cape.

MartinHafer George Murphy and Fred Astaire are a dance team that has struggled for five years. Now, one of them is about to be offered the lead in a big Broadway extravaganza--the only problem is that through a mix-up, the wrong guy has been signed for the part. And, that guy is unreliable, a bit selfish and getting a swollen head.While the plot of this film has quite a few clichés and a few of the dance numbers have flat moments, this is a definite must-see for lovers of dance. The film pairs the best male and female tappers in Hollywood (Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell) and has some very able assistance from George Murphy--one of the few men who could keep up with Fred on the dance floor. The dance numbers are amazing--with tons of energy, grace and athleticism. The two best numbers are the opening on with Fred and George as well as the first number with Fred and Eleanor. In between, Fred actually dances alone on several occasions and these scenes are delights as well. The flat moments I mention included PARTS of the final big number, 'Begin the Begine'--as the operatic warblings and showiness really detracted from the fact that Fred and Eleanor were amazing together. But the wonderful dancing in the rest of the film make it easy to overlook the overly produced parts and it's a joy to watch.

edlamnyc I was prompted to write this when I read an AOL feature (18 Feb./08)asking for favorite filmed dance sequences. "Broadway Melody of 1940" was not on the list. I couldn't let that stand. The very elaborate "Begin the Beguine" number is one of the greatest dance sequences ever filmed. And dig that black shiny floor. The "Jukebox" number is pretty damn good too. Powell keeps up with Astair's tapping like no one else. She's not as beautiful nor as talented an actress as Rogers, but what a dancer. It was once considered a great compliment when Astair said about Powell: "She can pick em up and lay em down as good as a man." The movie itself doesn't have the charm and wit of the Astair/Rogers collaborations, but if you like dancing, "Broadway Melody" is a definite Must-See. (The version shown in one of the MGM "That's Entertainment" series is heavily edited---skip it. Watch the original. You'll thank me.)