MovieChat Forums > The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) Discussion > Based on a Lunt and Fontaine type Broadw...

Based on a Lunt and Fontaine type Broadway couple

posted 18 years ago by oldsenior
6 replies | jump to latest

Just watched the new DVD release of this movie and others from WB and was quite transported again by these wonderful musicals. I was amused by the accompaning commentary by a couple of the earnest young people who got it wrong by stating the movie was based on certain aspects of the lifes of Fred and Ginger. The movie script by the wonderful team of Green and Comden (On the Town, Singin' in the Rain, etc), was kind of based on a Lunt and Fontaine type Broadway couple, probably a composite of several Broadway married and fueding couples (Lunt amd Fountaine's marriage, whom I'm sure loved one another in their own way, was one of convenience). I was surprised that there weren't more musical numbers even though the music by top people (Warren and Gershwin), wasn't their best, happily though, the Scotish number was exceptionally great, not to mention the wonderful Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away From Me" number. But as I say, the movie could have benefitted greatly with more musical numbers. The movie probably could have stood on it's own as a comedy without music, but would have been greater with more songs, Gail Robbins could have had a solo number, and they could of had a secondary couple instead of/or in addition to Oscar Levant character. The Levant numbers were wonderful and very well staged on their own, but probably shouldn't have been in a "Slam-Bam" Broadway story, they sort of interrupted the flow. MGM had to justify the signing of Levant somehow, I guess.

[–] daybyday 18 years ago

I don't think they meant that the movie was actually based off of the lives of Astaire & Rogers, just that, in retrospect, it actually did touch on some elements of their lives. For example, leaving in search of a wider variety of roles. Also, the movie was originally meant to star Jusy Garland, to play off of the success of the Astaire/Garland pairing in Easter Parade, so the movie, as much as it may seem so, was not actually written for Fred & Ginger.

It is a great movie though-it's a pleasure to watch. I, too, love the "Highland Fling" number. It's refreshing to find someone else who enjoys it; not many I have talked to do. The film does have flaws, and I listed my problems with it on the other thread. My main one, though, is that they covered up the "Swing Trot" with the opening credits. On one hand, it was a great idea to turn the credits into something more, but then I think -- how could they have covered one of the greatest numbers in the film with a string of credits?

Oh well. Happy Days to all.

"I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." ~Mary Poppins

[–] babsbrodie 12 years ago

yes this always bothers me because the dress has a odd hem to it. it looks as though it is gathered and then hemmed so that it falls differently when she dances. it is so beautiful. the important thing about ginger's dress was the way they fell when she danced and much thought went into this aspect of the film. fred astaire planned his dances with her taking this into consideration but the credits block this entirely.yes by the way this is based on lunt and fontaine but they may have tweaked some aspects of the things that used to set fred and ginger off in their quarrels once the writers knew exactly who they were writing the lines for.

[–] ijonesiii 18 years ago

There were some similarities between Josh and Dinah and the Lunts. There were also similarities between Josh and Dinah and Fred and Ginger. It was just a decade prior to making this film that Ginger, after making eight films with Astaire, wanted to spread her wings and go solo as a dramatic actress, the same way Dinah does in this film. Ginger was, of course, more successful than Dinah because the year after she split with Astaire, Ginger won an Oscar for best Actress for KITTY FOYLE. Fred Astaire never won a competitive Oscar.

[–] vernvaquer 17 years ago

There were definitely similarities between the characters and Fred and Ginger. While the movie wasn't originally supposed to include Ginger, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that they had her in mind while writing the screenplay. Easter Parade actually had a reference to Ginger, when Judy wore a feather dress that bothered Fred's character, which was a reference to the "cheek to cheek" fight. In another movie, Fred said he was from Omaha, Nebraska, which he was in real life. In those days, lines or situations were inserted to reflect the actor's real life just as a "wink, wink" to the audience.

[–] Isaac5855 17 years ago

You are correct that the characters of Josh and Dinah Barkley were loosley based on Lunt and Fontaine, but you can't ignore the fact that there are parallels with Fred and Ginger as well. After they completed THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE, Ginger stopped making movies with Fred because she wanted to try her hand at being a dramatic actress. Interestingly enough, Ginger won the Oscar the following year for Best Actress for KITTY FOYLE and her reunion with Fred ten years later might not have occurred except for a twist of fate. THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY was originally intended to reunite Astaire with Judy Garland after their smash hit EASTER PARADE, but she was going through one of her more serious spells with drugs at the time and was unable to complete the film and it was only then that Rogers was brought in to replace her.

[–] MicheleWilliams 15 years ago

Regardless, the "Broadway couple" in question is Alfred Lunt and Lynn(e) FONTANNE, not "FONTAINE."