Two Girls on Broadway (1940) User Reviews

Broadway Melody of 1929 remake

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 5 October 2010]

"Two Girls on Broadway," made in 1940, is a remake of "Broadway Melody of 1929" and not as much fun. It stars George Murphy, Joan Blondell, Lana Turner, Kent Taylor and Wallace Ford. Murphy is Eddie Kerns, who sells a song, himself, his fiancé and her sister to a Broadway producer. The sisters rush out from the midwest to audition, but the show only wants Pat (Turner) while Molly (Blondell) is given the job of cigarette girl. Molly swallows her pride and watches her sister replace her in a number she used to do with Eddie. Then Eddie realizes that he's also interested in Pat, and she with him.

Nurphy is charming, energetic, and fine dancer, and Blondell is her usual excellent self. But it's hard to keep your eyes off of young, gorgeous, fresh-faced Lana with her gorgeous figure and vivacious personality. She dances with Murphy, and despite being a little stiff in her upper body, she's surprisingly good. Lana really had something in those days. It's no surprise she became a huge star.

The musical numbers are enjoyable. This movie is nothing to write home about, but if you've never experienced the young Lana, this is a great film to see her in.

Lana kicks up her dancing heels for trivial musical fluff...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 16 November 2006]

It looks as though Fox and MGM thought nothing of re-doing their old musicals at respectable intervals. This one is a low-budget remake of Broadway MELODY ('29) and features LANA TURNER in a dancing role opposite dancing man GEORGE MURPHY. She gets to strut her stuff looking pretty gorgeous in all her youthful beauty.

But, of course, the story is the tired old one about two gals in show biz, one who makes it, one who doesn't. JOAN BLONDELL is the older sister looking out for Lana and putting Lana's best interest ahead of her own. So much so, that at the end of the story she's on her way back to the mid-west while Lana stays on as a Broadway star and winds up with her sister's ex-boyfriend Murphy.

KENT SMITH, as a much married man, is Lana's romantic interest, but it's all pretty standard stuff with no new surprises. That is, except for Lana. She dances ballroom and tap with surprising ease, keeping up every step of the way in some rather sophisticated dance routines with Murphy. Frankly, there should have been more of the musical interludes because they're done with a certain finesse. Murphy is the man who finally fends off his opposition so that he winds up with Turner.

Summing up: Trivial bit of fluff with young Lana in her physical prime.

Two Tickets for Broadway, One Ticket Home

[JLRMovieReviews · 6/10 · 31 January 2012]

Joan Blondell runs a dance academy for children, with young sister, Lana Turner, in this remake of the Oscar-winning Best Picture, The Broadway Melody. Joan is engaged to George Murphy, who went off to New York for his big break into show business, but with a gimmick of singing canaries. But guess what. They're only a means of showing off what he can do, sing and dance. In fact, the songs and the musical talents of the stars make up most of the movie's appeal. This movie is an good example of what you might call a movie doomed from the start, because of a no-win situation. Let me explain: When George meets young Lana for the first time, he obviously takes a liking to her, and her vice versa. (Why they never met before, is confusing to me.) All this happens, despite the fact we know that Joan is madly in love with George. And, there is no other suitor for Joan. **SPOILER** Joan in turn sacrifices her love for George to go back home, their small town, and lets George and Lana live happily ever after. What a totally downbeat ending for Joan! No matter how noble it may appear, you can tell she hates it, really. But, because Lana is young and sexier, is she supposed to get her man, even if it's her sister's man first? The first 45 minutes or so of this short film is upbeat with good musical numbers, but the explosion of the love triangle blows up in their faces and we are left holding the bag and Joan has a one-way ticket home. You've been warned.

Pleasant surprise

[jaykay-10 · 8 July 2004]

Evidently MGM was grooming Lana Turner to be featured in musicals at this stage of her career. Unfortunately that effort was abandoned, with mixed results. In this conventional backstage romantic triangle, she is a very winning performer, and a surprisingly effective dancer in her three musical numbers (partnered in two by George Murphy and in one by Joan Blondell). Her spirited youthfulness and fresh beauty are put to good use in her role as an innocent small-town girl who (almost) is spoiled by some wily denizens of big, bad Broadway. Joan Blondell plays the protective older sister convincingly, willing to sacrifice her own happiness for that of "the kid." Not many viewers would associate Lana Turner with this type of picture, but, as indicated, she more than holds her own. Too bad that in her pictures, as in her life, she became an "experienced" woman too soon.

Mediocre, but stars Lana Turner at just 19

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 14 March 2018]

I'll be honest, the main reason to watch this film is the gorgeous Lana Turner, who was just 19 years old when she starred in it. It's not her first film, but it was made just as her career was about to take off. Her acting is a little clumsy in places (as is George Murphy's), but it's a delight to see her dancing, and each of her close-ups. The story is a little thin, and has Joan Blondell and Turner as sisters, who come to New York to try to get jobs on stage with Blondell's slick-talking but affable fiancé, Murphy. Unfortunately, between the two of them, it's only Turner they want, and Blondell is relegated to selling cigarettes. Murphy tries to look out for Turner and shield her from a lecherous playboy (Kent Taylor), but then things get worse for Blondell when Murphy starts falling for Turner himself. There are some nice scenes of Blondell sacrificing herself with a brave face; she does the best she can with the material, and her character is a model of class. Unfortunately, there's also an extended scene with a Japanese butler that has some ugly racism on full display. The film wants to be a comedy, a romance, and a musical, and is pretty average at all three. It's concise at 73 minutes, and I liked seeing Turner and Blondell, but if those two aren't of interest, you should probably skip this one.

An old fashioned story that is a bit better than the original.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 24 October 2013]

"Two Girls on Broadway" is a remake of "Broadway Melody". Considering that "Broadway Melody" was such an early musical (with rather primitive sound) it's not surprising that the studio would remake the film.

The film begins with a young singer/songwriter (George Murphy) getting discovered. However, Eddie's a regular guy and he's sure to not only take this great job but make sure there's a job for his old sweetie, Molly (Joan Blondell), and her kid-sister, Pat (Lana Turner). Unfortunately, when Molly and Pat try out for the show, the producers like Pat but have no use for Molly. Molly, however, insists that Pat take the job and they give Molly a job as a cigarette girl. Now Pat and Eddie are poised for stardom...but what about nice-girl Molly? And what about Pat? The lecherous producer might just have his eyes on her...as does Eddie!

So is the film any good? Well, it's pleasant and enjoyable--and with a few amazing sets which hark back to the original "Broadway Melody". As for the story, it is a bit old fashioned but the actors did a nice job and managed to make it work. Also, Blondell's character, Molly, is a HUGE improvement over the original film in which 'Hank' is very unlikable--whereas here, Molly is much more likable and you can understand Pat and Eddie's concerns about her--which makes the plot make more sense. Overall, not a great musical by any stretch but enjoyable if you like the genre and a slight improvement over the original.

By the way, I did have to laugh about the subplot in the film where Eddie and Molly are worried that sweet, innocent Pat might get seduced by the playboy producer--a man who's been married several times. Lana Turner (Pat) in real life was married eight times (one of the husbands she married twice), so these concerns seemed a bit silly.

Two Girls on Broadway-Only One Really Made It ***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 17 November 2006]

Lana Turner proved that she could really dance up a storm in this 1940 charmer about the ultimate sacrifice that her sister (Joan Blondell) makes for her.

When both sisters come to New York, they follow Blondell's beau, a wonderful George Murphy, in this film.

As fate would have it, the director of the show is impressed with Turner but sees nothing ahead for Blondell except a job as the cigarette-girl. Not only does Blondell miss stardom, boyfriend, Murphy (Eddie) falls for Turner as well. So as not to hurt her sister, Turner is ready to marry the producer of the show, a wealthy womanizer who has wed 4 times.

The story concludes as best as possible with Blondell taking a fast exit back to Nebraska. Look for Paul Ford, as a gossip columnist in the film. He is hard to recognize due to the date of the film and the fact that he is much thinner. The film leaves you with the question of whether Ford and Blondell could ever get together.

Blondell, as the devoted sister, sacrifices both career and love, for her sister. This film is sentimental and might have worked better if it had been shot in Technicolor.

Few realize that George Murphy, the future Republican senator from California, was quite a song and dance man in his day.

"Her heart is almost as big as Eddie's head!"

[estherwalker-34710 · 7/10 · 14 February 2021]

I thought the quote in my title was especially clever..............I usually get this film confused with the later film "Two girls from Boston", which has a very similar story as well as a rather similar title. We might also get this confused with "The Broadway Melody of 1929", of which this is a remake.............I always look forward to a film that features George Murphy, whether or not it is a musical that features some dancing by him. He was born with a naturally smiley face, and I like his personality. In the late '30s and early '40s he was featured with such female musical luminaries as Alice Faye, Shirley Temple, and Eleanor Powell. Actually, he danced with superstar Eleanor in both the '38 and '40 versions of Broadway Melody. However, in the '40 version, he had to share the spotlight with Fred Astaire. Besides being much more handsome than Astaire, his dancing has a different style. As shown in this film, he usually did a full lift or 2 of his partner, which increases the romantic perception, whereas I've never seen Fred do a full lift, although he sometimes does a partial lift. ........... George gets to dance with up and coming 19y.o. Lana Turner, in this B&W film of good quality. Of course, Lana went on to become a top star for the next 2 decades. Here, she appears to have 'dirty' blond or light brown hair, whereas soon she would switch to blond or platinum blond for most films. Surprisingly, here, Lana gets top billing over established stars Joan Blondell and George. Presumably, this was done as part of her buildup as a future star. Joan, being in her 30s, naturally played her older sister. Although they clearly respect each other, they unintentionally become rivals for George's dance partner, as well for his romantic attention. Lana gets to dance with George in 2 productions. The first is an informal backstage practice. The 2nd is part of an elaborate stage production, including background dancers, in which George shows off his melodious singing voice to the catchy Brown, Freed, and Eden tune "My Wonderful One, Let's Dance". Look for both these film segments at YouTube. ...............Initially, George and Joan are dance partners in vaudeville, then in a dance studio. But when George signs up with a Broadway producer, the latter decided he liked Lana better as George's dance partner. Hence, Joan was relegated to being the cigarette girl. Joan takes this in stride. Gradually, the romantic relationships of these 4 get complicated. The producer begins dating Lana, who begins falling in love with George. Joan finds out that the producer is a 6 times married playboy, and tells Lana. Lana packs her bags and is ready to quit and return home. She doesn't want to hurt Joan, who is supposed to be George's girlfriend. Joan convinces Lana to stay, then finds out that George has fallen in love with Lana. Meanwhile, the producer proposed to Lana, and she accepted. On their wedding day, Joan advises George to go wisk Lana away before it's too late, in a dramatic climax............I saw this on TCM, but a DVD is also available to buy or rent. For the most part, it is a fun film.

Broadway Melody of 1940, Part II?

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 30 August 2018]

This remake of the very first musical film to win the Academy Award is a shell of its original source, and not even close to the Fred Astaire/Eleanor Powell/George Murphy musical epic that came out the same year this did. George Murphy is a rising New York cabaret hoofer who promises old girfriend Joan Blondell a job, along with her younger sister Lana Turner. The two young ladies, who run a dancing school for cloying toddlers (think of those overly photographed tots from the previous year's "Babes in Arms"), show up, and it becomes apparent who the favorite will be for the producers watching Blondell and Turner sing and dance. With Blondell forced to step into the background (and work as a cigarette girl!), Murphy and Turner become a popular team, and their working together turns to romance which threatens to leave Blondell out in the cold.

The three leads add some class to this shell of what the original film had been, with much of the meat taken out because of code restrictions. While the original "Broadway Melody of 1929" might be creaky, it features some rather risque references to situations and character types behind the scenes of a Broadway musical, cut out here because of the desire not to offend the Hays code administrators. The highlight is a lavish production number, "My Wonderful One Let's Dance", that makes this "B" picture look more like an "A" with sets and costumes straight out of MGM's biggest musicals of the time. So this is more A- or B+ than strictly "B", but it really isn't worthy of showing off the acting chops of Turner and only utilizes Blondell in ways that accentuate her big heart yet make her the romantic loser. She seems out of place in the MGM glamour, needing the grittiness of Warner Brothers to make her oh so real woman stand out. Gone too are those great wisecracks or observations of the things going on around her, so it seems like a step down for her after a decade of realism at Warners. Murphy basically plays the same character he did in the "Broadway Melody" films he had done, so there's really nothing new in his performance. Turner would have to be paired with Clark Gable and a few other more dashing leading men to really bring out her spark, but that was only just a matter of time.

To Broadway from Rome City, Nebraska

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 28 June 2014]

Joan Blondell and Lana Turner co-star with future US Senator George Murphy in Two Girls On Broadway. The three are from Rome City, Nebraska and Murphy is in New York to try and hit it big again as he's been somewhat at liberty since vaudeville declined. The women who are sisters operate a dance studio in Nebraska and Blondell was once Murphy's dance partner.

Murphy pulls off quite a con game but gets a big break with an appearance Richard Lane's nightclub and he parlays it for Blondell and Turner to come east. Now it's Turner who is Murphy's partner and Blondell gets work as a cigarette girl.

It's all looking good, but there's a Broadway wolf in the picture. Kent Taylor is a Tommy Manville type who's already been to the altar 8 times. He zeroes in on Turner who goes along because while she likes Murphy she doesn't want to hurt her sister. It all gets straightened out in the end as it always does.

I think a lot of you will recognize some sets from The Great Ziegfeld which makes it look like this film is more expensive and lush than it is. Wallace Ford has an interesting role as a Broadway Winchell like columnist which would be true to life since Winchell was a performer before he took up journalism. He knew Blondell and Murphy from vaudeville days.

Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed and Roger Edens wrote My Wonderful One Let's Dance as part of the score and if it sounds familiar you're thinking of Cole Porter's Riding High. Porter really could have sued over that one.

Two Girls On Broadway showcases its star's talents well. Murphy was quite a hoofer before he went into Republican politics.

In film as in life, sometimes you can't go back

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 3 October 2010]

This film is a production code era remake of "The Broadway Melody of 1929", and quite ironically one of several titular successors to that film - "The Broadway Melody of 1940" - was a great film made this same year of 1940 that shared not a trace of the original's storyline. "Two Girls on Broadway" doesn't share the franchise title, but has the same storyline as the original Broadway Melody. The problem is, the first Broadway Melody was made before the production code and at the dawn of sound and its quirks and brashness made it special. This successor therefore looks tired and drab next to it, in spite of the vast improvement in the writing of dialogue and production values over the intervening eleven year period. The scrubbing the censors gave to the original's hard edges worsens matters even more.

Here, we still have the Mahoney sisters being recruited for a new Broadway musical involving song and dance man Eddie Kerns, with Eddie originally engaged to the older sister but finding he is attracted to the younger sister once he meets her. However, now our sisters are named Molly and Patricia, rather than Hank and Queenie, maybe to please the censors and make them seem more lady-like? Gone are the jokes about undressed chorus girls, gone is the hard-edged dialogue - although they gave it a decent try with the ever wonderfully brassy Joan Blondell as the older Mahoney sister, and gone is the colorful and temperamental backstage crew, some with ambiguous sexual orientation and all with attitude and mouth to spare.

Our now thoroughly sanitized plot even paints the lecherous playboy that pants after the younger sister - here 'Chat' Chatsworth versus 29's Jock Warriner - as a serial groom. In the original, he was sleeping with chorus girls and tossing them aside. Here, of course, he's had five wives and plans to make Pat his sixth for six months or so. Apparently, all this sleeping around is fine with head censor Joe Breen as long as there is a marriage license involved in every case.

In the end, like in the original, the noble older sister steps out of the way so that Eddie and her younger sister can be married with no feelings of betrayal by either. However, here Eddie rescues younger sister Pat from a mob scene of a wedding at city hall, not a near rape at a prohibition party as in the 29 film. Afterwards, older sister Molly decides to go back to Nebraska, to the simple pleasures of farm and county fair, rather than continue on hoofing with a new partner as predecessor Hank did. I guess in 1940 Broadway was no place for a nice girl, or at least that seems to be the lesson of this film.

I give this one a 5 because, although I thoroughly disliked the plot, I really liked the performances. I've already mentioned the wonderful Joan Blondell, but there's also Lana Turner who is just perfect as the wide-eyed innocent Pat who knows the score of what she's letting herself in for with Chatworth but is willing to do just about anything so that older sister Molly can have her happiness. George Murphy does a good job of recreating the same energy and enthusiasm that Charles King brought to the part of Eddie Kerns in the original.

My recommendation is that if you've seen the Broadway Melody of 1929 you'll likely be disappointed in this obvious remake, but if you haven't or you're not into the earliest sound films you just might like it.

Lana Turner as the queen of Terpsichore.

[BrentCarleton · 8/10 · 18 May 2006]

The revelation here is Lana Turner's dancing ability. Though she was known privately to be an excellent nightclub and ballroom dancer, Miss Turner rarely got the opportunity to demonstrate this ability on film.

So, viewers take notice! Here, MGM were clearly still trying to determine in what direction they would develop the still young starlet, and were, therefore, consigning her to everything from Andy Hardy to Doctor Kildaire.

In "Two Girls on Broadway," however, she is given an excellent opportunity to display her native rhythm and ability to shift tempo in the lavish production number, "My Wonderful One, Let's Dance." This number, is conceived and filmed, as a sort of hybrid between a Busby Berkely style extravaganza and the sort of routines Hermes Pan was designing for Astaire and Rogers at RKO.

Thus, the number opens with George Murphy and Miss Turner depicted as bar patrons (with full chorus) before a curtain of black lame wherein Mr. Murphy croons the number to Miss Turner. Then the camera, (on a boom) pulls backward in a remarkable crane shot to reveal an enormous stage, and a rotating set equipped with steps, columns, enclosures and sliding walls.

From this point on, Murphy and Turner execute a fast stepping variety of moods and attitudes, including lifts, spins, soft shoe, and ending with an electrifying series of conjoined pirouettes that concludes with Murphy both lifting and rotating Turner with thrilling speed to a racing orchestra.

All told a dizzying feat that proves Miss Turner was fully capable of more than holding her own as a dancer, though I daresay most of her admirers would balk at relinquishing her from her throne as the queen of melodrama.

And a One and a Two and a ...Wait...It's Over?

[chauge-73253 · 7/10 · 17 January 2018]

Lana Turner gets to show off her dance skills with George Murphy and Joan Blondell in 1940's "Two Girls on Broadway." Mostly lighthearted fun as George Murphy plays dancer Eddie Kerns, who resorts to trickery to catch his big break in New York and smoothtalks his producers into bringing over his fiance (Joan Blondell) and her kid sister (Turner), who are also dancers. Turner plays the fresh faced ingenue who attracts attention for her looks and talent while Blondell has to face the harsh realities of show business when you are past your prime. Murphy plays the aw shucks hoofer torn between Blondell and Turner (guess who he wants the most? Gee I wonder?) Blondell gets a chance to play more than the usual wise-cracking sidekick. Turner shows she wasn't just a pretty face back then and has some real talent. Look for a cute scene where she comes home drunk late at night and tries to keep her sister from waking up. The movie runs a tight 73 minutes, so enjoy as much as you can before it's over.

Watch this only to see Lana Turner dance

[richard-1787 · 4/10 · 29 December 2018]

The plot of this movie is paper-thin and not at all engrossing. The only reason I stuck with it is that it was a pleasure watching a very young Lana Turner dance. No, she wasn't Rita Hayworth, at least not yet, but she turns out to have been a very fine dancer.

That said, the real problem with this short movie is that there is very little singing and dancing in it. So most of the time is spent on the plot, which was hackneyed even then and of no interest. The few musical numbers are forgettable.

It's a shame they didn't put Turner in another, much better musical. She was really a talented woman, wasted on all those 1950s melodramas.

Much better than what it was remaking

[brchthethird · 7/10 · 13 November 2022]

It's a much better film than the one it was remaking, although perhaps too streamlined. The core trio of Lana Turner, Joan Blondell, and George Murphy was a definite improvement over Bessie Love and whoever the other two actors were. I don't quite know what LIFE Magazine meant by calling Turner a "glamour-plus girl," but it was clear, even in her feature film debut, that she had more going for her than looks. George Murphy was fine. The emotional core of the story, though, is Joan Blondell and she showed quite a bit of depth in what could have been a thankless supporting role. By this point in her career, she was beginning to settle into more matronly parts, but it really seemed like she gave it her all. Overall, I found this to be quite good, although a little more music wouldn't have hurt.

Troopers Three

[lugonian · 7/10 · 21 February 2021]

TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940), directed by S. Sylvan Simon, is a lightweight, updated partial remake to the ever popular Academy Award winner of THE BROADWAY MELODY (MGM, 1929). While the update could have been titled BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940, this latest edition as TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY, based on the original story by Edmund Goulding, is more of a second feature (74 minutes) and showcase for young Lana Turner. Supported by such screen veterans as Joan Blondell and George Murphy, it also displays Turner's rare ability as a singer and dancer, but soon proving her future success in the movies would be in dramatic roles instead.

The story begins in Rome City, Nebraska, where Trooper One, Molly Mahoney (Joan Blondell), runs a dancing school for children along with Trooper Two, her kid sister, Pat (Lana Turner), Dismissing their class to listen to the radio program, "Oddities of the Air," as hosted by Mr. Boyle (Don Wilson), by which Trooper Three, Eddie Kearns (George Murphy), Molly's fiance, happens to be auditioning one of his composed songs with a song and dance. Eddie wins audience approval and a spot in Buddy Bartell's (Richard Lane) upcoming musical show. Telephoning the good news to Molly, he invites the girls to take the next bus out to join him for a possible audition. Upon their arrival, Molly and Pat do a song and dance for Bartell, whose main interest is more on Pat. To keep Pat under his employ, he offers Molly a night club job working as a cigarette girl. Regardless of this humiliation and wanting Pat to succeed in show business, Molly accepts the job. As Pat finds herself becoming more interested in Eddie during dress rehearsals, she decides to spend more time with her sponsor, Chat Chatsworth (Kent Taylor), so not to come between Molly and Eddie's plans for marriage. Problems arise when Molly discovers from Jed Marlowe (Wallace Ford), a reporter friend of hers, that Chatsworth is a womanizer with five ex-wives with intentions on having Pat as wife number six. Others in the cast include Otto Hahn (Ito); Lloyd Corrigan (Judge Hennessey); and Edward Gargan (The Policeman),

The distinction between TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY and THE BROADWAY MELODY are its acting and production numbers. Though the original 1929 had its merits of success, its over-the-top acting among the leading actresses (Bessie Love and Anita Page) along with brief production numbers consisting of cart-wheels and back flips by ensembles, both weaken the original for contemporary viewers. Blondell, in her role originated by Bessie Love, gives a more natural performance as does Lana Turner's carnation to Anita Page's kid sister performance. For being Turner's movie, it is Blondell who proves herself more of a real trooper than the others.

The production numbers, well choreographed by Bobby Connolly, consisting of "My Wonder One, Let's Dance" (sung by George Murphy); "Broadway's Still Broadway" (dance rehearsal dance with Lana Turner) and reprise of "My Wonderful One, Let's Dance" (performed by Murphy and Turner) are entertaining enough, but not as memorable in scoring as the 1929 original that produced such classic tunes as "You Were Meant for Me." George Murphy, like Charles King, displays good showmanship in the entertainment department, yet it was Murphy who lasted a lot longer as a movie actor than the heavily New York accented Charles King, whose movie career ended in 1930.

As much as TWO GIRLS ON BROADWA Y is not a scene by scene remake to THE BROADWAY MELODY, it does lead to a similar structure to the original. Never distributed on video cassette but available on DVD, both TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY and THE BROADWAY MELODY can be seen and compared whenever shown on Turner Classic Movies cable television. (**1/2)

I wish I'd met you 4 wives ago

[AAdaSC · 7/10 · 15 July 2014]

George Murphy (Eddie) gets his song and dance act into a New York Broadway show. He also wangles an audition for his fiancé Joan Blondell (Molly) and her kid sister Lana Turner (Pat). However, on seeing the audition, the show's director Richard Lane (Bartell) throws them a curve ball by accepting Lana as a partner for Murphy and relegating fiancé Joan to the role of cigarette girl, which she does quite well "Cigars and cigarettes!" Joan and Murphy had expected to resume as a dance team, but sister Lana has now been pushed to the forefront. Throw in some love complications and watch the film unravel itself in a rather extraordinary way.

Wow, the plot of this story is insane. You have to feel sorry for Joan Blondell. Not only does she seem to be a better dancer than Lana, but she also has the security of a loving fiancé. She doesn't get much by the end of the film. There are funny moments, eg, Lana's relief that she has been sleeping in her clothes so that she doesn't have to bother getting dressed – an old student trick. However, there is also some seriously warped logic going on. Joan Blondell's sisterly attitude towards relationships just doesn't ring true, I'm afraid.

The film is enjoyable, not for the stupid storyline, but for watching Lana Turner dancing her numbers. The studio was definitely looking for a copycat Astaire-Rogers partnership, and Lana definitely cuts it. How funny that Joan spends the film trying to fend her sister away from producer playboy Kent Taylor (Chat). Little did they all know that Lana (in real life) could seriously outplay him! The film has an ambiguous ending – I really hope that reporter Wallace Ford (Jed) made a visit to Nebraska as he said he would.

Mildly amusing story about two sisters breaking into show business.

[cricket-14 · 5/10 · 10 May 1999]

It's one of those films you only watch because you either want to see anything Lana Turner - if you're a fan - or it's three am and you have no sleeping pills.

Watchable but nothing special.

Wow!

[Grammykins · 8/10 · 15 August 2006]

I never realized what a fabulous dancer Lana Turner was until I saw this movie. She was only 19 years old and gorgeous. What a pleasure to watch her dance with George Murphy. The story line was typical for its day but the dancing was really special. I never tire of watching Fred and Ginger but Lana Turner in this movie was just as terrific. I always thought of Lana as a so-so actress who tended to over act. She should have done more dancing and less of the Maddam X and Peyton Place roles. I had a new appreciation for her after seeing this movie and her wonderful dancing. Too bad the "Academy" doesn't give an "Oscar" for dancing.

Standard Drama

[Michael_Elliott · 26 February 2008]

Two Girls on Broadway (1940)

** (out of 4)

MGM musical about two sisters (Lana Turner, Joan Blondell) from Nebraska who go to NYC with their friend (George Murphy) only to both fall in love with him while trying to get their break. There's really nothing too bad about this film but at the same time there's nothing too good either. Blondell certainly steals the show as the older sister who's willing to do anything to make her younger sister happy. Turner and Murphy work nice together and have a couple great dance sequences. However, if you've seen one film about girls trying to make it on Broadway then you've seen them all.