''Lullaby of Broadway'' is a 1951 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by David Butler and released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

It stars

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

as Melinda Howard, an entertainer who travels to New York to see her mother, and

Gene Nelson Gene Nelson (born Leander Eugene Berg; March 24, 1920 – September 16, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, screenwriter, and director. Biography Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he and his family moved to Seattle when he wa ...

as Tom Farnham, a fellow entertainer and Melinda's love interest.

Gladys George Gladys George (born Gladys Clare Evans; September 13, 1904 – December 8, 1954) was an American actress of stage and screen. Though nominated for an Academy Award for her leading role in ''Valiant Is the Word for Carrie'' (1936), she spent most ...

appears as Jessica Howard, Melinda's alcoholic mother, in addition to

S.Z. Sakall Szőke Szakáll (born Jakab Grünwald, akas: Gärtner Sándor and Gerő Jenő; February 2, 1883 February 12, 1955), known in the English-speaking world as S. Z. Sakall, was a Hungarian-American stage and film character actor. He appeared in m ...

Billy De Wolfe William Andrew Jones (February 18, 1907 – March 5, 1974), better known as Billy De Wolfe, was an American character actor. He was active in films from the mid-1940s until his death in 1974. Early life and early stage career Born William Andr ...

Florence Bates Florence Bates ( Rabe; April 15, 1888 - January 31, 1954), was an American film and stage character actress who often played grande dame characters in supporting roles. Life and career Bates was the second child born to Jewish immigrant pare ...

, and Anne Triola. Songs from the film were released in an album of the same name.

Plot

Melinda Howard is an entertainer traveling from England to pay a surprise visit to her mother, Broadway singer Jessica Howard, who lives in New York City. Melinda believes that her mother lives in a mansion, however, Jessica's

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

has reduced her to singing in a

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

saloon, and the mansion actually belongs to Adolph Hubbell and his wife. The Hubbells' butler, Lefty Mack, and his fiancée, Gloria Davis, the maid, are a down-on-their luck

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

team and are good friends of Jessica and have been forwarding her letters to Melinda. Lefty pretends that Jessica has rented the house to the Hubbells while she is on tour, and, when a disappointed Melinda discloses that she has no money, offers her one of the servants' rooms for the night. Lefty promises Melinda that her mother will return home soon, and then informs Jessica of her daughter's arrival. He then suggests that she come to the house the next night when the Hubbells will be giving a party attended by many Broadway performers. Meanwhile, Adolph has discovered Melinda's presence, and after Lefty explains the situation, agrees to keep Jessica's secret. At the party, Melinda awaits her mother's arrival, and while waiting, sees that one of party guests brought along Tom Farnham, who was on the boat with Melinda and had made a pass at her. He had also kept his profession a secret while on the boat. At the party, he entertains the crowd with a song and dance, as he is the male lead in George Ferndel's newest production, ''Lullaby of Broadway.'' Ferndel, the Broadway producer, tries to persuade Adolphe to invest in his latest show, something Adolph refuses to do unless he is able to help cast the production. Jessica fails to appear at the party because she has been hospitalized with

delirium tremens Delirium tremens (DTs) is a rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol. When it occurs, it is often three days into the withdrawal symptoms and lasts for two to three days. Physical effects may include shaking, shiver ...

and Lefty explains to Melinda that Jessica's show was too popular for her to leave, which leads Melinda to vow to wait for her. In an attempt to cheer up Melinda, Lefty suggests to Adolph that he take her to dinner and present her to Ferndel as the potential new star of his show. Ferndel is impressed by Melinda's performance, and as a reward, Adolph decides to buy Melinda a

fur coat Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...

. Tom happens to see him in the fur shop, and Adolphe has to beg him to keep it a secret. The fur arrives at the house and Gloria is horrified, as she believes Adolphe's intentions are far from fatherly. Melinda, upset by the insinuations, insists on returning the coat, and informs Lefty and Gloria that they will both have parts in the musical. Before the coat is returned, however, Mrs. Hubbell finds it and believes that it is a surprise for her. She wears it that night to a charity ball where Melinda sees her and candidly remarks to Tom that the coat had originally been meant for her. Tom misinterprets her statements, and the two quarrel bitterly. Although Jessica has been released from the hospital, she fears Melinda's reaction to her present state and refuses to meet with her. Right before the show opens, Mrs. Hubbell learns the truth about the fur, and names Melinda in a divorce suit against Mr. Hubbell. Tom offers to "forgive" the shocked Melinda, and she realizes that he, too, thought she was romantically involved with Adolph. Shortly afterward, an aggressive reporter recognizes Jessica's picture and tells Melinda the truth about her mother. Completely shattered, Melinda decides to return to England and begs Lefty to pay for her ticket. Gloria and Lefty meet Melinda at the ship and escort her to a stateroom where Jessica is waiting. Mother and daughter are tearfully reunited, and Lefty informs them that Mrs. Hubbell now knows that there was nothing between Melinda and Adolph. They all leave together for the theater, where opening night is a success, and Tom and Melinda are free to pursue their romance.http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=82175

Cast

- Melinda Howard *

- Tom Farnham *

- Adolph Hubbell *

- Lefty Mack *

- Jessica Howard *

- Mrs. Anna Hubbell * Anne Triola - Gloria Davis

Musical numbers

* '' Lullaby of Broadway'' - Doris Day ** music and lyrics by

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

and

Al Dubin Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren. Life Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that emigrated to the United States from Swi ...

* ''You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me'' - Doris Day ** music and lyrics by Harry Warren and Al Dubin * ''Just One of Those Things'' - Doris Day ** music and lyrics by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

* ''Somebody Loves Me'' - Doris Day and Gene Nelson (dubbed by Hal Derwin) ** music by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

, lyrics by B. G. DeSylva and

Ballard MacDonald Ballard MacDonald (October 15, 1882 – November 17, 1935) was an American lyricist, who was one of the writers of Tin Pan Alley. Born in Portland, Oregon, he was a charter member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ...

* ''I Love the Way You Say Goodnight'' - Doris Day and Gene Nelson (dubbed by Hal Derwin) ** music and lyrics by

Eddie Pola Edward Pola (June 23, 1907 – November 3, 1995)Passenger list, S.S. ''Transylvania'', port of New York, 20 August 1931. was an actor, radio/television producer, and songwriter. Pola was born Sidney Edward Pollacsek in New York City, the son of Ida ...

and

George Wyle George Wyle (born Bernard Weissman; March 22, 1916 – May 2, 2003) was an American orchestra leader and composer best known for having written the theme song to 1960s television sitcom '' Gilligan's Island''. He is the grandfather of music ...

* ''Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone'' - Gladys George ** music and lyrics by

Sam H. Stept Samuel Howard Stept (aka Sammy Stept; 18 September 1897 – 1 December 1964) was an American songwriter who wrote for Broadway, Hollywood and the big bands. He became known simply as Sam Stept or Sam H. Stept – he rarely used his full middle n ...

Sidney Clare Sidney Clare (August 15, 1892 – August 29, 1972) was an American comedian, dancer and composer. His best-known songs include "On the Good Ship Lollipop" (introduced by Shirley Temple), " You're My Thrill" (recorded by Billie Holiday), and "Ple ...

and

Bee Palmer Beatrice C. "Bee" Palmer (11 September 1894 – 22 December 1967) was an American singer and dancer born in Chicago, Illinois. Palmer first attracted significant attention as one of the first exponents of the "shimmy" dance in the late 1910s. ...

* ''In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town'' - Gladys George ** music and lyrics by Jack Little, John Siras and Joe Young * ''Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart'' - Gene Nelson (dubbed by Hal Derwin) ** music and lyrics by

James F. Hanley James Frederick Hanley (February 17, 1892 – February 8, 1942) was an American songwriter and author. Biography Hanley was born in Rensselaer, Indiana on February 17, 1892. He attended Champion College and the Chicago Musical College. He serve ...

* ''You're Dependable'' - Billy De Wolfe and Anne Triola ** music and lyrics by Sy Miller and

Jerry Seelen Jerome Lincoln Seelen (March 11, 1912 - September 12, 1981) was an American screenwriter and lyricist . Biography Jerry Seelen wrote lyrics for songs in musical films and wrote screenplays for radio and television. During his lyricist career ...

* ''We'd Like to Go on a Trip'' - Billy De Wolfe and Anne Triola ** music and lyrics by Sy Miller and

Reception

According to Warner Bros records the film earned $2,102,000 domestically and $983,000 foreign.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lullaby Of Broadway 1951 films 1951 musical comedy films 1951 romantic comedy films Films directed by David Butler Warner Bros. films Films set in New York City 1950s English-language films