''Two Tickets to Broadway'' is a 1951 American musical film directed by James V. Kern and filmed on the

RKO Forty Acres RKO Forty Acres was a film studio backlot in the United States, owned by RKO Pictures (and later Desilu Productions), located in Culver City, California. Best known as Forty Acres and "the back forty," it was also called "Desilu Culver," the "RKO ...

backlot A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction. Uses Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...

. It was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Sound Recording ( John O. Aalberg). The film was choreographed by

Busby Berkeley Busby Berkeley (born Berkeley William Enos; November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berke ...

. The film recorded an estimated loss of $1,150,000.Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p261.

Plot

Frustrated singers Hannah Holbrook, Joyce Campbell, and S. F. "Foxy" Rogers return dejectedly to New York on a bus, their out-of-town engagement in Vermont, arranged by small-time promoter Lew Conway, having been a huge flop. Nancy Peterson, another passenger on the bus, mistakenly believes Dan Carter has stolen her suitcase. It turns out both are entertainers. They end up with each other's bags, then become better acquainted after the mix-up. The conniving Lew represents Dan and tries to get him to take the same bad gig the girl singers just left. Lew also meets a couple of delicatessen owners, Leo and Harry, who might have money to invest in his performers' careers. The agent has an impersonator, Glendon, pretend to be the producer of bandleader Bob Crosby's television program. Everybody excitedly believes that Lew has booked them on the TV show. Lew continually tries to get in to see Crosby's actual producer, totally in vain. He lies to the singers that Crosby won't book them because he is jealous of Dan's ability as a singer. A furious Nancy barges into the TV studio to berate Crosby and his producer, who have no idea what she is talking about. Nancy boards a bus, headed back home. Crosby's producer, however, says he's been interested in Dan for quite a while, and ends up with an opening on tonight's show after Lew locks the scheduled performers in a closet. Nancy refuses to believe Lew that the gang really is performing on tonight's show, until she spots Dan singing on a TV in a store's window. She races back to New York just in time to join the others on the show.

Cast

* Tony Martin as Dan Carter *

Janet Leigh Jeanette Helen Morrison (July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004), known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. Her career spanned over five decades. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, ...

as Nancy Peterson *

Gloria DeHaven Gloria Mildred DeHaven (July 23, 1925 – July 30, 2016) was an American actress and singer who was a contract star for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Early life DeHaven was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actor-director Carter De ...

as Hannah Holbrook *

Eddie Bracken Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films '' Hail the Conquering Hero'' and '' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' both from ...

as Lew Conway * Ann Miller as Joyce Campbell *

Barbara Lawrence Barbara Jo Lawrence (February 24, 1930 – November 13, 2013) was an American model, actress, and real estate agent. Early years Born to Morris and Bernice ( Eaton) Lawrence in Carnegie, Oklahoma, Barbara Jo moved with her mother to Kansas C ...

as S. F. Rogers *

Bob Crosby George Robert Crosby (August 23, 1913 – March 9, 1993) was an American jazz singer and bandleader, best known for his group the Bob-Cats, which formed around 1935. The Bob-Cats were a New Orleans Dixieland-style jazz octet. He was the young ...

as Himself *

Charles Dale Charles Dale (born 4 February 1963) is a Welsh actor known for playing Big Mac in '' Casualty'', Dennis Stringer in ''Coronation Street'', Gary "Chef" Alcock in '' The Lakes'' and Clive Eustace in ''The Eustace Bros.'' He was born in Tenby, Pem ...

as Leo, Palace Deli * Joe Smith as Harry, Palace Deli *

Taylor Holmes Taylor Holmes (May 16, 1878 – September 30, 1959) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 Broadway plays in his five-decade career. However, he is probably best remembered for his screen performances, which he began in silent films in ...

as Willard Glendon * Buddy Baer as Sailor on Bus *

Kathleen O'Malley Mary Kathleen O'Malley (March 31, 1924 – February 25, 2019) was an American film and television actress, who was the daughter of vaudevillian and actor Pat O'Malley. Her screen debut came during the silent film era as a thirteen month old bab ...

as Showgirl The roles of the two

delicatessen Traditionally, a delicatessen or deli is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessen originated in Germany (original: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the m ...

owners were originally offered to Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who had to turn down the parts due to Laurel being ill.p.110 Gehring, Wes D. ''Laurel & Hardy: A Bio-Bibliography'' Greenwood Publishing Group, 1990 The comedy team of

Smith and Dale Smith and Dale were a famous American vaudeville comedy duo. They consisted of Joe Smith (born Joseph Sultzer on February 17, 1884February 22, 1981) and Charlie Dale (born Charles Marks on September 6, 1881November 16, 1971), who both grew up in ...

got the roles instead.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Two Tickets To Broadway 1951 films 1951 musical films American musical films Films about musical theatre Films directed by James V. Kern Films produced by Howard Hughes Films scored by Walter Scharf RKO Pictures films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films