Broadway Bill (1934)

Top comments

1. 

   Siskoid

   Myrna Loy plays against Werner Baxter (not for the first time) and a horse (not for the last time) in Broadway Bill - which is the name of a congenial race horse, or WOULD-BE race horse, if his owner can jump the many hurdles in his way to the big derby. This is a lesser-known Frank Capra film, filled with the kind of idealism that used to be a conservative staple - leave corporate nepotism behind to raise yourself up by your bootstraps, but also the power of the common man. (You still can't escape the lie behind the American dream though: that you need money - how did he acquire Bill in the first place, eh? - to make money, and that success often comes at the cost of exploiting others - here, the horse. Not that the movie really wants you to think about that.) Baxter has two helpers, Loy as his sister-in-law who understands and loves him more than her sister does, and Clarence Muse as (oh Lord) "Whitey" the stable hand, a meatier role than black actors usually had access to in these roles, but still racialized. There are some clever moments and some fun gags, and you do get swept up in the races, but it doesn't all work. For one thing, Baxter and Loy are NOT a good onscreen match, and he looks like he's way older than the 15 years he has on her. I also feel like parts of the climax require the audience to understand how one cheats at horse races more than we ultimately do, and those last dozen minutes are just too much. I almost rolled my eyes inside my head permanently. 1 year 7 months ago

See all comments

Friends

Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!