The Big Broadcast of 1937

The Big Broadcast of 1937 is a 1936 Paramount Pictures production directed by Mitchell Leisen, and is the third in the series of Big Broadcast movies. The musical comedy stars Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bob Burns, Martha Raye, Shirley Ross, Ray Milland, Benny Fields, Frank Forest and the orchestra of Benny Goodman (featuring Gene Krupa). It was in this film that Leopold Stokowski made his movie debut conducting two of his Bach transcriptions. Uncredited roles include Jack Mulhall.

The Big Broadcast of 1937
Directed by	Mitchell Leisen
Written by	Erwin Gelsey Arthur Kober Barry Trivers
Screenplay by	Walter DeLeon Francis Martin
Produced by	Lewis E. Gensler
Starring	Jack Benny George Burns Gracie Allen
Cinematography	Theodor Sparkuhl
Edited by	Stuart Gilmore
Music by	Marlin Skiles Victor Young
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	October 6, 1936 (1936-10-06)
Running time	100 min
Country	United States
Language	English

German animator Oskar Fischinger was hired to create an animation sequence in Technicolor. However, when Paramount changed the production to black-and-white, Fischinger's original abstract animation design was changed to a hybrid animation and live-action sequence showing consumer products emanating from a broadcasting tower, to the song "Radio Dynamics" by Ralph Rainger.^[1]

Plot

Jack Carson produces a radio show. Mrs. Platt is the show's sponsor. Her company makes golf balls. Patsy is Carson's assistant, who turns out to be a rousing singer. There is a story line involving star-crossed lovers, naturally. The rest is various performances on various radio shows.

Cast

• Jack Benny as Jack Carson
• George Burns as Mr. Platt
• Gracie Allen as Mrs. Platt
• Bob Burns as humorist Bob Black
• Ellen Drew as Telephone Girl
• Frank Forest as operatic singer Frank Rossman
• Benny Goodman and his orchestra
• Gene Krupa drummer in Goodman's orchestra
• Ray Milland as Bob Miller
• Martha Raye as Patsy
• Shirley Ross as Gwen Holmes
• Leopold Stokowski and his orchestra
• Donald Hulbert as Page boy

Reception

Leonard Maltin described it as an "almost unbearable musical" that "manages to waste the talent of its formidable cast", giving it 1½ out of 4 stars.

Films in series

• The Big Broadcast (1932)
• The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935)
• The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1937)

References

1. IMDb entry for the film

• Green, Stanley (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed.), pub. Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 0-634-00765-3 page 62

External links

• The Big Broadcast of 1937 at IMDb
• The Big Broadcast of 1937 at the TCM Movie Database
• The Big Broadcast of 1937 at AllMovie
• The Big Broadcast of 1937 at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films