The Broadway Melody (1929) (Warner Archive Collection)

[RBBrittain]

Warner Archive will be releasing The Broadway Melody (1929) on Blu-ray on July 25.

https://www.moviezyng.com/broadway-m...g/810134941564

[Torgon]

The announcement posted

[RBBrittain]

From https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...0064670684880:

New 2023 1080p HD master from 4K scan of best preservation elements. Coming to Blu-ray July 25th!

THE BROADWAY MELODY (1929)
Run Time: 100 Minutes
Subtitles: ENGLISH SDH
Audio Specs: DTS HD-MA 2.0 Mono
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.37:1 with side mattes
Product color: B&W
DIsc Configuration-BD 50

Special features:
Metro Movietone Review Shorts, No. 1,2,3,4 & 7; Van and Schenck Metro Movietone Act, The Dogway Melody

Cast: Charles King, Bessie Love, Anita Page

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made every effort to impress with its first talking motion picture, setting a new standard for big-budget films and establishing an archetype for decades of movie musicals to follow in The Broadway Melody. The Great White Way truly becomes the Street of Broken Dreams when sisters Queenie and Hank Mahoney (Anita Page and Bessie Love) follow Hank's boyfriend, Eddie Kearns (Charles King), to Manhattan with visions of stardom. In New York, Eddie and Queenie are attracted to each other, but unwilling to betray her sister, Queenie dates a feckless cad. Now, Hank must sort out the tangle of aspirations and emotions that form this tragic love triangle. Filled with a memorable score of unforgettable songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, this was the first sound film to win the Academy Award® for Best Picture (1929-30).

As the film was originally released in the Vitaphone sound-on-disc format its OAR should be 1.33:1, left unchanged by Vitaphone from silent film. (WAC substituting 1.37:1 Academy ratio is understandable, but that ratio didn't exist until the 1930's after sound-on-film became the norm.) The DVD, however, was mostly 1.2:1 because it used prints made for Movietone theaters. As this will likely be its last major restoration (it will be public domain after 2024), I certainly hope WAC did get the best possible surviving elements.

[RBBrittain]

According to https://cinemontage.org/broadway-playback/ , it is unclear if The Broadway Melody was originally shot as Vitaphone (sound-on-disc) or Movietone (sound-on-film). A Vitaphone expert suggested it could have been shot both ways simultaneously (with a wider optical track); it was definitely released both ways along with a half-length silent version. IMDb lists both 1.2:1 & 1.37:1 as ARs, but as I said before Academy ratio did not exist in 1929. TCM lists 1.33:1 AR, which I still believe is correct as consistent with both the Vitaphone & silent versions. (Alas, the OCN is long gone thanks to the 1965 MGM vault fire, if it even survived that long.)

[theater dreamer]

I’ve often thought about where I’d go if I had one trip, and one trip only, in a time Machine, there and back. I’ve considered things like the signing of the Declaration of Independence, or warning the Titanic of the iceberg.

But I now think that I might go back and stop the Fox vault fire of 1937, and have Western Union deliver a telegram to MGM just before the vault fire in 1965. Maybe I’d break one of the time traveling rules, and sneak back some technology that might prevent these things from ever happening again.

When I think of the works that have been lost to the ravages of time-virtually whole careers from the likes of Theda Bara, or the lion’s share of Lon Chaney’s filmography, it breaks my heart. So much of our film history, never to be seen again. Great works from such passionate men and women, reduced to historical footnotes.

Then I see a movie like The Broadway Melody get loving attention from Warner Archive, I can’t help but tear up a little. This sense of joy overcomes me knowing that this little piece of history has been rescued, and future generations will be able to enjoy it.

I will happily add it to my collection, not only to enjoy it myself, but to help fund further restorations and releases.

Originally Posted by RBBrittain

According to https://cinemontage.org/broadway-playback/ , it is unclear if The Broadway Melody was originally shot as Vitaphone (sound-on-disc) or Movietone (sound-on-film). A Vitaphone expert suggested it could have been shot both ways simultaneously (with a wider optical track); it was definitely released both ways along with a half-length silent version. IMDb lists both 1.2:1 & 1.37:1 as ARs, but as I said before Academy ratio did not exist in 1929. TCM lists 1.33:1 AR, which I still believe is correct as consistent with both the Vitaphone & silent versions. (Alas, the OCN is long gone thanks to the 1965 MGM vault fire, if it even survived that long.)

[LMFAObros]

Last time I watched this I felt it has not aged well, but technology wise this was revolutionary like the Jazz Singer

[Randy Miller III]

Full site review is up. As others have mentioned, it's a slightly better film than its reputation suggests and a historically important one, which makes Warner Archive's Blu-ray all the more essential!

The Broadway Melody Blu-ray Review

[RBBrittain]

Originally Posted by Randy Miller III

Full site review is up. As others have mentioned, it's a slightly better film than its reputation suggests and a historically important one, which makes Warner Archive's Blu-ray all the more essential!

The Broadway Melody Blu-ray Review

Great review, but are you absolutely sure about the OAR? Though 1.37:1 was being experimented with as early as 1928, it didn't become the "Academy ratio" standard until 1932. Most Vitaphone productions (your review confirms it was primarily Vitaphone) used silent film OAR of 1.33:1. Shouldn't the OAR for this film be 1.33:1, and perhaps it's just the best surviving prints that's 1.37:1 (reissues later in the 1930's)?

[bigshot]

The screen caps look like they're the correct aspect ratio. If it was 1.33, then they did some top of frame/bottom of frame scene to scene shifts to make it work.

[Randy Miller III]

Originally Posted by RBBrittain

Great review, but are you absolutely sure about the OAR? Though 1.37:1 was being experimented with as early as 1928, it didn't become the "Academy ratio" standard until 1932. Most Vitaphone productions (your review confirms it was primarily Vitaphone) used silent film OAR of 1.33:1. Shouldn't the OAR for this film be 1.33:1, and perhaps it's just the best surviving prints that's 1.37:1 (reissues later in the 1930's)?

Not that I trust IMDb implicitly, but it lists a 1.37:1 OAR for the sound on disc version (presumably what was used here) and a 1.2:1 OAR for the sound on film version (likely either no longer in existence or was deemed unusable).

[BluPat]

Just bought this with a $4 credit and only paid $7.44. Great deal. It was on TCM this morning when I went to bed and looked interesting and entertaining.

[BluPat]

I haven't watched mine yet, but I just turned the TV to TCM and it's on now. It's obviously NOT the new Warner Archive transfer. Or at least I would hope not.
I wonder why TCM sometimes shows old transfers of films?

[BluPat]

Just finished watching my Blu-ray. It's a cute movie. The PQ is phenomenal and so is the AQ. It kept me entertained the whole 1hr 41mins. A+ Warner Archive.