You won't be disappointed!

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I don't know exactly why, but I didn't have high hopes for this film, but I quite wrong. A very good mid-1930s musical! Let's start out with the negatives. Chief among them was the casting of -- or perhaps I should blame it on the director on the performance of -- Buddy Ebsen. I'll admit to not being a particular fan of Ebsen's, and perhaps that's quite a bit to do with his sting on "THe Beverly Hillbillies" in the 1960s, but I am really not impressed here. It seems to me that what they (or he) wanted to do with his character was to make a White Stepin Fetchit, except that Lincoln Perry was more talented. I really see NOTHING entertaining about Ebsen's acting here, and his dancing is not much more than satisfactory. My other criticism is the sneezing routine; what a waste of celluloid.Aside from those 2 issues, there's quite a bit of good stuff here, starting with an otherwise fine cast. Robert Taylor is very good as the trying-to-be a Broadway producer. Eleanor Powell always impresses me with her dancing, although this is not her finest performance. Judy Garland is really good here as a teenage girl on her way to stardom, and this is the film where she performs her memorable love letter to Clark Gable ("You Made Me Love You"); what a fine vocalist she was even at this young age (15). It's great to see Sophie Tucker, particularly where she does a somewhat short version of "Some Of These Days"; she also plays a wonderfully sympathetic character here. George Murphy shows just how good a dancer he was, and that was darned good...although sometimes he had to look down, while Fred Astaire never would have. Robert Benchley is here, but adds little. Billy Gilbert is very funny in his constant apoplecty.In terms of a plot...well it's a hodge podge of horse racing, a Broadway play, love and jealousy, and dreams of stardom. Yes, a hodge podge, but it somehow all comes together without seeming to silly.While this is not one of the later great musicals put out by MGM, bu mid-1930s standards, it's very good and well worth watching.

Broadway Melody of 1938 is one of those pure escapist type films that folks in the Thirties paid their money to see. It's a nice film combining both a backstage and a racetrack story with one of the most eclectic casts ever assembled for a film.What can you say when you've got dancing covered by Eleanor Powell, George Murphy and Buddy Ebsen, the varied singing styles of Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, and Igor Gorin and such incredible character actors as Raymond Walburn, Charley Grapewin, Billy Gilbert, and Robert Benchley. All of them such great performers and such vivid personalities there's no way that the film could be bad.Almost lost in the shuffle are Robert Taylor and Binnie Barnes who don't sing or dance and aren't colorful. But Binnie Barnes is one fine actress and she's the villain of the piece as Raymond Walburn's wife who was once part of the chorus, but wants not to be reminded of from where she came. She's jealous of Eleanor Powell and has a thing for Taylor.As did half the young women in America in 1937. Though the part doesn't call for any kind of real acting, Robert Taylor shows every bit as to why he was such a screen heart throb that year. He's the nice guy producer/director who gets caught in a crunch between his financial backer Raymond Walburn and his wife and the girl of his dreams, Eleanor Powell. Walburn is in the role that Guy Kibbee had in 42nd Street and he does it well with his own avuncular touches.Powell is not just an ambitious hoofer as are Ebsen and Murphy. She's also the owner of race horse upon whose performance everyone's future eventually rides. Just how the racetrack and backstage are woven into the same plot you have to see the film for.Vocal highlights are provided by Judy Garland who sings her famous Dear Mr. Gable version of that old Al Jolson song, You Made Me Love You. She also sings Everybody Sing which is a number I personally like a whole lot better. Honest Indian. Sophie Tucker is her mother who owns and operates a theatrical boarding house where half the cast lives. She's an old trooper herself and of course she gets to sing her famous theme, Some of These Days.Other material that the MGM songwriting team of Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown did not provide for this film are a couple operatic arias sung by the great concert singer Igor Gorin. He sings Largo Al Factotum from The Barber of Seville and the Toreador Song from Carmen. I'd venture a guess that Louis B. Mayer signed Gorin for this as an effort to keep his other two singers Nelson Eddy and Allan Jones in line. In fact Eddy and Mayer did not get along and Jones would be leaving MGM the following year. Gorin is in fine voice, but did not have much screen presence and has very few spoken lines. I don't think that was an accident.Broadway Melody of 1938 is one of MGM's best musicals from the Thirties and how can you not like a film with as much talent as this one is loaded with, honest Indian.

I don't care how shoddy is a script nor do I care about the flaky acting..they are all irrelevant when a film contains 15 year old Judy Garland singing "You Made Me Love You" to a picture of her favorite movie star, Clark Gable. That was the DEFINING moment in the budding megastar's future. That one scene was worth the time watching this hokey picture on TV. Furthermore another great moment was to watch the great, then 43 year old Sophie Tucker, sing "Some of These Days." Generally speaking the film was mediocre at best which explains my 5 rating yet for nostalgiaphiles, for someone like I, thrilled by the Broadway revival of "42nd Street," it was satisfying.

After finding success with the two previous "Broadway Melodies", MGM must have realized they had something.... However, this third installment is not the best, although there are some fun performances from Eleanor Powell, Sophie Tucker and Judy Garland.Eleanor's finale is something to see, as is the sweet song "Dear Mr. Gable (You Made Me Love You)" that Judy sings as a love letter to Clark's portrait.