NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

wes-connors After living in England, bubbly American singer-dancer Doris Day (as Melinda Howard) sails for New York. Aboard ship, Ms. Day meets likewise inclined Gene Nelson (as Tom Farnham), a Broadway star, homeward bound. The two are mutually attracted, but Day finds Mr. Nelson too forward. Day expects to return to her mother's mansion, but the house had been sold to blustery German brewer S.Z. Sakall (as Adolph Hubbell). A former Broadway star, Day's mother Gladys George (as Jessica Howard) has hit the skids, and is trying to lay off the sauce. Butler Billy De Wolfe (as Lefty Mack) tries to hide the truth from Day..."Lullaby of Broadway" wisely brings Gene Nelson back for more singing and dancing with Doris Day. They had created momentary magic in a previous minor picture, "Tea for Two" (1950). Jumping on a piano and dancing incredibly with Day on a staircase, Nelson moves up to leading man, herein. While the co-stars are wonderful, the production has the appearance of quickly being thrown together, with familiar songs and reheated story lines. Strangely, Nelson's singing is dubbed. However, Day and Nelson are marvelous. One wonders what they would do at MGM, if afforded material like "Singing in the Rain" (1952).****** Lullaby of Broadway (3/26/51) David Butler ~ Doris Day, Gene Nelson, Gladys George, S. Z. Sakall

mark.waltz When we first heard "Lullaby of Broadway" in "Gold Diggers of 1935", it told the story of Broadway Babies who said goodnight early in the morning. One of them must have been the character played here by Gladys George, "Greenwich Village Gertie" she calls herself, a torch singer in Washington Square who sings such songs as "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" and "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". George's character could also be the speakeasy lady she played in "The Roaring Twenties", now a drunken shell of herself whose daughter (Day) thinks that her mother is a great star. Doris comes back from being away in Europe, moves into what she believes is her mother's Beekman Place home (right next to Mame Dennis, of course!), and proceeds to innocently cause scandal for a Hungarian beer manufacturer (S.Z. Sakall) and his imperious wife (Florence Bates). A mix-up over a mink coat causes Bates to think that something more is going on between hubby Sakall and newcomer Day. Then, Doris learns the truth about her mother, reels over the accusations of the press, and prepares to return to Europe.That storyline is more than a lullaby, it is a torch song! But thanks to a light-hearted presentation by Warner Brothers, "Lullaby of Broadway" ends up being one of their better early 50's musicals, not lavish like MGM's crop, but unpretentious and fun. There's a bit of dated comedy (Billy DeWolfe & Anne Triola's routines reek of vaudeville, particularly their song, "You're Dependable") but when Doris sings and Gene dances, the film shines. Doris is a fine dancer too, but for some reason, Gene (who did his own singing in the movie version of "Oklahoma!") is dubbed by a bass singer that doesn't fit his speaking voice. Sakall can sometimes be a bit too cutesy, but Bates is delightfully comic. Her society matron manages to win sympathy because it is obvious that she only gets domineering with Sakall to prevent him from getting involved in creating disaster and truly loves him.As for the musical numbers, Day's "Just One of Those Things" is the stand-out (she looks great in a tux!), while Nelson's athletic dancing in "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" is amazing. There's some special effects thrown into the dancing during "I Like the Way You Say Good Night" (slowing down of the film, like Fred Astaire did in "Easter Parade"), and the mechanical doll number is truly funny as well. The title song lacks strong choreography but has a great opening of only Day's head being seen until the lights come up on her in a beautiful gold dress. It is her personality exploding on screen that the audience can describe, like her first movie song hit, "It's Magic!"

Neil Doyle Overlooking the slight and highly improbable storyline, LULLABY OF Broadway is a minor showcase for Doris Day during her early years at Warner Brothers.She acts, sings and dances with consummate ease, does some good routines with co-star Gene Nelson, and makes it easy to see why she was such a natural in front of the Technicolor cameras. Songs are sprinkled throughout to overcome the uninspired plot which has her searching for her long lost mother (Gladys George), unaware that her mother is on the skids singing in cheap bars for a living.A reunion of mother and daughter sponsored by friend Billy DeWolfe paves the way toward a happy show biz ending, highlighted by Day and Nelson doing a nifty tap-dancing routine up and down a staircase with dozens of extras while rendering the title tune in bright fashion.Nelson's zesty rendering of "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" shows off his ability to sing and dance with the best of them. Too bad his career at Warners never reached full potential.S.Z. Sakall and Florence Bates are on hand for comedy relief, making this a pleasant diversion for Doris Day fans who relish her kind of sunny disposition in musicals.

algernon4 I saw this when I was a small boy, when it was revived in a neighborhood theatre, and then many years later on TV. Finally, with the advent of the VCR, I purchased this entertaining musical.This is probably the picture that caused me fall in love with Doris Day. That personality! That smile! That Voice! From the opening number, "Just One of Those Things," to the last spectacular song and dance of "Lullaby of Broadway," this is a delight.I especially enjoyed Doris' scenes with Gladys George (not "Cooper") as someone else reported. "It's tough being a mother. I need a couple more rehearsals." She was wonderful as Jessica Howard, has-been star of Broadway, now singing in a Greenwich Village dive.Gene Nelson was mischievous as the lecherous dancer who chases Miss Day and Billy DeWolfe was inappropriately prissy as the "boyfriend" of Ann Triola. Of course, I always enjoy watching S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. This was his third time appearing with Miss Day.Doris looked fantastic in Technicolor and the many closeups they gave her underscored her natural beauty, even though her freckles were covered up. She sang very nicely and danced up a storm with Gene Nelson, something that if done today, would get Oscar nominations. I especially enjoyed "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me" and "I Love The Way You Say Goodnight." I was disappointed that Miss Day didn't have a ballad in this picture. What an oversight!Day and her ilk made it look too easy, even though a LOT of work went into making these films.