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The Barkleys of Broadway

The Barkleys of Broadway

Comedy · Romance · 1949

Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful musical-comedy team, known for their stormy but passionate relationship. Dinah feels overshadowed by Josh and limited by the lighthearted musical roles he directs her in. So she decides to stretch her skills by taking a role in a serious drama, directed by another man.

Movie details

The Barkleys of Broadway

“Joyously together again!”

1949 Comedy · Romance 1h 48m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful musical-comedy team, known for their stormy but passionate relationship. Dinah feels overshadowed by Josh and limited by the lighthearted musical roles he directs her in. So she decides to stretch her skills by taking a role in a serious drama, directed by another man.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Barkleys of Broadway?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Charles Walters

Written by

Betty Comden · Adolph Green

Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire

Josh Barkley

Ginger Rogers

Ginger Rogers

Dinah Barkley

Oscar Levant

Oscar Levant

Ezra Millar

Billie Burke

Billie Burke

Mrs. Livingston Belney

Gale Robbins

Gale Robbins

Shirlene May

Jacques François

Jacques François

Jacques Barredout

George Zucco

George Zucco

Judge

Court is in session

Put The Barkleys of Broadway on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.