Two Tickets to Broadway

US (1951): Musical

Nancy Peterson (Janet Leigh) and her friends want to get a spot on Bob Crosby's TV show, but their agent has linked them. This RKO musical lacks the budget and star names of its rival studio MGM, but does manage to inject a welcome dose of humour to make up for its other shortcomings. Beautiful women are thrown at the screen, perhaps in an attempt to divert attention away from the paper-thin plot, and some lacklustre tunes -- and a youthful Janet Leigh looks absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, Tony Martin, her leading man, lacks the screen presence to make much of an impact: he has the kind of face that is more suited to noir-type gangster characters than a romantic crooner, and suffers from a distinct lack of expression. That said, he has a wonderful singing voice.

Best scenes are shared by Joe Smith and Charles Dale (in roles originally intended for Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy) as a pair of bickering delicatessen owners. Eddie Bracken, as the supposed comedy relief, succeeds only fitfully, and his character is far too annoying. One highlight of the movie is the performance by a trapeze act called the Charvelles, whose sequence is both funny and impressive -- in addition, an unexpected (and effective) slow-motion sequence shows the gracefulness of their stunts to great effect. James V. Kern directs. (Joey the Brit, IMDb)

 Use this link to view the original theatrical trailer for Two Tickets to Broadway on TCM.com.