FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE
This talking-head extravaganza, a valentine to Broadway babies as well as post-War New York, sets out to answer the
question, did the Golden Age of Broadway really exist. Impressively, first-time filmmaker Rick McKay
interviews quite a cast of luminaries, mostly actors. Their anecdotes of struggle and backstage drama are thoroughly
engaging, from Carol Burnett’s camaraderie with her roommates to Gretchen Wyler’s big break; having gone from
understudy to star, she’s an example of being at the right place at the right time.
Regarding the revolution in the style of acting, Marlon Brando is, predictably, singled out. Martin Landau,
describing Brando in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, declares “You can smell the armpits.”
But also honored is the not-as-well-known Kim Stanley and Laurette Taylor, who originated the role of Amanda
Wingfield in William’s The Glass Menagerie. Among her admirers are Marian Seldes and Ben Gazzara, who says
“Her impact changed acting.” A departure in her day, Taylor was, according to Landau, like “a woman who had
found her way into the theatre” off the street. Included is rare footage of Taylor's failed screen test.
Informative and humorous, this documentary is a look at show business through rose-colored glasses (turkeys are ignored), offering little in perspective.
It simply paints a way of life before pop culture changed in the
late 1960s. Little is mentioned of pre-war theatre. (I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some chorus girls, à la
the Ziegfield Follies, bemoaning the rise of the book musicals). But it’s no wonder these reminisces tend to be
glowing, considering those interviewed have had distinguished careers. Though one fact that goes unmentioned is
that many who made their mark in the 1950s left New York for the West Coast - such as Gena Rowlands, Shirley
MacLaine, and later, Michele Lee. What was Hollywood’s gain may have been New York’s loss. Nevertheless, the
conversation never lags, even when much of the footage is amateurishly shot - Uta Hagen is filmed from a
particularly unflattering angle. Except for its production values, Broadway could be a segment in the PBS
series Great Performances, and is a must for Inside the Actors Studio followers. Kent Turner
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