Opened Friday, June 11 (New York)
NEW YORK -- While less than artfully composed, Rick McKay's homegrown documentary about the glory days of the American theater represents an invaluable oral history. Composed mainly of talking-head interviews and a smattering of fascinating archival footage of long-ago productions, "Broadway: The Golden Age" is made notable by its sheer existence, since this is a subject that has not exactly been overexposed on the big screen. Now playing in several theaters in New York, where business should be brisk, the film will eventually be a must-own video item for theater buffs.
McKay became enamored of the theater when very young, albeit from a secondhand perspective, and moved to New York in 1981, when he was in his early 20s. Despite seeing such revelatory shows as "Amadeus" and "A Chorus Line", he quickly realized that the modern-day theater, filled with spectacles and British imports, was a far cry from the Broadway he had fantasized about.
This golden period, roughly from the 1930s-60s, is the subject of the film, which includes close-up interviews with dozens of theater figures -- mainly performers but also playwrights, composers and producers. These include a veritable who's who of Broadway, including Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Kim Hunter, Tommy Tune, Angela Lansbury, Carol Burnett, Patricia Neal, Barbara Cook, Arthur Laurents, Shirley MacLaine and many, many others.
These oral reminiscences are alternately fascinating and cliche-ridden, entertaining and redundant, but there are many priceless anecdotes, and the passion of the interviewees for their subject is contagious. The filmmaker has organized the accounts in nonchronological and sometimes haphazard fashion.
Some of the segments, such as when the stars describe their early, poverty-ridden years as the best of their lives, etc., have the overly familiar feel of elderly relatives talking about the good old days. But such chapters as the one devoted to the legendary actress Laurette Taylor or Lansbury's pursuit of the lead role in "Mame" are fascinating.
Even more amazing is the rare footage of vintage shows, including the original productions of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Bus Stop", "Mame" and others. Also on display are excerpts from the only audio recording of Brando and Jessica Tandy in the Broadway "A Streetcar Named Desire" and Taylor's 1938 screen test for David O. Selznick, the only time she ever spoke on film.
BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE
Dada Films
Second Act Prods.
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Rick McKay
Producers: Rick McKay, Albert M. Tapper
Executive producer: Georgia Frontiere
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 111 minutes...
NEW YORK -- While less than artfully composed, Rick McKay's homegrown documentary about the glory days of the American theater represents an invaluable oral history. Composed mainly of talking-head interviews and a smattering of fascinating archival footage of long-ago productions, "Broadway: The Golden Age" is made notable by its sheer existence, since this is a subject that has not exactly been overexposed on the big screen. Now playing in several theaters in New York, where business should be brisk, the film will eventually be a must-own video item for theater buffs.
McKay became enamored of the theater when very young, albeit from a secondhand perspective, and moved to New York in 1981, when he was in his early 20s. Despite seeing such revelatory shows as "Amadeus" and "A Chorus Line", he quickly realized that the modern-day theater, filled with spectacles and British imports, was a far cry from the Broadway he had fantasized about.
This golden period, roughly from the 1930s-60s, is the subject of the film, which includes close-up interviews with dozens of theater figures -- mainly performers but also playwrights, composers and producers. These include a veritable who's who of Broadway, including Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Kim Hunter, Tommy Tune, Angela Lansbury, Carol Burnett, Patricia Neal, Barbara Cook, Arthur Laurents, Shirley MacLaine and many, many others.
These oral reminiscences are alternately fascinating and cliche-ridden, entertaining and redundant, but there are many priceless anecdotes, and the passion of the interviewees for their subject is contagious. The filmmaker has organized the accounts in nonchronological and sometimes haphazard fashion.
Some of the segments, such as when the stars describe their early, poverty-ridden years as the best of their lives, etc., have the overly familiar feel of elderly relatives talking about the good old days. But such chapters as the one devoted to the legendary actress Laurette Taylor or Lansbury's pursuit of the lead role in "Mame" are fascinating.
Even more amazing is the rare footage of vintage shows, including the original productions of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Bus Stop", "Mame" and others. Also on display are excerpts from the only audio recording of Brando and Jessica Tandy in the Broadway "A Streetcar Named Desire" and Taylor's 1938 screen test for David O. Selznick, the only time she ever spoke on film.
BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE
Dada Films
Second Act Prods.
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Rick McKay
Producers: Rick McKay, Albert M. Tapper
Executive producer: Georgia Frontiere
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 111 minutes...
Opened Friday, June 11 (New York)
NEW YORK -- While less than artfully composed, Rick McKay's homegrown documentary about the glory days of the American theater represents an invaluable oral history. Composed mainly of talking-head interviews and a smattering of fascinating archival footage of long-ago productions, "Broadway: The Golden Age" is made notable by its sheer existence, since this is a subject that has not exactly been overexposed on the big screen. Now playing in several theaters in New York, where business should be brisk, the film will eventually be a must-own video item for theater buffs.
McKay became enamored of the theater when very young, albeit from a secondhand perspective, and moved to New York in 1981, when he was in his early 20s. Despite seeing such revelatory shows as "Amadeus" and "A Chorus Line", he quickly realized that the modern-day theater, filled with spectacles and British imports, was a far cry from the Broadway he had fantasized about.
This golden period, roughly from the 1930s-60s, is the subject of the film, which includes close-up interviews with dozens of theater figures -- mainly performers but also playwrights, composers and producers. These include a veritable who's who of Broadway, including Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Kim Hunter, Tommy Tune, Angela Lansbury, Carol Burnett, Patricia Neal, Barbara Cook, Arthur Laurents, Shirley MacLaine and many, many others.
These oral reminiscences are alternately fascinating and cliche-ridden, entertaining and redundant, but there are many priceless anecdotes, and the passion of the interviewees for their subject is contagious. The filmmaker has organized the accounts in nonchronological and sometimes haphazard fashion.
Some of the segments, such as when the stars describe their early, poverty-ridden years as the best of their lives, etc., have the overly familiar feel of elderly relatives talking about the good old days. But such chapters as the one devoted to the legendary actress Laurette Taylor or Lansbury's pursuit of the lead role in "Mame" are fascinating.
Even more amazing is the rare footage of vintage shows, including the original productions of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Bus Stop", "Mame" and others. Also on display are excerpts from the only audio recording of Brando and Jessica Tandy in the Broadway "A Streetcar Named Desire" and Taylor's 1938 screen test for David O. Selznick, the only time she ever spoke on film.
BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE
Dada Films
Second Act Prods.
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Rick McKay
Producers: Rick McKay, Albert M. Tapper
Executive producer: Georgia Frontiere
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 111 minutes...
NEW YORK -- While less than artfully composed, Rick McKay's homegrown documentary about the glory days of the American theater represents an invaluable oral history. Composed mainly of talking-head interviews and a smattering of fascinating archival footage of long-ago productions, "Broadway: The Golden Age" is made notable by its sheer existence, since this is a subject that has not exactly been overexposed on the big screen. Now playing in several theaters in New York, where business should be brisk, the film will eventually be a must-own video item for theater buffs.
McKay became enamored of the theater when very young, albeit from a secondhand perspective, and moved to New York in 1981, when he was in his early 20s. Despite seeing such revelatory shows as "Amadeus" and "A Chorus Line", he quickly realized that the modern-day theater, filled with spectacles and British imports, was a far cry from the Broadway he had fantasized about.
This golden period, roughly from the 1930s-60s, is the subject of the film, which includes close-up interviews with dozens of theater figures -- mainly performers but also playwrights, composers and producers. These include a veritable who's who of Broadway, including Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Kim Hunter, Tommy Tune, Angela Lansbury, Carol Burnett, Patricia Neal, Barbara Cook, Arthur Laurents, Shirley MacLaine and many, many others.
These oral reminiscences are alternately fascinating and cliche-ridden, entertaining and redundant, but there are many priceless anecdotes, and the passion of the interviewees for their subject is contagious. The filmmaker has organized the accounts in nonchronological and sometimes haphazard fashion.
Some of the segments, such as when the stars describe their early, poverty-ridden years as the best of their lives, etc., have the overly familiar feel of elderly relatives talking about the good old days. But such chapters as the one devoted to the legendary actress Laurette Taylor or Lansbury's pursuit of the lead role in "Mame" are fascinating.
Even more amazing is the rare footage of vintage shows, including the original productions of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Bus Stop", "Mame" and others. Also on display are excerpts from the only audio recording of Brando and Jessica Tandy in the Broadway "A Streetcar Named Desire" and Taylor's 1938 screen test for David O. Selznick, the only time she ever spoke on film.
BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE
Dada Films
Second Act Prods.
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Rick McKay
Producers: Rick McKay, Albert M. Tapper
Executive producer: Georgia Frontiere
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 111 minutes...
- 6/14/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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