Synopsis

If the first 1927 sound film, *The Jazz Singer* was a music film dealing with musicians, *The Broadway Melody* can be considered the archetype of the musical genre inspired by technological advance. Set along the stages of Broadway musicals, this film which portrays the lives of those working in the entertainment business, was the first musical and the archetype of backstage musicals that combined music, song, and images in perfect harmony. The new type of audio and visual pleasure this new genre introduced enabled this film to storm the box office and grab the Best Picture at the 1929 Academy Awards. The beautiful tunes of “You Were Meant for Me” and “Broadway Melody” were reintroduced in a more sophisticated version in the 1952 film, *Singin' in the Rain*. Enjoy the brilliant history spanning 25 years of time with both the early archetypal musical and the epitome of Hollywood musicals during its Golden Era. (Hyuk-sang Denis Lee)

Director

Harry Beaumont

Born in 1888 in Kansas, USA, Harry Beaumont directed silent films for several major studios in the 1920s and 1930s, including Fox, MGM, and Warner Brothers. His notable works from this era include *Bow Wow Brummel* (1924), starring John Barrymore, and *Our Dancing Daughters* (1928), starring Joan Crawford. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1929 for MGM's first sound musical film, *The Broadway Melody*.