When ELEANOR POWELL and FRED ASTAIRE do their glittering "Begin the Beguine" number on a polished black-mirror floor wearing white outfits and tapping their way through a jazzed up version of the song, they can do no wrong. It's clearly the highlight of the whole musical and well worth waiting for. In fact, it's more than that--it's an iconic musical moment.

The story involves a slight case of mistaken identity that has to be straightened out before Powell can see that FRED ASTAIRE is the man she loves, not GEORGE MURPHY. Poor George always had the secondary role in these things--even with all that talent. It's reminiscent of the treatment he got in FOR ME AND MY GAL with Judy Garland being won by Gene Kelly instead of Murphy.

The reason for the high rating is simply this--FRED ASTAIRE and ELEANOR POWELL are without a doubt two of the greatest talents in the musical genre and their "Begin the Beguine" is the show stopper of show stoppers. Unforgettable.

Nothing else really matters, except to mention that their "Juke Box Dance" is also a treat to watch. Powell really excelled as a solo performer but when she and Astaire do manage to do a duo together it's well worth watching.

The genial supporting cast includes FRANK MORGAN at his blustery best and the lovely FLORENCE RICE, who appeared in quite a few of MGM's "A" films before disappearing from the screen.

George Murphy and Fred Astaire are a dance team that has struggled for five years. Now, one of them is about to be offered the lead in a big Broadway extravaganza--the only problem is that through a mix-up, the wrong guy has been signed for the part. And, that guy is unreliable, a bit selfish and getting a swollen head.

While the plot of this film has quite a few clichés and a few of the dance numbers have flat moments, this is a definite must-see for lovers of dance. The film pairs the best male and female tappers in Hollywood (Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell) and has some very able assistance from George Murphy--one of the few men who could keep up with Fred on the dance floor. The dance numbers are amazing--with tons of energy, grace and athleticism. The two best numbers are the opening on with Fred and George as well as the first number with Fred and Eleanor. In between, Fred actually dances alone on several occasions and these scenes are delights as well. The flat moments I mention included PARTS of the final big number, 'Begin the Begine'--as the operatic warblings and showiness really detracted from the fact that Fred and Eleanor were amazing together. But the wonderful dancing in the rest of the film make it easy to overlook the overly produced parts and it's a joy to watch.

With that quote Sinatra summed Broadway Melody of 1940 up perfectly. The 30s, 40s and 50s were especially timeless for musicals, and in the past twenty years or so(though this may seem unfair) we haven't seen stars in the same ilke as the likes of Fred and Ginger, Eleanor Powell, Cyd Charise, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly to name a few. The story for Broadway Melody of 1940 is familiar and very predictable but everything else dazzles to the extent that it doesn't matter so much, even with the story Broadway Melody of 1940 is from a personal point of view one of the best film musicals of the 40s. The sets and costumes are polished and glossy in a beautiful way. The Begin the Beguine set is particularly striking, while the photography captures everything lovingly and with care. The songs are like really juicy bon-bons with catchy melodies and clever lyrics, I Concentrate On You is one of Cole Porter's best ever songs and sung with such a wonderful richness by Douglas McPhail. They are helped too by the outstanding quality of the choreography, the clear standout is Begin the Beguine, which is one of the greatest dance routines of any Fred Astaire film. But let's not dispute how seamlessly sophisticated Please Don't Monkey with Broadway is or how wittily choreographed I Concentrate on You is. The dialogue is funny and warm-hearted and it is directed with a lightly assured touch. The three lead performances carry Broadway Melody of 1940 wonderfully. Fred Astaire is still his usual likable and sweet-natured self and dances with his typical as well as unique athleticism and elegance. Eleanor Powell is charming enough and dances a dream, some of the best tap dancing on film is courtesy of her and apparently Astaire was intimidated by her for that. George Murphy is terrific as well, not the finest of actors but his terrific singing and especially dancing more than make up for it. The supporting cast do well too, with an amusingly bumbling Frank Morgan. In conclusion, once you get past the story you'll find an absolute treat in Broadway Melody of 1940. 10/10 Bethany Cox