With some of the same actors, the director and writers from the similarly titled edition two years earlier, this third of the four MGM musicals featuring the title song lacks the charm and originality of its predecessor.However, it makes up for it historically because it contains Judy Garland's first appearance in a full length film. Garland sings "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" to a picture of Clark Gable (among other things).Director Roy Del Ruth, writers Jack McGowan and Sid Silvers, actors Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell and Buddy Ebsen are joined by George Murphy, Binnie Barnes, Sophie Tucker, Raymond Walburn, Robert Benchley, Charley Grapewin and Billy Gilbert (among others).Robert Wildhack's monologue about sneezes is too long and tiresome in this one and the whole racehorse back story is uninvolving and predictable.After being billed third behind headliner Jack Benny and Powell in the 1936 movie, Taylor's name jumped to the top following his turn opposite Greta Garbo in Camille (1936). Again, he plays a young show producer; this time he wants it star an unknown hoofer (Powell) until his financial backer's (Walburn) wife (Barnes) interferes for jealous spite.Murphy and Ebsen play out-of-work performers who befriend Powell's character; Tucker plays Garland's stage mother, a former star herself. Benchley is Taylor's agent, Grapewin a horse trainer, and Gilbert a barber-come-investor in Powell's horse.

Likable musical with a recycled plot that combines musical and horse racing movie clichés. This film reunites the two leads from Broadway Melody of 1936, Taylor and Powell. Also returning from that film is Buddy Ebsen. Robert Benchley, Raymond Walburn, Billy Gilbert, and Charley Grapewin are all wasted. Stiff George Murphy and scenery-chewing Sophie Tucker add little to things. On the plus side we have the dancing of Eleanor Powell, the singing of Judy Garland, and Robert Taylor being...well, Robert Taylor. Includes famous scene where teenage Judy Garland sings "You Made Me Love You" to a picture of Clark Gable. Aside from this cute number, the songs are OK but nothing terribly memorable. In Broadway '36 there was a character who did various snoring sounds. Here the same actor returns doing sneezing sounds. Amusing but hardly a knee-slapping gag. Powell's tap dancing is still the highlight, of course. Although there's precious little of that for a musical that's nearly two hours. Her number in the rain with Murphy and the finale are both nice but neither her best work. All of the Broadway Melody films are fun fluff but not quite on par with the Busby Berkeley '30s musicals for Warner Bros. for my taste. This one isn't as good as Broadway '36 or '40 but it is enjoyable.

This is like the other "Broadway Melody" films in that it is fun, likable and lightweight with a story that mixes music, comedy and romance. Included in the comedy are two odd-ball characters who have single-scene routines, one of them (the man who analyzes sneezes) a repeat from the BM of 1936 film.Everyone's character is nice in this movie except for Binnie Barnes' role of "Caroline Whipple." Eleanor Powell and George Murphy sing and dance and a young Judy Garland sings - just what we'd all except. I didn't find any of the songs in here that good but they weren't awful, either.This may be a musical but the music wasn't the appeal for me: it was the nice characters in the film that made you feel good just watching them.

What can you say when you have the talented tootsies of Eleanor Powell and George Murphy, the fabulous songs of Judy Garland and Sophie Tucker, the handsome debonair Robert Taylor and the funny Buddy Ebsen and Binnie Barnes and several other unforgettable talents! Sophie's song Red Hot Mama is just one of those songs that needs to be heard again and again. Broadway Melody is a piece of Americana that everyone should give a chance....you might just like it!