Joan Blondell and Lana Turner co-star with future US Senator George Murphy in Two Girls On Broadway. The three are from Rome City, Nebraska and Murphy is in New York to try and hit it big again as he's been somewhat at liberty since vaudeville declined. The women who are sisters operate a dance studio in Nebraska and Blondell was once Murphy's dance partner.Murphy pulls off quite a con game but gets a big break with an appearance Richard Lane's nightclub and he parlays it for Blondell and Turner to come east. Now it's Turner who is Murphy's partner and Blondell gets work as a cigarette girl.It's all looking good, but there's a Broadway wolf in the picture. Kent Taylor is a Tommy Manville type who's already been to the altar 8 times. He zeroes in on Turner who goes along because while she likes Murphy she doesn't want to hurt her sister. It all gets straightened out in the end as it always does.I think a lot of you will recognize some sets from The Great Ziegfeld which makes it look like this film is more expensive and lush than it is. Wallace Ford has an interesting role as a Broadway Winchell like columnist which would be true to life since Winchell was a performer before he took up journalism. He knew Blondell and Murphy from vaudeville days.Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed and Roger Edens wrote My Wonderful One Let's Dance as part of the score and if it sounds familiar you're thinking of Cole Porter's Riding High. Porter really could have sued over that one.Two Girls On Broadway showcases its star's talents well. Murphy was quite a hoofer before he went into Republican politics.

Joan Blondell runs a dance academy for children, with young sister, Lana Turner, in this remake of the Oscar-winning Best Picture, The Broadway Melody. Joan is engaged to George Murphy, who went off to New York for his big break into show business, but with a gimmick of singing canaries. But guess what. They're only a means of showing off what he can do, sing and dance. In fact, the songs and the musical talents of the stars make up most of the movie's appeal. This movie is an good example of what you might call a movie doomed from the start, because of a no-win situation. Let me explain: When George meets young Lana for the first time, he obviously takes a liking to her, and her vice versa. (Why they never met before, is confusing to me.) All this happens, despite the fact we know that Joan is madly in love with George. And, there is no other suitor for Joan. **SPOILER** Joan in turn sacrifices her love for George to go back home, their small town, and lets George and Lana live happily ever after. What a totally downbeat ending for Joan! No matter how noble it may appear, you can tell she hates it, really. But, because Lana is young and sexier, is she supposed to get her man, even if it's her sister's man first? The first 45 minutes or so of this short film is upbeat with good musical numbers, but the explosion of the love triangle blows up in their faces and we are left holding the bag and Joan has a one-way ticket home. You've been warned.

Two Girls on Broadway (1940) ** (out of 4) MGM musical about two sisters (Lana Turner, Joan Blondell) from Nebraska who go to NYC with their friend (George Murphy) only to both fall in love with him while trying to get their break. There's really nothing too bad about this film but at the same time there's nothing too good either. Blondell certainly steals the show as the older sister who's willing to do anything to make her younger sister happy. Turner and Murphy work nice together and have a couple great dance sequences. However, if you've seen one film about girls trying to make it on Broadway then you've seen them all.

I never realized what a fabulous dancer Lana Turner was until I saw this movie. She was only 19 years old and gorgeous. What a pleasure to watch her dance with George Murphy. The story line was typical for its day but the dancing was really special. I never tire of watching Fred and Ginger but Lana Turner in this movie was just as terrific. I always thought of Lana as a so-so actress who tended to over act. She should have done more dancing and less of the Maddam X and Peyton Place roles. I had a new appreciation for her after seeing this movie and her wonderful dancing. Too bad the "Academy" doesn't give an "Oscar" for dancing.