On the Avenue (1937)

Very Cool!!!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

"On The Avenue" begins with a show. This is odd, as most 1930s stage musicals eventually end up with a show--but this one STARTS in the middle of one. The musical is ridiculous (as usual)--with over the top costumes and sets. It also features the Ritz Brothers as well as Alice Faye and Dick Powell. Uggh, I hate the Ritz Brothers' antics--which, often, make the Three Stooges look downright cerebral by comparison! Fortunately, they are not a huge focus of most of this film. The show culminates in a burlesque that makes fun of a famous explorer, Commodore Caraway. The Commodore happens to be in the audience and he and his daughter, Mimi (Madeleine Carroll) are NOT amused and they decide to sue. However, to prevent this, Gary Blake (Powell) promises to make major changes in the show. Most of this change of heart is because Gary is very smitten with Mimi...and she feels likewise. He eventually makes major changes--and the show really sucks as a result. In fact, it's so bad the Ritz Brothers come on the stage to 'save the day'! That's like getting rid of the Plague by giving someone Ebola!!! Either way, the public is NOT impressed. What's next? Do we even care?This is a very slow and uneven film for many reasons. First, the characters are awfully one-dimensional. Part of this is because there are so many musical numbers, there's no time for character development. And, part of it is that they really don't seem all that likable. Including the Ritz Brothers and Stepin Fetchit didn't help, that's for sure. It's hard for a sane person to like the Ritzes and Fetchit is just an embarrassment to watch--though his stereotypical antics are FAR more restrained than usual thank goodness. The only big plus in the film COULD have been Alice Faye--but she just isn't given much to do because the filmmakers didn't realize she would very soon be a mega-star--far bigger than Powell or Carroll. Within a year of making "On The Avenue", Faye would be on to far better things and probably never looked back.

Alice Faye's movie career was just getting into high gear when she did this gem in 1937. The Irving Berlin score is among the best he ever wrote for the screen and Alice does well with Let's Go Slumming on Park Avenue and This Year's Kisses. The former is somewhat autobiographical for her as Alice Faye was brought up in Hell's Kitchen and she sings it against a Hell's Kitchen background.In her early career at 20th Century Fox, Darryl Zanuck had a problem with finding someone who could sing opposite her. The only one available on the lot was Don Ameche. Zanuck's number one leading man, Tyrone Power, was non-musical. So Zanuck had to reach out to his former employer, Jack Warner, to borrow Dick Powell to play opposite Faye. Ironically Powell got the hit song out of this film with I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm.The rest of the cast is top rate. Madeline Carroll plays a typical 1930s débutante and it's the antics of her family and actor-writer Dick Powell's satire of same that form the basis of the story. My two personal favorites of the supporting cast are George Barbier who always hits the right note as Madeline's perennially choleric father and Billy Gilbert who has a great bit as a diner owner.Wonderful film, great entertainment.

"On the Avenue" is a highly underrated gem from the 30s and one of Alice Faye's best musicals at Fox. It is less well-known than Faye's other Fox musicals such as "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "That Night in Rio" and "Hello, Frisco, Hello". But "On the Avenue" has a taste and class of its own, not to mention lots of great and rollicking tunes including the memorable "Slumming on Park Avenue", "He Ain't Got Rhythm", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", and "This Year's Kisses". Excellent stuff.

Alice Faye's singing is a real plus for this movie and Dick Powell sounds pretty good as well. The story is pretty terrible and predictable, but there are lots of good character actors along to help save the day. The dancing is great throughout, really well done. But it's really the Ritz Brothers I wanted to comment on. Is it only me or are they really not that funny? They are great dancers but the skits they performed were for the most part too slap stick for me to find amusing. Overall this movie is well worth seeing and hearing - the singing and dancing is great.