The Barkleys of Broadway

The Barkleys of Broadway
Film poster
Directed by	Charles Walters
Produced by	Arthur Freed
Written by	Betty Comden Adolph Green Sidney Sheldon
Starring	Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers Billie Burke Oscar Levant
Music by	Harry Warren
Cinematography	Harry Stradling
Editing by	Albert Akst
Distributed by	MGM
Release date(s)	May 4, 1949 (U.S. release)
Running time	109 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Barkleys of Broadway is a 1949 MGM musical film that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart. Directed by Charles Walters and produced by Arthur Freed, the film was scripted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and Sidney Sheldon, the musical score was by Harry Warren, Ira Gershwin and George Gershwin, the choreography by Robert Alton and Hermes Pan. Also in the cast were Oscar Levant, Billie Burke, Gale Robbins, Jacques François and George Zucco. Rogers came in as a last minute replacement for Judy Garland, who fell ill. This was to be the last film that Astaire and Rogers made together and their only film which was photographed in color. Many critics at the time remarked upon Rogers changed figure, noting that the elphine girl of the 30's had made way for a sturdy, athletic woman.

Musical selections include the George and Ira Gershwin number They Can't Take That Away from Me, My One and Only Highland Fling, and Shoes with Wings On.

[edit] Musical numbers

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Flying Down to Rio (1933) • The Gay Divorcee (1934) • Roberta (1935) • Top Hat (1935) • Follow the Fleet (1936) • Swing Time (1936) • Shall We Dance (1937) • Carefree (1938) • The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) • The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)