Broadway Bill Summary
MPAA Rating: G
Director: Frank Capra
Genres: Comedy Drama
Rating:
Just after completing It_Happened_One_Night, director Frank_Capra churned out a bread-and-butter picture titled Broadway Bill. Warner_Baxter plays the carefree scion of a wealthy, highly-respected family. Baxter's cold but socially correct wife Helen_Vinson forces her husband into the family business, but Baxter would rather spend his time at the racetrack. He buys a nag named Broadway Bill and tries to build the horse into a winner--if he doesn't bankrupt himself first. Only Baxter's sister-in-law Myrna_Loy and black stable hand Clarence_Muse have faith in Broadway Bill. The horse wins a crucial race, but dies suddenly at the finish line. Baxter is comforted and given encouragement by Loy, who is now his sweetheart, Vinson having long since washed her hands of her "irresponsible" husband. Broadway Bill was remade by Capra as Riding_High (1950), utilizing generous portions of stock footage and even going so far as to rehire several of the original film's cast members (Douglass_Dumbrille, Clarence_Muse, Charles_Lane, Raymond_Walburn, Margaret_Hamilton, Frankie_Darro) to recreate their roles and match up their scenes from the earlier production. Long withheld from distribution due to Riding_High, Broadway Bill was made available for videocassette in the mid-1980s. Keep an eye out for Lucille_Ball as a blonde telephone operator and Alan_Hale_Sr. as a racetrack announcer. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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