Give My Regards to Broadway Reviews

Although he has retired from the stage and works in a factory, old-time vaudevillian Albert Norwick (Charles Winninger) pines for the lost days when he and his wife, Fay (Fay Bainter), trod the boards knocking audiences dead. Having played the Palace but never been headliners, the Norwicks have raised their children as performers, hoping that vaudeville will return. After 20 years of waiting, the family is finally given a chance to prove its mettle on stage and is such a hit that a 16-week booking is offered them. The kids, however, have found other interests in their lives, and the powerful scene in which Albert realizes there are more important things in life, while watching son Bert (Dan Dailey) distinguish himself on the baseball diamond, is one of the most memorable moments in a film with its share of such moments. Badly received by contemporary critics who were tired of backstage musicals, GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY is a fine, small song-and-dance film that provides some fascinating footage of the mechanics involved in vaudeville and glimpses at several interesting old-time acts. The characterizations in the film are well drawn and solid, with standout performances by Winninger and Dailey as father and son. Songs include: "Give My Regards to Broadway" (George M. Cohan), "When Frances Dances with Me" (Benny Ryan, Sol Violinsky), "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella" (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, Francis Wheeler), "Whispering" (John Schonberger, Richard Coburn, Vincent Rose), "Where Did You Get That Hat?" (J.W. Kelly), "Linger a While" (Harry Owens, Rose).