Broadway Brevities are two-reel (17–21 minutes long) musical and dramatic film shorts produced by Warner Bros. between 1931 and 1943. The series continued as Warner Specials in later years.
Overview
Other titles used for these black and white two-reel films included “Vitaphone Musicals”, “Broadway Headliners”, “Presentation Revue” (for a couple 1938 releasesBoxOffice, November 19, 1938, “Shorts Chart” & May 6, 1939, p. 12) and “Blue Ribbon Comedy” for a trio featuring Elsa Maxwell.BoxOffice, December 7, 1940, “Shorts Chart”, p.134 Usually the trade periodicals grouped them as “Broadway Brevities” for easier marketing purposes.
Many of these glossy productions, a few winning Academy Awards, featured dance spectaculars and mini-dramas with top Broadway theatre or Warner studio stars; famous names included Russ Columbo, Ruth Etting, Hal Le Roy, Bob Hope and Red Skelton. They were filmed at the Vitaphone studio in Brooklyn, New York until 1939, with Samuel Sax as a key producer. Production then moved to Burbank, California.
By the forties, an increasing number were of the documentary genre and the title “Broadway Brevity” was officially dropped in mid-1943 in favor of “Warner Special”. In 1948-1956, many were re-released to theaters under the heading “Classics of the Screen”.BoxOffice, March 25, 1944, “War Victory Shorts” chartBoxOffice, Jan 5, 1946, “Shorts Chart” temporarily uses “Featurettes” instead of “Specials”
List of titles
A full list is provided below by year of release (but not necessarily the same year filmed). Title is listed first, followed by the major credits and a release date. Sometimes a date reviewed by Film Daily or a copyright date Motion Pictures 1912-1939 Catalog of Copyright Entries 1951 Library of Congress is listed instead.
1931
TitleDirector & performersReview date (Film Daily)NotesOld Lace Roy Mack (director); Ruth Etting September 20 The Musical Mystery Janet Reade, Al Shayne & the Albertina Rasch Girls November 1Words & Music Roy Mack (director); Ruth Etting & Dan Tompkins November 8
1932
TitleDirector & performersRelease, copyright or review dateNotesFootlights Barbara Newberry, Russ Brown, the Giersdorf Sisters, the Buccaneers & the Albertina Rasch Girls January 2 (Film Daily review)Hello, Good Times! (Cheer Up) Roy Mack (director); Al Wohlman, Johnny Boyle, Sharp & Minor, the Albertina Rasch Girls January 17Washington, the Man and the Capitol Clarence Whitehill, A. J. Herbert & others February 14 (Film Daily review) "Novelty" (part documentary)The Imperfect Lover Jack Haley February 14 (Film Daily review)The Subway Symphony Frances Langford, Charles Bennington, Joan Abbott & the Dave Gould Girls March 6 (Film Daily review)Sea Legs Alice Graham, Dorothea James, May Wynne, the David Gould Dancers & King, King & King March 27 (Film Daily review)Artistic Temperament (Artistic Temper) Roy Mack (director); Ruth Etting, Victor Kilian, Wilfred Lytell, Frank McNellis & Frances McHugh AprilAbsent Minded Abner Alfred J. Goulding (director); Jack Haley, Olive Shea & Hugh Cameron May 15 (Film Daily review)A Mail Bride Roy Mack (director); Ruth Etting, Gregory Gaye, Elvira Trabert & Max Stamm May 29 (Film Daily review)What an Idea Roy Mack (director); Armand Cortes, Harriet Hilliard, the Danny Dare Sisters & Three Harmony Misses June 11 (Film Daily review)A Regular Trouper Roy Mack (director); Ruth Etting, Wanda Perry, Edward Leiter & Jack Wolfe June 25 (Film Daily review)Passing the Buck Roy Mack (director); Alexander Gray, Nina Mae McKinney, Dorothy Dell, Victor Kilian, Ed Jerome, Will Vedery Girls & Four Blazers September 24Tip, Tap, Toe Alfred J. Goulding (director); Hal Le Roy, Mitzi Mayfair, Grace Bradley, Frank McNellis & Helen Goodhue October 22A Modern Cinderella Roy Mack (director) Ruth Etting, Brian Donlevy, Adrian Rosley and Barbara Child November 5 Love Me or Leave Me (film) (Greatest Classic Legends Doris Day) DVDThe Red Shadow Roy Mack (director); Alexander Gray, Bernice Claire, Reg Carrington, Lester Cole Ensemble & Max Stamm December 3Poor Little Rich Boy Joseph Henabery (director); Mary Lange, Charles Eaton, Harry McNaughton & Gale Sisters © December 24
1933
TitleDirector & performersRelease, copyright or review dateNotesBye-Gones Alfred J. Goulding (director); Ruth Etting, Frank McNellis, David Burns, Eddie Ryan, Ruth Pine's Tiny Tots & Embassy Boys © January 14Yours Sincerely Roy Mack (director); Lanny Ross, Nancy Welford, Richard Keene & others January 28 (Film Daily review) Billy Rose's Jumbo (film) DVDSpeaking of Operations Roy Mack (director) Richard Lane, Al Bernard, Gracie Barrie, Three X Sisters, Four Rollickers & Dave Gould Boys & Girls © February 16World's Champ Joseph Henabery (director); Jack Dempsey, June Gale, Oscar Polk & David Burns, Eddie Roberts © February 24Fifi Roy Mack (director); Vivienne Segal, Albert Dekker, William Ingersoll, Flavia Arcaro & Charles Judels March 24 (Film Daily review)The Way of All Freshmen Joseph Henabery (director); Hal Le Roy & Mitzi Mayfair, Cora Witherspoon, Ben Dova & the Admirals © April 18Along Came Ruth Joseph Henabery (director); Ruth Etting, Chester Chute, Charles Althoff & Sam Wren May 3Sky Symphony Roy Mack (director); Stoopnagle and Budd, Lanny Ross, the Loomis Twins & the Abbott Girls May 19 (Film Daily review)Pie a la Mode Roy Mack (director) Herbert Warren, Russ Brown, With the Loomis Sisters, Bernard Gorcey, Polly Walters & the Doree Singers May 29 (Film Daily review)Double Crossing of Columbus Joseph Henabery (director); Charles Judels, Leona Maricle, Frank McNellis. Jack North, the Rollickers & Mazellos June 10 (Film Daily review)That Goes Double Joseph Henabery (director); Russ Columbo, Charlotte Wynters, David Burns, Bernice & Emily June 24 (Film Daily review)Crashing the Gate Joseph Henabery (director); Ruth Etting; John Hamilton, Roy Atwell & the Tony Sarg Marionettes © July 120,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang Roy Mack (director); Jerry Bergen, Harry Shannon, James Baskett, Novia & The Pickens Sisters August 12 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang DVDThe No Man Roy Mack (director); Hugh O’Connell, Johnny Downs, Gene Lockhart & Kathleen Lockhart © August 14Use Your Imagination Roy Mack (director); Hal Le Roy, Mitzi Mayfair, The Eton Boys & others © September 2 The Little Giant (Greatest Gangster Films Edward G. Robinson) DVDRufus Jones for President Roy Mack (director); Ethel Waters, Sammy Davis, Jr. © September 9 Billed as a “Vitaphone Musical”; available on Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Shorts (Warner Archive) DVD & The Green Pastures (film) DVDSeasoned Greetings Roy Mack (director); Lita Grey Chaplin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Carleton Macy, the Village Barn Hill Billys and the Sizzlers September 23 The Gold Diggers of 1933 DVDPaul Revere, Jr. Roy Mack (director); Gus Shy, Janet Reade, Kathleen Lockhart, Gene Lockhart, Bobby Watson, Almira Sessions & Shemp Howard © October 21 Vitaphone Comedy Collection Vol. 1 (Warner Archive) DVDThe Operator's Opera Roy Mack (director); Donald Novis, The Eton Boys, Bobby Watson, Chester Chute, Grandon Rhodes & Dawn O’Day © October 22Yeast Is Yeast Roy Mack (director); Tom Patricola, Charlie Melson, Peggy Singleton (billed as Dorothy McNully) & the Royal Samoans © November 15The Mild West Joseph Henabery (director); Janet Reade, Olive Borden, Paul Keast November 18 Vitaphone Cavalcade of Musical Comedy Shorts (Warner Archive) DVDLet's Play Post Office Roy Mack (director); Jean Sargent, Eleanor Whitney, Josh Medders & 3 Roberts Brothers DecemberKissing Time Roy Mack (director); Jane Froman, George Metaxa, Ralph Sanford, Novia & Philip Ryder December 16 Lady Killer (1933 film) DVDPlane Crazy Roy Mack (director); Dorothy Lee, Art & Morton Havel & others © December 23 Picture Snatcher DVD
1934
TitleDirector & performersRelease, copyright or review dateNotesA Little Girl with Big Ideas Joseph Henabery (director); Molly Picon, Jay Velie, Donald McBride, Joan Stevens & Toney Hughes © January 20Picture Palace Roy Mack (director); Hal Le Roy, Dawn O’Day, William Morrow & Toney Hughes February 10Around the Clock Roy Mack (director); Norma Terris, Walter Winchell, Lynne Overman, the Four Eton Boys & Jay Brennan © February 14Story Conference Roy Mack (director); Lillian Roth, Bert Matthews, William Halligan, Vicki Cummings, Grona & Bouvier, the Three Minutes & the Sizzlers April 7 I'll Cry Tomorrow DVDLook for the Silver Lining Roy Mack (director); Dorothy Stone, Stanley Smith, Gus Shy, Olin Howland & Gertrude Niesen © April 23Come to Dinner Roy Mack (director); Flavia Arcaro, Hershel Magall, Margot Stevenson & Clinton Sundberg © April 24 Dinner at Eight (film) (Greatest Classic Legends Jean Harlow) DVDPrivate Lessons Roy Mack (director); Hal Le Roy, Dawn O’Day, Dorothy Dare, Dollie Arden & Marie Fay May 5Masks and Memories Roy Mack (director); Lillian Roth, Queenie Smith, George Huston & Weldon Heyburn May 12Murder in Your Eyes Roy Mack (director); Ann English, Inez Courtney, Lilyan Gordon & others © June 27Darling Enemy Roy Mack (director); Gertrude Niesen, Weldon Heyburn, Earle Hampton, Ralph Sanford, Dudley Clements & Roscoe Ates © June 28King for a Day Roy Mack (director); Bill Robinson, Ernest Whitman, Dewey Brown, Hattie Noel, Muriel Rahn & Dusty Fletcher June 30 Warner Bros. Big Band, Jazz & Swing Shorts (Warner Archive) DVDWho Is That Girl? Joseph Henabery (director); Bernice Claire, J. Harold Murray, the Morelli Singers, Pietro Gentili & Jack Good © July 6The Song of the Flame Joseph Henabery (director); Ruth Etting, the Canova Family, Eddie Bruce, Gerald Kent and Arthur Donaldson July 7The Winnah! Roy Mack (director) Arthur Lake, Florence Lake, Dorothy Dare July 21The Policy Girl Roy Mack (director); Mitzi Mayfair, Donald Novis & Roscoe Ates August 11No Contest! Joseph Henabery (director); Ruth Etting, George Lessey & Elmer Brown August 22 (preview)Syncopated City Roy Mack (director); Hal Le Roy, Dorothy Dare, Philip Loeb & the O'Connor Sisters September 1Paree, Paree Roy Mack (director); Bob Hope & Dorothy Stone September 8 Silk Stockings (film) DVDThe Mysterious Kiss Roy Mack (director); Jeanne Aubert, Alfred Hesse, Ray Middleton, Weldon Heyburn & the Sizzlers September 26 (Film Daily review)The Flame Song Joseph Henabery (director); Bernice Claire & J. Harold Murray October 27Soft Drinks and Sweet Music Roy Mack (director); Georgie Price, Sylvia Froos, Billie Leonard, George Watts & others November 30 (Film Daily review)The Gem of the Ocean Roy Mack (director); Jeanne Aubert, Ralph Riggs, Sheldon Leonard & Four Eton Boys © December 4 Destination Tokyo DVDOff the Beat Joseph Henabery (director); Morton Downey, Donald MacBride, Niella Goodelle & the Tune Twisters © December 15What This Country Needs Roy Mack (director); Nick Lucas, Dorothy Nelson, Cherry & June Preisser, Janet Reade & David Burns © December 24
1935