Bowery to Broadway

Bowery to Broadway is a 1944 American film starring Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, and Susanna Foster. Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan also had a small specialty act, and it was the only film they were in together where they did not have a name or character.

Bowery to Broadway
Directed by	Charles Lamont
Written by	Arthur T. Horman Edmund Joseph Bart Lytton
Based on	story by Joseph and Lytton
Produced by	John Grant
Starring	Maria Montez Jack Oakie Susanna Foster
Cinematography	Charles Van Enger
Edited by	Arthur Hilton
Music by	Edward Ward
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	November 3, 1944 (1944-11-03)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	over $1 million[1]

The movie was made to showcase the singing talent at Universal. Montez only has a small role.^[2]

Cast

• Maria Montez as Marina
• Jack Oakie as Michael O'Rourke
• Susanna Foster as Peggy Fleming Barrie
• Turhan Bey as Ted Barrie
• Ann Blyth as Bessie Jo Kirby
• Donald Cook as Dennis Dugan
• Louise Allbritton as Lillian Russell
• Frank McHugh as Joe Kirby
• Rosemary DeCamp as Bessie Kirby
• Leo Carrillo as P.J. Fenton
• Andy Devine as Father Kelley
• Evelyn Ankers as Bonnie Latour
• Thomas Gomez as Tom Harvey
• Richard Lane as Walter Rogers
• George Dolenz as George Henshaw
• Mantan Moreland as Alabam
• Ben Carter as No-more
• Maude Eburne as Mame Alda
• Robert Warwick as Cliff Brown
• Donald O'Connor as Specialty Number
• Peggy Ryan as Specialty Number
• unbilled players include Milton Kibbee, George Meeker, Snub Pollard and Wilbur Mack

Production

In June 1943 John Grant, who normally wrote for Abbott and Costello, was assigned to produce a film to cover the history of Broadway.^[3] It was going to be called Hip Hip Hooray and was budgeted at $1 million and shot in color. Edmund Joseph and Bart Lyton were assigned to do the script.^[4] In December 1943 it was announced Arthur Lubin would direct.^[5]

Filming started 1 May 1944.^[6] It was a rare non "exotic" role for Maria Montez.^[7]

Selected Songs

• "Under the Bamboo Tree"
• "Yip-I-Addy-I-Ay"
• "Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nelly"
• "My Song of Romance"
• "Montevideo"
• "He Took Her for a Sleighride in the Good Old Summertime" - with Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan
• "There'll Always Be a Moon" - sung by Susanna Foster
• "Under the Bamboo Tree" - sung by Louise Allbritton as Lillian Russell