Limelight (1936 film)

Limelight
Limelight
	Poster ad from the Sunday Mercury, 1936
Directed by	Herbert Wilcox
Written by	Laura Whetter
Produced by	Herbert Wilcox
Starring	Arthur Tracy ; Anna Neagle ; Jane Winton ; Ellis Jeffreys
Cinematography	Freddie Young
Music by	Geraldo
Production; company	British and Dominions
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release date	January 1936;
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Limelight is a 1936 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Arthur Tracy, Anna Neagle and Jane Winton.^[1] It was released in the U.S. as Backstage.^[2]

Plot

When chorus girl Marjorie (Anna Neagle) discovers singer Bob (Arthur Tracy) busking in the streets, and the star of her show falls ill, she persuades her producer to give him a break. Sure enough, Bob becomes an overnight sensation, but success unfortunately goes to his head.

Cast

Arthur Tracy as Bob Grant
Anna Neagle as Marjorie Kaye
Jane Winton as Ray Madison
Ellis Jeffreys as Lady Madeleine
Muriel George as Mrs. Kaye
Alexander Field as Alf Sparks
Anthony Holles as Impresario
William Freshman as Joe
Helena Pickard as Pixie
Queenie Leonard as Queenie
Ralph Reader as Ralph
Tilly Losch as Dancer
W. MacQueen Pope as Press Representative
Ronald Shiner as Asst. Stage Manager
Andreas Malandrinos as Singer

Production

The film was the first made by Wilcox's independent production company, Herbert Wilcox Productions, at his Elstree Studios. It was distributed by J. Arthur Rank's newly formed General Film Distributors, ending a previous arrangement Wilcox had with United Artists. The story was based on Anna Neagle's "discovery" by Wilcox when singing in a show with Jack Buchanan' Buchanan agreed to play a role based on himself. The film was known as Street Singer's Serenade.^[3]

The film was an attempt to make a more populist contemporary hit, moving away from the more expensive costume pictures such as Nell Gwynn and Peg of Old Drury which Wilcox had recently made starring Anna Neagle. For this film Wilcox partnered her with the popular American singer Arthur Tracy.

This drama musical romance features Arthur Tracy's street singing. The film's Dance Director was Ralph Reader. His work was so appreciated by Herbert Wilcox that he created a part for Reader to dance with Neagle in the actual film.

Critical reception

Allmovie wrote, "in addition to the two stars, Limelight is enlivened by the dancing prowess of the legendary Tilly Losch; also showing up for an uncredited cameo is stage and screen luminary Jack Buchanan.^[4]

References

^ "Limelight (1936)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
^ Slide, Anthony (15 December 1998). Banned in the U.S.A.: British Films in the United States and Their Censorship, 1933-1966. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781860642548 – via Google Books.
^ "HERBERT WILCOX'S PROGRAMME". The West Australian. Vol. 52, no. 15, 542. Western Australia. 17 April 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 17 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Limelight (1937) - Herbert Wilcox - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie".

Bibliography

Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

Limelight at the British Film Institute^{[better source needed]}
Limelight at IMDb

This article related to a British film of the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about a romantic musical film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Limelight (1936)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.

[2] Slide, Anthony (15 December 1998). Banned in the U.S.A.: British Films in the United States and Their Censorship, 1933-1966. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781860642548 – via Google Books.

[3] "HERBERT WILCOX'S PROGRAMME". The West Australian. Vol. 52, no. 15, 542. Western Australia. 17 April 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 17 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.

[4] "Limelight (1937) - Herbert Wilcox - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]