Bloodhounds of Broadway

This was a stellar cast in 1989, and a great story about New Year's Eve, 1928. The characters are delightful. There is no sex or profanity, tho the element of romance is there. One incident of violence but it is short and theatrical. Oh, no wait, a parrot gets shot too (not really) but somehow that is amusing and moves the story along. This movie is an absolute delight and anyone who likes a good story will not be disappointed.

I first saw this movie when I was a young closeted high school student and would have literally paid money to watch Madonna read the phone book. The fact that Julie Hagerty, Randy Quaid, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Grey, Anita Morris, and Rutger Hauer were also in the movie meant nothing to me. Madonna, Madonna, Madonna. Fast forward twenty years, and I still love the film, for different reasons. I'm aware that Madonna in particular got scathing reviews for her performance, but I think a lot of folks missed what she was going for, a kind of Betty-Boop-meets-Breathless-Mahoney-with-a-heart-of-gold that requires a suspension of disbelief, but the film's dialogue is SOOOO Damon Runyon-y (the film is based on Runyon's short stories - the ones they didn't use to create "Guys & Dolls") and the plot points so wacky that one's disbelief should already be well-suspended. AND, everyone else delivers the same kind of muted-yet-over-the-top performance that she does. And if you can relax into it, there's just so much to enjoy.

That beautiful last outdoor scene when they are leaving the nightclub, at or before dawn on New Year's day 1929, is exquisite; there is no other word for it -- perfectly capturing the velvety pale gray lighting of a snowy winter night/morning, when the whiteness of the sky and the ground combine to make that enchantingly calm atmosphere, at once cozily comforting and bewitchingly eerie, seen only in midwinter. How the director and camera people so perfectly understood how to attain that baffles me -- I didn't think non-independent movie makers could be so sensitive (I'm not talking just original and creative, I'm talking sensitive.) But they did it, and I felt "right there" on a snow-smelling frosty city morning 85 years ago, standing between the parked cars watching the speakeasies empty out after the New Year revelries. Now, for what's wrong. All that inaudible mumbling, for one. Bad sound? Not talking loudly enough? Really inept people operating the boom mikes? I couldn't understand what was going on (and, being a 1920's buff, sure I'm familiar with Damon Runyon.) Plus, having to endure Madonna's loathsome, conceited sneer throughout much of the film; the nasty smile of spite she gave Jennifer Grey when they started their duet; her odious "I'M really the star of this movie, of course!" attitude she maintains. (A woman despicably cruel to her colleagues and fans -- and we all know the horror anecdotes, plus I'm privy to hearing about a ghastly encounter a friend of a friend of a friend had with her, when the poor young woman, an extra on the set of that movie A League of Their Own, was being made up on the set in a chair next to her and complimented Madonna on her music and films. But Madonna snarled in reply at her, "Is that your face or did your neck throw up?" This is a true story.) However, I'm a Jazz Age fan and quite enjoyed the other actors' performances so that this video is a keeper for me. The costumes were great; authentic music and ambiance; someone must have done their research and watched some early 1928-29 talkie films to pretty much get the right look and sound of the period. The parrot episode upset me so I plan to skip that part from now on. But that magic of being able to depict a city winter dawn absolutely wowed me. I don't know if it was by chance, or a deliberate manifestation of genius. But it certainly worked.

A really funny and entertaining movie that was never widely released, due to problems within the production and distribution companies. Fantastic actors! Fun story! Great period visuals!

This was a pretty good movie, almost a dark comedy, Madonna is suppose to be a gold digger, while she have an admirer, as it is like a gangster type of movie, it's good if you like movies from the 1920's.

anything madonna is in i luv it

Have forever wanted to be a Jazz Age babe, but born too late. So looking forward to this movie - the ensemble cast - so promising. Got Incredibly bored right after meeting the characters & realizing there was nothing for them to do except wear those gorgeous clothes of the era. Couldn't have cared less what happened to most of them - except for the two bloodhounds/the parrot & the flower girl. A pretty looking film & boring... The Good stuff: when was the last time you heard someone called a "guttersnipe"? Wanna watch the Jazz Age & enjoy it? "The Cotton Club" is much better & Reading about F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald is the ultimate Jazz Age fix...

Great movie and happy to own it. Item arrived in perfect condition. Thank you!

And I like it. I really do understand why people hate this film. It has an artificial feel, and casting for casting's sake. Throwing a batch of stars into the mix doesn't guarantee a great film (Ocean's Eleven?) but this one works for me. I like the period feel, the unusual camera angles, the costumes and the banter.It is a bit like Damon Runyon meets 'Cabaret'. It works for me at many levels. My only suggestion is buy it very cheap, and if you hate it, use it as a coaster. For the rest of us, more please!

j'ai acheté pour ma conjointe qui aime madonna. elle n'avait jamais vue le film et à été contente. bon film.

Les nouvelles de l'auteur américain Damon Runyon ont fait l'objet de nombreuses adaptations, aussi bien théâtrales que cinématographiques (ont retient notamment 'Guys and dolls' avec Marlon Brando). Ses personnages, pour la plupart les petites gens des faubourgs new yorkais ont inspiré ce film, 'Bloodhounds of Broadway' (sorti en France sous le nom de 'Il était une fois Broadway', si ma mémoire ne me joue pas des tours). Le casting réuni ici est pour le moins alléchant: Matt Dillon, Ruger Hauer, Madonna, Randy Quaid, Steve Buscemi, et même Williams Burroughs dans un petit rôle! Howard Brookner a réussi à recréer l'univers d'un New York à l'orée de l'année 1929, une ambience d'ailleurs assez proche de celle de Woody Allen dans certains de ses films. Quatre histoires on ainsi été rassemblées pour le film. Un gangster (Rutger Hauer) qui, après avoir été touché d'une balle, cherche vainement refuge dans un New York qui célèbre la Saint Sylvestre, un joeur malchanceux (Matt Dillon), deux danseuses de music hall (Madonna et Jennifer Grey), une dame de la haute qui trompe son ennui et s'encanaille au contact de gangsters, un jeune homme qui vend son corps à la science pour pouvoir payer des bijoux à la femme qu'il aime et se rendre compte qu'il a envie de vivre... L'ambience rétro est bien rendue, la musique est très bien choisie. On peut voir Madonna faire des claquettes, danser au son de 'The Mooche' de Duke Ellington et chanter 'I surrender dear' avec Jennifer Grey. Matt Dillon, après un début prometteur chez Coppola suivi de plusieurs années de vide dues à une sur-utilisation de son image d'idole de jeune, commençait à refaire surface et allait ensuite jouer chez Gus Van Sant. L'écrivain Williams Burroughs fait une gracieuse apparition en 'butler' en signe d'amitié au réalisateur. Celui ci avait fait un documentaire sur lui quelques années auparavant. Malheureusement, Howard Brookner est mort avant la fin du tournage, et le montage a du se faire sans lui. Et c'est cette patine finale qui aurait pu donner au film toute sa personalité. Les acteurs sont tous très bien, et l'on sent qu'ils ont pris plaisir à participer à cette aventure. Film somme toute assez agréable, mais qui part un peu dans tous les sens. Pour les comédiens, surtout.

A movie that features madonna that passed me by. as a film its a fair watch, not the best movie ever but very reminiscent of madonnas im breathless era- due to the 20s setting for madonna fans theres a nice duet with jennifer grey and at this price is great value for money

Madonna is my IDOL, Always has, always will be. She may not have a great track record for movies (Tho I LOVE Swept away) but Bloodhounds of Broadway is an absolute load of rubbish. It makes no sense what so ever, its dark, boring, and tho its full of stars, none of them shine in this film!!! sorry!!!