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1936 British film

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 (1936-01)
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. It was released in the U.S. as Backstage.

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.

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.

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 AllMovie
Limelight at the British Film Institute
Limelight at IMDb

v t e Films by Herbert Wilcox
As director	Chu-Chin-Chow (1923) Southern Love (1924) Decameron Nights (1924) The Only Way (1926) Nell Gwyn (1926) London (1926) Tip Toes (1927) Madame Pompadour (1927) Mumsie (1927) Dawn (1928) The Bondman (1929) The Woman in White (1929) The Loves of Robert Burns (1930) The Chance of a Night Time (1931) Carnival (1931) The Blue Danube (1932) Goodnight, Vienna (1932) Money Means Nothing (1932) The Little Damozel (1933) Bitter Sweet (1933) Yes, Mr Brown (1933) The Queen's Affair (1934) Nell Gwyn (1934) Peg of Old Drury (1935) This'll Make You Whistle (1936) Three Maxims (1936) London Melody (1937) Limelight (1937) Victoria the Great (1937) Sixty Glorious Years (1938) Nurse Edith Cavell (1939) Irene (1940) No, No, Nanette (1940) Sunny (1941) They Flew Alone (1942) Forever and a Day (1943) Yellow Canary (1943) I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945) Piccadilly Incident (1946) The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947) Spring in Park Lane (1948) Elizabeth of Ladymead (1948) Maytime in Mayfair (1949) Odette (1950) Into the Blue (1950) The Lady with a Lamp (1951) Derby Day (1952) Trent's Last Case (1952) Laughing Anne (1953) Trouble in the Glen (1954) Lilacs in the Spring (1954) King's Rhapsody (1955) My Teenage Daughter (1956) These Dangerous Years (1957) The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1958) Wonderful Things! (1958) The Lady Is a Square (1959) The Heart of a Man (1959)
Producer only	The Wonderful Story (1922) Flames of Passion (1922) Paddy the Next Best Thing (1923) A Peep Behind the Scenes (1929) When Knights Were Bold (1929) Black Waters (1929) Splinters (1929) Rookery Nook (1930) Wolves (1930) Warned Off (1930) On Approval (1930) Plunder (1930) Tons of Money (1930) The Speckled Band (1931) Almost a Divorce (1931) Up for the Cup (1931) Mischief (1931) A Night Like This (1932) Life Goes On (1932) The Mayor's Nest (1932) Thark (1932) The Love Contract (1932) Leap Year (1932) The Flag Lieutenant (1932) Say It with Music (1932) The Barton Mystery (1932) The King's Cup (1933) Discord (1933) One Precious Year (1933) The Blarney Stone (1933) Lord of the Manor (1933) It's a King (1933) Summer Lightning (1933) Purse Strings (1933) That's a Good Girl (1933) Up for the Derby (1933) Just My Luck (1933) Trouble (1933) Night of the Garter (1933) Sorrell and Son (1933) Faces (1934) Lucky Loser (1934) It's a Cop (1934) General John Regan (1934) Girls, Please! (1934) Up to the Neck (1934) The King of Paris (1934) Lilies of the Field (1934) Brewster's Millions (1935) Escape Me Never (1935) Come Out of the Pantry (1935) Fame (1936) The Frog (1937) The Rat (1937) The Return of the Frog (1938) A Royal Divorce (1938) No Parking (1938) Blondes for Danger (1938) The Beggar's Opera (1953) Yangtse Incident (1957) The Navy Lark (1959)

Films by Herbert Wilcox

As director

Chu-Chin-Chow (1923)
Southern Love (1924)
Decameron Nights (1924)
The Only Way (1926)
Nell Gwyn (1926)
London (1926)
Tip Toes (1927)
Madame Pompadour (1927)
Mumsie (1927)
Dawn (1928)
The Bondman (1929)
The Woman in White (1929)
The Loves of Robert Burns (1930)
The Chance of a Night Time (1931)
Carnival (1931)
The Blue Danube (1932)
Goodnight, Vienna (1932)
Money Means Nothing (1932)
The Little Damozel (1933)
Bitter Sweet (1933)
Yes, Mr Brown (1933)
The Queen's Affair (1934)
Nell Gwyn (1934)
Peg of Old Drury (1935)
This'll Make You Whistle (1936)
Three Maxims (1936)
London Melody (1937)
Limelight (1937)
Victoria the Great (1937)
Sixty Glorious Years (1938)
Nurse Edith Cavell (1939)
Irene (1940)
No, No, Nanette (1940)
Sunny (1941)
They Flew Alone (1942)
Forever and a Day (1943)
Yellow Canary (1943)
I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945)
Piccadilly Incident (1946)
The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947)
Spring in Park Lane (1948)
Elizabeth of Ladymead (1948)
Maytime in Mayfair (1949)
Odette (1950)
Into the Blue (1950)
The Lady with a Lamp (1951)
Derby Day (1952)
Trent's Last Case (1952)
Laughing Anne (1953)
Trouble in the Glen (1954)
Lilacs in the Spring (1954)
King's Rhapsody (1955)
My Teenage Daughter (1956)
These Dangerous Years (1957)
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1958)
Wonderful Things! (1958)
The Lady Is a Square (1959)
The Heart of a Man (1959)

Producer only

The Wonderful Story (1922)
Flames of Passion (1922)
Paddy the Next Best Thing (1923)
A Peep Behind the Scenes (1929)
When Knights Were Bold (1929)
Black Waters (1929)
Splinters (1929)
Rookery Nook (1930)
Wolves (1930)
Warned Off (1930)
On Approval (1930)
Plunder (1930)
Tons of Money (1930)
The Speckled Band (1931)
Almost a Divorce (1931)
Up for the Cup (1931)
Mischief (1931)
A Night Like This (1932)
Life Goes On (1932)
The Mayor's Nest (1932)
Thark (1932)
The Love Contract (1932)
Leap Year (1932)
The Flag Lieutenant (1932)
Say It with Music (1932)
The Barton Mystery (1932)
The King's Cup (1933)
Discord (1933)
One Precious Year (1933)
The Blarney Stone (1933)
Lord of the Manor (1933)
It's a King (1933)
Summer Lightning (1933)
Purse Strings (1933)
That's a Good Girl (1933)
Up for the Derby (1933)
Just My Luck (1933)
Trouble (1933)
Night of the Garter (1933)
Sorrell and Son (1933)
Faces (1934)
Lucky Loser (1934)
It's a Cop (1934)
General John Regan (1934)
Girls, Please! (1934)
Up to the Neck (1934)
The King of Paris (1934)
Lilies of the Field (1934)
Brewster's Millions (1935)
Escape Me Never (1935)
Come Out of the Pantry (1935)
Fame (1936)
The Frog (1937)
The Rat (1937)
The Return of the Frog (1938)
A Royal Divorce (1938)
No Parking (1938)
Blondes for Danger (1938)
The Beggar's Opera (1953)
Yangtse Incident (1957)
The Navy Lark (1959)

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