The Broadway Musical (1929) was the first talking musical for MGM as well as for Hollywood.

The men’s suits were almost assuredly bespoke and you will see superb examples of formalwear (below, Charles King and Anita Page) and “lounge suits” (i.e. business suits in modern nomenclature) across a variety of physiques.

Take double-breasted suits for the smaller or trimmer frame, which one rarely sees today. At 50 seconds in the Youtube clip below, you’ll see a character with such a figure arms akimbo, wearing a nice DB.

You will also see suits with unusual details, at least by contemporary standards, such as a single-breasted peak lapel, three piece suit with patch pockets and no vents (worn by the lead actor Charles King at 1:19).

Additional links
Songbook blog entry on The Broadway Melody

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