With nearly all of the exteriors shot on location in New York City, this film stands as an invaluable document of the Broadway theater district as it existed during the Golden Age. Among other landmarks, the film takes audiences in and around the legendary Empire Theatre, located at 1430 Broadway, between 40th and 41st Streets, which was already earmarked for demolition and would be razed several months after this footage was captured.
At present, "Main Street to Broadway" is considered one of the rarest films in the MGM catalogue, and for very good reason: It is no longer IN the MGM catalogue. Following its initial theatrical release, the rights reverted to its producer, Lester Cowan, and, as such, vanished contractually from the MGM vaults. Because it was not tied to any studio package, the film was not leased for television viewings, and it has resurfaced only once since its theatrical release, in the early 1980s on the lowly Cinemagreats VHS label (catalogue number CG-2058). As of this writing, there is no other way to view the film if one cannot track down a copy of the videocassette, which fetches upwards of $500.
This movie takes audiences backstage at the St. James Theatre for a staged brush-up rehearsal for Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I," then in its third year on Broadway.
Tom Morton made only a small handful of films, having made his mark as a dancer on Broadway in "Are You With It?," "High Button Shoes," "Angel in the Wings" and "Lend an Ear." Following this film, Morton would return to New York, where he'd go on to appear in the off-Broadway show "The Littlest Revue." Once he retired from theater, Morton made a comeback in Hollywood, this time adopting his character's name from Main Street to Broadway (1953) as his professional moniker. As Tony Monaco, he would continue to work as an actor, producer, choreographer and casting director.