Bathtubs Over Broadway

— A friend suggested this as a documentary I might like and I'm glad she did. If you missed it when it came out a few years ago, it’s worth checking out now. Steve Young, the longest surviving writer for “Late Show with David Letterman,” discovered a little-known musical genre—industrial musicals from the 1950s-1970s—when he was looking for funny albums in the 1990s for Letterman’s bit, “Dave’s Record Collection.” His discovery became a decades-long search for recorded examples and for the performers and writers, some of whom went on to become famous. It’s a journey filled with quirks, oddball humor, obsessive collecting, surprising discoveries, and tender stories. It all combines to give a glimpse into our American history during a time when workers and employers were family instead of adversaries, and the future still held promise. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2018. 87 min. Directed by David Whisenant. With David Letterman, Martin Short, Chita Rivera, Susan Stroman, Florence Henderson, and Sheldon Harnick.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bathtubs-over-broadway-2019