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The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) movie poster

Timeline

The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1938 · 94 mins · English
Directed by
Mitchell Leisen
Starring
Irving Bacon, Ben Blue, Dorothy Lamour, Leif Erickson, Lynne Overman, Bob Hope

The finest array of entertainment ever offered! The Bellows family causes comic confusion on an ocean liner, with time out for radio-style musical acts.

Comedy Music Romance Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like The Big Broadcast of 1938
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

The Big Broadcast of 1938 Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Race kicks off from New York

    The Gigantic and the Colossal launch the 'Race of the Ages' from New York's Pier 97, bound for Cherbourg. Bellows plans to win by relying on a covert sabotage scheme involving his younger brother S.B. The departure marks the start of a brutal two-and-a-half day Atlantic duel.

    When
    departure
    Where
    New York, Pier 97

  2. Bellows' sabotage plan disclosed

    Bellows reveals he intends to send his nearly identical younger brother S.B. to sail aboard the Colossal and sow trouble. The move exposes a ruthless bid to rig the race in favor of the Gigantic and against the rival liner. The scheming sets the underlying conflict for the voyage.

    When
    pre-voyage
    Where
    Bellows' offices

  3. S.B lands aboard Gigantic by accident

    As the ships press toward the Atlantic, S.B. misses his transfer and boards the Gigantic by mistake. The scene startles Captain Stafford and unsettles the ship's routines with an unexpected stowaway aboard. S.B.'s presence immediately complicates the sabotage plot and the crossing.

    When
    early voyage
    Where
    On the deck of the Gigantic, Atlantic

  4. Hesperus V wreck and Martha's survival

    The yacht Hesperus V wrecks at sea, and Martha, S.B.'s notoriously unlucky daughter, survives the disaster. She is rescued from the wreck and her fate becomes a focal point for the voyage. The incident injects drama and a new dynamic into the ship's crossing.

    When
    early voyage
    Where
    Ocean rescue area

  5. Martha joins the Gigantic

    Martha brings her flamboyant personality aboard the Gigantic, joining the passenger list. Her arrival stirs tension and curiosity among the crew and passengers as the race continues. The onboard dynamics shift with her presence in play.

    When
    early voyage
    Where
    Gigantic deck

  6. Buzz Fielding takes to the airwaves

    Buzz Fielding, the popular OBC radio emcee, broadcasts live from the Gigantic to accompany the race. He tries to keep up with the fast pace of events while managing his show for the listeners. The broadcast anchors the voyage in the public eye.

    When
    start to mid-voyage
    Where
    Gigantic onboard studio

  7. Buzz's personal life amid alimony jail

    Buzz juggles his three ex-wives and his lukewarm girlfriend while handling his inept microphone assistant. The personal chaos provides comic relief amid the high-stakes race. His relationships create ongoing tension behind the scenes.

    When
    early to mid-voyage
    Where
    Gigantic

  8. Dorothy and Robert Hayes ignite romance

    Dorothy is courted by Robert Hayes, the first officer and inventor of the Gigantic's enormous radio power plant. Their growing romance unfolds as the ship hurtles toward its destination. The affair intertwines with the race and the shipboard social scene.

    When
    mid-voyage
    Where
    Gigantic

  9. Tension over S.B.'s presence aboard

    S.B.'s presence aboard keeps Captain Stafford wary, as the sabotage plot remains a looming threat. Crew members balance hospitality with suspicion about the stowaway. The tension undercuts the smooth progress of the voyage.

    When
    mid-voyage
    Where
    Gigantic

  10. Radio-powered spectacle keeps the voyage alive

    The voyage becomes a rolling radio spectacle as Buzz announces race progress and schedules a string of musical acts for the passengers. The Gigantic's media profile drives public interest and energy aboard. The dual pull of technology and entertainment sustains the journey.

    When
    mid to late voyage
    Where
    Gigantic

  11. The power plant and innovation on display

    Hayes's status as inventor and the Gigantic's 'radio-powered' plant highlight the ship's technological edge. The crew and passengers witness the power and promise of such a system as part of the race narrative. The pursuit of victory becomes a showcase for innovation as much as for speed.

    When
    mid to late voyage
    Where
    Gigantic

  12. Final stretch and personal drama converge

    Approaching Cherbourg, tension over rival ambitions, sabotage fears, and personal entanglements peaks. The race and its stories keep accelerating toward a climax, with every passenger and crew member watching the outcome. The journey leaves the destination in sight, intensifying the drama aboard.

    When
    late voyage
    Where
    Atlantic to Cherbourg

Last updated: February 24, 2026 at 09:25

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Timeline questions answered

The Big Broadcast of 1938 Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did S.B. Bellows end up on the Gigantic instead of the Colossal?

S.B. Bellows was supposed to board the Colossal to execute his brother T. Frothingill Bellows' sabotage plan, but he was delayed by a golf game and missed his transfer. In the confusion, he accidentally boarded the Gigantic instead, which immediately complicated the entire sabotage scheme since he was now on the wrong ship.

  • sb bellows
  • wrong ship
  • transfer
  • sabotage plan
  • bellows brothers
Q2

What was T. Frothingill Bellows' plan to win the race?

T. Frothingill Bellows, owner of the Gigantic, devised a scheme to send his nearly identical younger brother S.B. aboard the rival ship Colossal to sow trouble and ensure the Gigantic would win the transatlantic race. The plan involved sabotage from within the competitor's crew.

  • t frothingill bellows
  • sabotage
  • colossal
  • race
  • bellows line
  • rivalry
Q3

How did Martha Bellows end up on the Gigantic?

Martha Bellows, S.B.'s daughter known for being notoriously unlucky, survived the wreck of the yacht Hesperus V at sea. She was rescued and brought aboard the Gigantic, adding another unpredictable element to the already chaotic voyage.

  • martha bellows
  • hesperus v
  • yacht wreck
  • survival
  • passenger
Q4

Why is Buzz Fielding mentioned as coming out of alimony jail?

Buzz Fielding, the OBC radio emcee hosting the broadcast from the Gigantic, had recently been released from what the film humorously calls alimony jail, indicating he had legal or financial troubles related to paying alimony to his ex-wives, which sets up the comedy around his complicated romantic history.

  • buzz fielding
  • alimony jail
  • radio host
  • ex-wives
  • obc
Q5

What does it mean that the Gigantic is radio-powered?

The S.S. Gigantic was billed as being powered by radio technology, featuring an enormous radio power plant invented by First Officer Robert Hayes. This technological innovation was a key part of the ship's appeal and part of what made the race against the Colossal a spectacle worth broadcasting.

  • radio-powered
  • gigantis
  • robert hayes
  • power plant
  • innovation
  • technology
Q6

How does Dorothy Wyndham know Robert Hayes?

Dorothy Wyndham, who has an on-again off-again relationship with Buzz Fielding, begins a budding romance with First Officer Robert Hayes during the voyage. Hayes is the inventor of the Gigantic's radio power plant, and their relationship develops as the ship races toward Cherbourg.

  • dorothy wyndham
  • robert hayes
  • romance
  • first officer
  • inventor
Q7

What is the Race of the Ages between the Gigantic and Colossal?

The Race of the Ages was a high-profile two-and-a-half-day transatlantic dash from New York to Cherbourg between two luxury liners: the forty-million-dollar Gigantic and its traditional rival the Colossal. The race was a major public spectacle and the central event around which much of the film's action revolves.

  • race of the ages
  • colossal
  • gigantis
  • transatlantic
  • cherbourg
  • new york
Q8

Who performs musical acts during the voyage?

The Gigantic's voyage features numerous musical performances for passengers and radio audiences, including specialty appearances by opera stars Kirsten Flagstad and Wilfrid Pelletier from the Metropolitan Opera Company. These performances are broadcast as part of the ship's entertainment and Buzz Fielding's radio show.

  • kirsten flagstad
  • wilfrid pelletier
  • met opera
  • musical performances
  • entertainment
Q9

How many ex-wives does Buzz Fielding have aboard the ship?

Buzz Fielding juggles relationships with three ex-wives who are all aboard the Gigantic: Cleo Fielding, Grace Fielding, and Joan Fielding. This creates ongoing comic tension as he tries to manage their competing presence while also maintaining his on-again off-again romance with Dorothy Wyndham.

  • buzz fielding
  • ex-wives
  • cleo fielding
  • grace fielding
  • joan fielding
  • romance
Q10

What happens to the sabotage plan after S.B. boards the wrong ship?

S.B. landing on the Gigantic instead of the Colossal immediately threw T. Frothingill Bellows' sabotage plan into chaos. Since S.B. was now aboard the wrong vessel, the scheme to sow trouble on the rival ship was derailed before it could begin, leaving the race outcome uncertain.

  • sabotage plan
  • failure
  • comedy of errors
  • bellows scheme

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Big Broadcast of 1938, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Big Broadcast of 1938 tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Screwball Shipboard Romances like The Big Broadcast of 1938

Chaotic romantic mix-ups and madcap antics aboard an ocean liner. If you enjoyed the lighthearted chaos and romantic entanglements of The Big Broadcast of 1938, you'll love these other comedies set on ocean liners. These movies capture the same frothy mix of music, mistaken identity, and high-society antics at sea.

  • romantic
  • whimsical
  • screwball
  • shipboard
  • farcical
  • glamorous
  • Tone: lighthearted, whimsical, romantic
  • Pacing: steady, fast-paced
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically center on a group of characters traveling by ship, where confined quarters and social conventions lead to a cascade of romantic mix-ups, secret identities, and humorous deceptions, all resolved with a light touch before the final docking.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared setting of a luxury liner, their farcical pacing, and their focus on romantic and comedic misunderstandings. They offer a specific blend of glamour, travel, and harmless chaos.

Hit the Deck movie poster

Hit the Deck

1955
Mexican Spitfire at Sea movie poster

Mexican Spitfire at Sea

1942
Sailor Beware movie poster

Sailor Beware

1952
Watch Your Stern movie poster

Watch Your Stern

1960
Carry On Jack movie poster

Carry On Jack

1964
Boat Trip movie poster

Boat Trip

2003
Saps at Sea movie poster

Saps at Sea

1940
The Lady Takes a Sailor movie poster

The Lady Takes a Sailor

1949

Classic Variety Show Musicals like The Big Broadcast of 1938

Movies that feel like a stage revue, weaving comedy sketches and musical acts into a thin plot. Fans of The Big Broadcast of 1938 will enjoy these other movies that replicate the energy of a radio or stage revue. If you liked the parade of musical acts and comedic sketches, these films offer similar joyful, performance-driven experiences.

  • musical
  • lively
  • showbiz
  • silly
  • entertaining
  • performances
  • Tone: light, lively, comedic
  • Pacing: steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative serves primarily as a loose framework to connect a sequence of musical numbers and comedic acts. Character arcs are simple, and the plot exists to introduce the next performance, emphasizing spectacle and star power over deep storytelling.

Why they belong together: This thread groups movies that share a revue-like structure, where the enjoyment comes from the succession of performances rather than a complex plot. They are united by a light tone, steady pacing between acts, and a focus on musical comedy.

The Big Broadcast of 1938 movie poster

The Big Broadcast of 1938

1938
Three for the Show movie poster

Three for the Show

1955
Lovely to Look At movie poster

Lovely to Look At

1952
Three Little Words movie poster

Three Little Words

1950
What’s Cookin’? movie poster

What’s Cookin’?

1942
Two Tickets to Broadway movie poster

Two Tickets to Broadway

1951
Time Out for Rhythm movie poster

Time Out for Rhythm

1941
Second Chorus movie poster

Second Chorus

1940

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Every angle

The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Big Broadcast of 1938 in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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