42nd Street (1933) Reviews

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42ND STREET has everything I could ask for in a movie. Set in the present day (1933) it's a Depression-era behind-the-scenes story of the making of a Broadway musical. An ensemble piece, it tracks a number of story lines at once Broadway star `Dot' Brock (the beautiful Bebe Daniels) and her ever-present sugar daddy, the production's angel. wonderfully played by Guy Kibbee. The down-but-not-out director Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter), for whom this play is a lifeline (`You guys ever hear of Wall Street?' Marsh asks when queried about his desire to direct this play, that being `nuff said in those days.) The sweet ingénue Peggy Sawyer and her numerous beaux and faux beaux. Peggy Sawyer is played by Ruby Keeler, who was a wonderful dancer and an acceptable singer, but an enormously untalented actress. There are, as well, various and sundry chorus girls, singers, and hangers-on.

How good is this movie? Baxter and Daniels are incredibly good and more than cancel out Keeler's performance. The last twenty-minutes or so are devoted to Busby Berkeley dance numbers, and they don't rise above the movie. The dialogue is great, ranging from the slightly risqué said of Anytime Annie (Ginger Rogers as a veteran chorus girl) when she's first introduced, "She only said `No' once, and then she didn't hear the question", to the self-deprecating when the lead singer played by Dick Powell introduces himself to the Ruby Keeler character, he says "I'm Billy Lawler, one of Broadway's better juveniles", to the surreal an observation by slightly tipsy co-producer Thomas Barry (Ned Sparks) on Angel Abner Dillon (Kibbee), "He looks like a Bulgarian boll-weevil mourning his first born." And it has some great songs by Harry Warren, not only the title song, but other hits such as `Shuffle Off to Buffalo' and `You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me.'

From its touches of gritty realism to its bubbly song-and-dance routines to its near tragic final shot of an exhausted and spent Warren Baxter `celebrating' his success, I loved every minute of 42ND STREET. My favorite scene was when the best actor in the movie Baxter has to coax, shake, or kiss a passable performance out of the worst actor in the movie Keeler in `the understudy's big chance' scene in act three. It was terribly self-referential, but at least the two kept a straight face throughout.

The transfer print was in very good shape and easy to watch. There's no commentary track but there are plenty of extras A text only cast and crew listing, with an a open out page on the Career Highlights of Busby Berkeley; a nine-minute, 1933 Vitaphone short entitled `Harry Warner: America's Foremost Composer' with Warner at the piano surround by gowns and tuxedoes, the short features a medley of Warner hits circa 1933, including a '`42nd Street' production number; a ten minute short titled `Trip Through a Hollywood Studio,' standard behind-the-scenes stuff, "Allow us to bring Hollywood to you..."; a 9-minute Hollywood newsreel of the period featuring a lot of Hollywood stars, and plenty of their pets, too; and a theatrical trailer. The highest recommendation for this essential video.

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The breakthrough musical of 1933 is still a light and fun video to watch. Often remembered for being the first musical to incorporate a plot, 42nd Street dazzles with its lavish production numbers, especially the title song plus "Shufffle Off To Buffalo" and "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me." Though the jokes may be corny and the sexual innuendoes stale by 21st century standards, I found myself laughing at loud and thoroughly enjoying the dazzling camera tricks and kaleidoscopic overhead shots. But one of the best treats of all was watching the greats from a bygone era performing at the peak of their careers. Warner Baxter is superb as the director desperate to produce a hit while Guy Kibbee shines as the lecherous producer. Bebe Daniels is memorable as the leading lady who twists her ankle on opening night and Ruby Keeler, in her movie debut, is the spunky girl plucked from the chorus line to save the show. Others in the all-star cast include Ginger Rogers, George Brent, Dick Powell, Allen Jenkins, and more.

42nd Street is definitely a toe-tapping good time that fans of movie musicals will enjoy.

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It doesn't matter if it's 1933 or 2002 this is the grand daddy of all musicals and the beginning of some Broadway hits like "42nd Street" and "Dames At Sea". "42nd Street with it's excellent classic music, corney and funny story of a girl landing the lead in a Broadway musical. This movie which is timeless is just pure fun.The most amazing thing about this DVD is the remarkable transformation. It's pretty flawless in picture quality. The sound for it's time still can hold it's own and has some great bass sound. I wonder how this would sound if it was rechanneled to 5.1 using todays technology.All in all this is a masterpiece of a film, the production numbers from the master and the wonderful talent of Ruby Keeler, Warner Baxter and Bebe Daniels are priceless. The extras on the DVD is a wonderful historical bonus.

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I don't know how the restoration has been achieved but when you know the negative dates from 1931 it's very hard to understand how it remains so clean. The DVD is an amazing print from a timeless movie that has surely not looked as good since it was first shown. Is this a case of digital enhancement? Now let's have the others: FOOTLIGHT PARADE, DAMES, GOLDDIGGERS of any old year. Fabulous!

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This was the film that saved musicals, Thanks to Busby Berkeley. This film is certainly a musical classic. This is the film that saved musicals thanks to Busby Berkeley. Won't tell you everything, But I'll tell the highlights. The songs are beautiful, Great musical scores. I don't care what generation your from, if you love good music, this film is it. The attractive Bebe Daniels sings "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me". Ruby Keeler does some good dancing for that era I guess, most people today wouldn't think much of it today, but that era loved it, because she was the first tap dance star, its not Eleanor Powell or Ginger Rogers dancing but its good. This movie basically is about what truly goes on behind the curtains of broadway and they certainly had the right people to be in the movie, because all were in Broadway so it was easy for them to betray it. A tempermental almost abusive director Mr. Marsh(Warner Baxter). A tempermental star who breaks her ankle by being drunk then Peggy Sawyer gets to replace Ms. Dorothy Brock, but before she gets to be a star Mr. Marsh who practices her to death 5 hours before the show, she almost gives up but in Mr. Marsh own way tries to persuade her to do it. I like the scene where Mrs Burke walks in on Peggy Sawyer(Ruby Keeler) people think she's going to hurt her but she doesn't, she actually wants her to do good, and tells her "You Go Out There and Be So Grand, That It'll Make Me Hate You." Another Great scene is before she goes on stage Mr. Marsh tells her "You're Going Out A Youngster But You'll Come Back A Star" words to live by.

Great songs sung by Dick Powell "Young and Healthy". Ruby Keeler sings Shuffle off to Buffalo, and she sings and taps to 42nd Street. Great Dancers, Beautiful Platinum Blondes, and Great Million Dollar Legs. Broadway really hasn't changed much since then. The ending of the movie is great when Mr. Marsh the director goes outside at the end of the show where the people are leaving, and with a cigarette he acts like a bum or is acting like he's waiting for somebody, but really he's listening to what people is saying about his show under disguise, he hears great reviews, and after all the people leave, he sits down and look like he's really satisfied and no other scene could end the movie better. Movies back then knew how to tell stories with looks, and as Barbara Stanwyck put it told stories with their eyes, If words were spoken it would of messed up the ending, a lot of films are destroyed by spoken words instead of showing the eyes, feelings, and the surroundings. This film wouldn't of been complete without Ginger Rogers(Anytime Annie) and Una Merkel(Loretta) with their screwball, zany, free-spirited, sassy attitude. Ginger Rogers doesn't do much dancing, she doesn't get top billing, but is seen and heard, I wonder why she didn't get the leading part that Ruby Keeler played, she would of really made it a smash, but this is before the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire years. Ruby Keeler went on to do other great musicals Golddiggers of 1933, Footlight Parade, Dames, Flirtation Walk-These films had Busby Berkeley magic touch also, but first see 42nd Street it was her first film, and not too many actress with no acting experience has a smash movie with their first, but see this first, then see the next one, and the next one, you gotta go in order, before any of those films, each film gets better and better, but 42nd Street you have to see first, then you'll understand Ruby Keeler's acting and what she's capable of. Each movie is better with more beautiful girls, great songs, great dance scenes, but you gotta start with the first. Ruby Keeler won the hearts of millions after this film even though her singing wasn't the greatest, and her dancing wasn't breath-taking. But she had something, and she'll always be remembered as the first tap-dancing star. Hope my review helped you, Won't tell you everything, it'll spoiled for you.