Its being financed by abner dillon to provide a starring vehicle for his girlfriend, songstress dorothy brock. Set during the depression and about the depression, this film is considered the backstage musical par excellence, the granddaddy of them all. This is not a traditional musical in the sense that the songs are all saved to the end of the movie. For the most part 42nd street is an above average movie about the behind the scenes of a musical called pretty lady. Meet a dewyeyed ingenue, a geewiz tenor, stuckup stars, hardup. Mervyn leroy was originally scheduled to direct, but due to illness was replaced by lloyd bacon. Renowned broadway producerdirector julian marsh is hired to put together a new musical revue. The street is the site of some of new yorks best known buildings, including east to west the headquarters of the united nations, chrysler building, grand central terminal, new york public library main branch, times square, and the. Released the same year as gold diggers of 1933, 42nd street also features many of the same cast ginger rogers, dick powell, ruby keeler and the same choreographer busby berkeley, famous for.
This 1933 film is the best known of the warner brothers depressionera. Starring ruby keeler and dick powell, and featuring ginger rogers and choreography by busby berkley, 42nd street received oscar nominations for best picture and best sound. The songs were written by harry warren music and al dubin lyrics. It is a film which reveals the forward strides made in this particular medium since the first screen musical features came to broadway. The 1933 film that launched the golden age of hollywood musicals, 42nd street traces the creation of a broadway show from its first casting call through its blockbuster opening night when the. An ailing broadway director directing his last hurrah needs an ingenue to step in when his female lead goes down. Ruby keeler and dick powell sing about naughty, gaudy, bawdy, sporty 42nd street 1933 in busby berkeleys lavish closing number view the tcmdb entry for 42nd street 1933. When brock breaks her ankle one of the chorus girls, peggy. Rent 42nd street 1933 starring warner baxter and bebe daniels on dvd and bluray. Theyre all denizens of 42nd street, belting out ageless al dubin and harry warren songs and tapping out busby berkeleys. As a publicity stunt, a train called the 42nd street special traveled from hollywood to new york city, arriving in time for the opening at the strand theater on 8 march 1933. This is 42nd street 1933 final show by sine maestro on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. How interesting that 42nd street the movie, created and filmed in hollywood, is now the most quintessential of broadway musicals. Released march 11th, 1933, 42nd street stars ruby keeler, warner baxter, bebe daniels, george brent the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 29 min, and received a score of out of 100 on.
This is my first foray into the work of busby berkeley, though 42nd street is a film that berkeley didnt direct, he only did the choreography and the staging of the dance scenes, while some other guy directed. Starring warner baxter, bebe daniels, george brent, and howard keel. According to ampas clipping files, as a publicity stunt, a train called the 42nd street special, traveled from hollywood to new york city, arriving the. A producer puts on what may be his last broadway show, and at the last moment a chorus girl has to replace the star. Indeed, the presidentelect, a former movie actor, almost could have appeared in one of the 1930s movies on which the show is based. The machinations of the chorus girls and randy male dancers form a background to peggy sawyers ruby keeler story. Of the four great warners precode busby berkeley musicals im talking gold diggers of 1933, footlight parade, and dames here 42nd street is probably the least fantastical and the most dated. Oct 22, 2015 96 videos play all musicals mix 100 songs from 100 movie musicals inc. A director puts on what may be his last broadway show and, at the last moment, a naive newcomer has to replace the star. The four years between the two movies had seen the genre driven practically into the ground, as the studios, still struggling with synchronized sound and what to do about it, ground out one illadvised musical after another, few terribly good as music and most even less impressive as movies. He could easily have gone over the top with this part, but i found julian marsh to be very real person with very real problems.
An instant and enduring classic, 42nd street transformed the musical genre. The film is one of the earliest examples of the backstage musical, whereby musical numbers are introduced in a natural way as part of the movie s plot. Set during the depression and about the depression, this film is considered the. The movie is the original from which so many others have borrowed, but baxters portrayal of the worldweary, burnedout producer still stands as both complex and outstanding. Apr 01, 2011 the film that launched the golden age of hollywood musicals, 42nd street traces the creation of a broadway show from its first casting call through its blockbuster opening nightwhen the leading. Stream free 42nd street full movie online on marvel biggest movie. Read the full synopsis of 42nd street, 1933, directed by lloyd bacon, with warner baxter, bebe daniels, george brent, at turner classic movies. Warner baxter, bebe daniels, george brent, ginger rogers, ruby keeler, dick powell when revered broadway director. Bubsy berkeley does it again in 42nd street, a brilliant depressionera romp with. Warner baxter, bebe daniels, george brent, una merkel, ruby keeler, guy kibbee, dick powell and ginger rogers the source from. Guy kibbee is dillon the financier, swooning over broadway diva star dorothy bebe daniels at a party in her apartment, ginger rogers as anytime annie with the best line, in 42nd street, 1933. Featuring exclusive articles, news, interviews, videos, podcasts, essays and competitions. The film is one of the earliest examples of the backstage musical, whereby musical numbers are introduced in a natural way as part of the movies plot.
Rent 42nd street 1933 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. They exist only in the context of the show being staged. Shot during americas great depression, 42nd street 1933 follows the culmination of tired broadway director julian marshs warner baxter production of pretty lady. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in 42nd street 1933. This 1933 film is the best known of the warner brothers depressionera musicals, though it doesnt compare in dash and extravagance to later entries in the cycle. The film introduced ruby keeler and was the first warner bros. Its the closest to reality in spite of its fantastical elements, where the latter films would use reality as simply an accent piece.
And, in a testament to this memorable story, 42nd street was revived as a hit musical on broadway in 1980, nearly 50 years after it first hit movie theaters. Champion died of heart attack, just like the films producer, days after the premiere. Iconic musical of the depression erastarring ruby keeler april 18, 2005 by emanuellevy the depression era 42nd street aka fortysecond street may not be the best backstage musical ever made, but its certainly one of the most enjoyable and enduring movies of that genre. The themes perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds, overcoming a great darkness are still relevant. Marsh, who is quite ill, is a difficult task master working long hours and continually pushing the cast to do better. The 1933 film that launched the golden age of hollywood musicals, 42nd street traces the creation of a broadway show from its first casting. When brock breaks her ankle one of the chorus girls, peggy sawyer, gets. The show is a jukebox musical of sorts, in that, in addition to songs from the 1933 film 42nd street, it includes songs that dubin and warren wrote for many other films at around the same time, including gold diggers of 1933, roman scandals, dames, gold diggers of 1935, go into your dance, gold diggers of 1937 and the singing marine. Released the same year as gold diggers of 1933, 42nd street also features many of the same cast ginger rogers, dick powell, ruby keeler and. This film also served as a springboard to stardom for dick powell, ruby keeler, and ginger rogers. The acting is good, and the dialogue is quick witted, but there isnt much in the story department that makes. A director puts on what may be his last broadway show and, at the last moment, a naive.
Prior to 42nd street, berkeley had directed theatrical productions and short sequences for eddie cantor musicals, but 42nd street. The money comes from a rich older man, who is in love with the star of the show, dorothy brock. The depression era 42nd street aka fortysecond street may not be the best backstage musical ever made, but its certainly one of the most enjoyable and enduring movies of that genre the musical seems to be constantly revived, on broadway or in national tours, attesting to its longstanding popularity with audiences of various generations. Moviesnever mind musicalsjust dont get any better than this. Based on the novel by bradford ropes which was a lot steamier than the movie censors would allow, 42nd street is highlighted by such grandiose musical setpieces as shuffle off to buffalo, young and healthy, and of course the title song. Warner baxter stars as the dyspeptic director who harangues. Most recently, 42nd street won the 2001 tony award for. If mgms 1929 the broadway melody invented the musical, warner bros. The study of costume design in cinema and television. It was named for the manhattan street that hosts many broadway theatres. Although it has its boisterous moments, 42nd street is. Julian marsh warner baxter qv, a successful broadway director, produces a new show, in spite of his poor health.