42nd Street (Keep Case Packaging)
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Movie Reviews of 42nd Street (Keep Case Packaging)
Movie Review: The musical that saved Warner Brothers from bankruptcy!
Summary: 5 Stars
A sick director, financially and emotionally done-in by the stock market crash of 1929 needs to make enough money to finance his retirement. Pretty Lady, a new show to open on Broadway needs a director to make it a hit, and the great drama begins to unfold!
The stakes are high, the competition for parts is fierce and the talent on the stage is amazing. If you think that the tension of American Idol is wild, you need to see this movie! Careers, lives, relationships and fortunes are all riding on the success of Pretty Lady. When the leading lady breaks her leg before the opening, newcomer Ruby Keeler is cast as the lead, right out of the chorus line.
The dialogue is snappy and sometimes surprisingly suggestive for the era. But, the best part is the twenty minutes of musical production numbers. Busby Berkley's choreography is a wonder to behold.
I absolutely love this movie, and never tire of seeing it.
Movie Review: Timeless classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This film feels modern. It's a wonderful mix of realism and story-escapism. Many characters all with snappy dialogue. Lots and lots of "cheesecake" shots, many quite daring. Rather than using a light feel-good approach, the underpinnings of desperation for many of the characters makes it seem real, and allows the romance/chorus-girl to a star arc find a place to nestle in your heart. Great great music. The Busby Berkely numbers still amuse and awe. This 1933 film makes many recent era films seem juvenile and dated. Puh-leeze!Movie Review: Show within a show! Reality too!!
Summary: 5 Stars
There is a scene in the film, just a short scene where two men come to the stage and are portrayed as the composer and lyricist of the show. Well, indeed they ARE!! It is Harry Warren and AL Dubin. Since my husband Charles is Harry's great nephew we get such a "kick" out of that scene! Harry was not only a WONDERFUL composer but a fine gentleman and family man.Movie Review: excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
not much to say except that i ordered the product i wanted and it came without any problems and in an expeditious manner. thank you very much.Movie Review: Great film, poor extras
Summary: 4 Stars
There have been so many excellent reviews of this landmark film that there is not much to add so here are a few observations about the film and the extras:
- The film has a dark and sombre mood which is unexpected and surprising. The backstage glimpses have a harshness and the comedy is very sharp and venal - nothing light and frothy here.
- Warner Baxter and Bebe Daniels had at least 10 years experience behind them when they made the film and their performances have great depth. Baxter portrays a very sick man and Daniels captures the prospect of being over the hill movingly.
- Ruby Keeler's ingenuousness maybe real but the casting makes her perfect here. Never was such blank innocence so convincing which explains why her reviews at the time were so good. It was only as her career progressed that her limitations became obvious, although she always improved. Her tap dancing is a legacy of a different style from heavy shoes and timber floored speakeasies when she really had "to put 'em down" to be heard. Later in the decade, her tap lightened up.
- Dick Powell is also perfectly cast and his devilish way with the lyrics of "Young and Healthy" suggest an active libido. He is underrated.
The print of the film is excellent but Warner's seemed to have messed up the extra features. The documentary on this film appears on the DVD of "Goldiggers of 1933" with a short on the promotion of the film when Warner's hired a train, the 42nd Street Special, to cross America to reach Washington for President Roosevelt's birthday. What remains is a poor short film on Harry Warren, who wrote the songs, and other shorts promoting Warner Brothers which in fact were made 2 years later and refer to other musicals. It is all a bit confusing.
Unless you purchase this DVD as part of the Busby Berkeley set, the DVD is only OK value.
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