42nd Street (1933)

 

42nd Street: Summary and initial thoughts

This is a fun one. Telling the story of a theatre production during the Great Depression, 42nd Street at times feels like a cross between Applause and All About Eve (minus the melancholy and treachery, respectively).

The story follows an ensemble production directed by demanding hitmaker Julian Marsh, whose hardcore dedication to his stressful career has wreaked havoc with this health. Ruined by the stock market crash, he is determined to make this show, Pretty Lady, a financial success upon which he can retire, even if he has to jeopardize his life in the process.

Former vaudevillian Dorothy Brock is signed to play the lead and tasked with keeping the major backer of the show, a gullible and artless man named Abner Dillon, happy with her flirtations. This second demand becomes a problem when it is discovered that she is still liaising (and in love) with an old flame from her vaudeville days, Pat Denning.

Enter fresh, naive chorus girl Peggy Sawyer, who is eager to please Julian Marsh if a little out of her depth in this high-stakes production. She is run ragged by the weeks of rehearsal, and though the show is coming together, Marsh is not happy with it.

On the eve of the premiere, Dorothy breaks her ankle and cannot perform. Still in love with Denning, she has an argument with Abner, who drops her for "Anytime" Annie, a chorus girl from Pretty Lady.

On the morning of the show's debut, Abner brings Annie to Marsh and demands that she be put in the lead. But Annie insists that she cannot successfully lead the show and instead suggests, of all people, Peggy, insisting that she is the best choice.

Marsh puts Peggy through her paces, all the live long day, almost to her breaking point, but it comes together in the end. The show is a hit, Julian Marsh can retire, Peggy gets her big break, Dorothy gets to marry Denning, all is right with the world.

Happy sigh.

Why is 42nd Street on the National Film Registry?

42nd Street  was added to the National Film Registry in 1998, a mere nine years after the Registry was created. There are a few reasons why 42nd Street may deserve a spot.

First, there is the film's trophy case. Nominated for Best Picture and Best Sound at the Oscars, though it won neither, 42nd Street has consistently ranked as on of the best movies of 1933 and best Best Picture nominees that failed to win the award. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 1933, and it was met with almost universally positive reviews.

It is also featured on three AFI lists: 100 Years...100 Songs (2004), 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes (2005), and Greatest Movie Musicals (2006).

Then there's its legacy in the theatre. In 1980, 42nd Street was adapted to a bright and buoyant Broadway musical, garnering two Tony Awards for its original run. To this day, it continues to be revamped, revived, and re-loved by theatre audiences around the world.

Finally (and this is a personal theory, so bear with me), there's the dancing. 

Good golly, the dancing in 42nd Street is ridiculous, and the camera work that allows you to see every flip, kick, and turn is stellar. I don't know that I've seen another movie that puts so much emphasis on the technical aspects and the mechanics of dancing as its own art form. It's so cool.

The song-and-dance numbers in this film were put together by the incomparable Busby Berkeley, the iconic director and choreographer from Warner Brothers' pre-Code days (for reference: remember the human waterfall in Footlight Parade? Yeah, that's Busby Berkeley). 

His choreography is a force unto itself, so it makes sense that there would be so much focus on dancing in 42nd Street. The result is magical.

Final thoughts on 42nd Street

This film is just a lot of fun. While I admit that, at least by today's standards, most of the music is kind of forgettable, this film showcases the best of the creativity and ingenuity in production that is characteristic of Broadway theatre. 

When you finally see Pretty Lady performed, it's the sets and the dancing that capture your eye and your imagination, and that's for good reason. The visuals are stunning, and they more than make up for what I consider to be a few lackluster songs (looking at you, "Young and Healthy").

The dancing is top notch, the story is enjoyable (even if it doesn't take many risks), and Ginger Rogers (who plays "Anytime" Annie) is a straight-up hoot in this. Solid B+, would totally watch again.