Movie Description
42ND STREET: Splashy Hollywood does splashy Broadway in this behind-the-scenes of a show musical. The leading lady is, as many times before, suddenly unavailable and the understudy chorus girl is thrust into the limelight. Last minute preparations for opening night with the new star turn the entire production on its ear before the big premiere.
DAMES: This backstage musical features dancing ironing boards and puzzle pieces amongst its surreal delights. Blondell, Keeler and Powell sing, dance and chew up the scenery in a hoary plot about a rich bluenose's attempts to close down a Broadway show. Never mind. Just keep your eyes on those chorus lines in numbers such as "Girl at the Ironing Board," and "I Only Have Eyes for You."
FOOTLIGHT PARADE: A stage producer discovers that talking pictures have killed the demand for musical shows, so he re-channels his talents into creating live musical numbers for movie theaters to present between features. His fledgling business is threatened by unscrupulous business partners, conniving golddiggers, and spying competitors.
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933: A classic 1930s musical, GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 offers some of Busby Berkeley's most spectacular choreography. The gold diggers are out-of-work showgirls Carol, Polly, and Trixie, played respectively by Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, and Aline MacMahon. All three hope for a job on a new musical about the Depression but soon find out that the supposed producer is also flat broke. Then young singer-composer Brad Roberts (Dick Powell) offers to foot the bill--provided that Polly plays the lead. When Brad is forced to play opposite her on opening night, his upper-crust family finds out that he is engaged to the penniless actress--and they send a henchman to drag Brad back home.
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935: It's the summer season at a swanky resort, and none of the employees have any qualms about fleecing the rich guests for all they're worth in this madcap Busby Berkeley farce. Dick Curtis (Dick Powell) sings and romances Ann Prentiss (Gloria Stuart), but her shrill millionaire mom (Alice Brady) insists she marry eccentric T. Mosley Thorpe (Hugh Herbert) instead. Meanwhile, brilliant Russian theater director Nicoleff (Adolphe Menjou) prepares to put on the annual charity show.
| Credits | | Cast: | Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler |
Editorial Reviews
4 stars out of 4 -- "Complex tap routines, outlandish props, stark lighting, kaleidoscopic patterns, and dizzying camera moves set choreographer-director Berkeley's musical extravaganzas apart..."
Premiere - Ed Hulse (05/01/2006)
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