42ND STREET is a Busby Berkeley musical with a slight but very charming storyline--theatrical director Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter), potential nervous (re)breakdown or no, is determined to go out with a bang. His final stage musical, 'Pretty Lady', simply *has* to be a smash. His female lead is Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels), a girl who's torn between the allure of fame (coupled with the unwanted attentions of her agent Abner Dillon, played by Guy Kibbee) and the love of her old vaudevillian partner Pat Denning (George Brent). It takes a few romantic complications and a fractured ankle for Dorothy to finally give up her starring role to young dewy-eyed ingenue Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler), who not only rises to the occasion and delivers a first-class performance, but along the way also finds love with one of the self-acclaimed best juveniles in the business, Billy Lawler (Dick Powell).
As I said, the story is simple... but so is its charm, and it's quite effectively told. We get quick and subtle sketches of the main characters from the very beginning, and are brought into the world of theatrical musical-making in the early 1930s. When we meet the Pretty Lady company, we also get to know a host of secondary characters, such as Loraine Fleming (Una Merkel) and Andy Lee (George E. Stone). Deserving of special mention, however, is Ginger Rogers in her supporting role of Anytime Annie Lowell, who spends most of her time speaking in a faux British accent, wearing a random monocle, and tossing off the best wisecracks in the film. In fact, she practically walks off with the whole of 42ND STREET--her luminous presence in this film, given her small role, is certainly an indication of the far greater things she still had in her future.
Note that the main cast isn't shabby either--Bebe Daniels really makes Dorothy likeable, and pulls off her crabby drunken scene wonderfully. Ruby Keeler is sweet, though she looks awfully as if she's about to fall over asleep a lot of the time. I especially liked Warner Baxter in his role as Marsh: he brings the right level of quiet, barely suppressed desperation to his portrayal of the character, which makes his final scene outside the theatre particularly effective.
The musical numbers at the end are huge and glossy (TM Busby Berkeley), and I love the train/shoe-shine number performed to 'Shuffle Off To Buffalo'. '42nd Street', of course, is massive, with the company carrying body-length placards of NY buildings and the staircase forming a huge skyscraper with Peggy and her co-star on top. It creates a nice contrast with the simple 'practice' number performed by Dorothy and her string of men to my favourite song in the film, 'You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me'.
All in all, a good little film, some great songs, and a great performance by Ginger Rogers. Would rate 7.5/10.
As I said, the story is simple... but so is its charm, and it's quite effectively told. We get quick and subtle sketches of the main characters from the very beginning, and are brought into the world of theatrical musical-making in the early 1930s. When we meet the Pretty Lady company, we also get to know a host of secondary characters, such as Loraine Fleming (Una Merkel) and Andy Lee (George E. Stone). Deserving of special mention, however, is Ginger Rogers in her supporting role of Anytime Annie Lowell, who spends most of her time speaking in a faux British accent, wearing a random monocle, and tossing off the best wisecracks in the film. In fact, she practically walks off with the whole of 42ND STREET--her luminous presence in this film, given her small role, is certainly an indication of the far greater things she still had in her future.
Note that the main cast isn't shabby either--Bebe Daniels really makes Dorothy likeable, and pulls off her crabby drunken scene wonderfully. Ruby Keeler is sweet, though she looks awfully as if she's about to fall over asleep a lot of the time. I especially liked Warner Baxter in his role as Marsh: he brings the right level of quiet, barely suppressed desperation to his portrayal of the character, which makes his final scene outside the theatre particularly effective.
The musical numbers at the end are huge and glossy (TM Busby Berkeley), and I love the train/shoe-shine number performed to 'Shuffle Off To Buffalo'. '42nd Street', of course, is massive, with the company carrying body-length placards of NY buildings and the staircase forming a huge skyscraper with Peggy and her co-star on top. It creates a nice contrast with the simple 'practice' number performed by Dorothy and her string of men to my favourite song in the film, 'You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me'.
All in all, a good little film, some great songs, and a great performance by Ginger Rogers. Would rate 7.5/10.