42 Street (1933)

Saw 42 Street (1933), a Busby Berkeley film about a stage production which is the last chance for almost everyone involved.  The director is destitute and sick with some non-specific ailment, the leading lady is the lover of the idiot financier who is backing the production and the millionaire producers are also somehow depending on this productions success.

The film is kind of old and pokey.  In an attempt to appeal to all audiences, it involves many plot threads which intersect and tie together in complex ways.  The most main character I suppose is this young newcomer who guilelessly "gosh"-es and "gee whiz"-es her way into the show (and thence to stardom, of course.)  The film is full of funny one-liners which take a little forensics to understand now-a-days.  There's many other little plates that are spinning: the director and the leading lady are all major players whose stories barely intersect.  In an effort to appeal to all audiences, the film has many hooks to grab on to.

The film also builds to truly impressive Busby Berkeley dance sequence.  If you've ever seen old-timey video of hundreds of chorus girls in a circle making complex geometric designs with their legs or diving into a swimming pool or whatever, that's due to this guy Busby Berkeley.  This one ends with a 5 minute climax of this stuff which is actually very impressive.  The rest of the film was a little slow however (and I think I've seen it before, but I have no record of this.)

Finally, although the film was made in the 30s, you can still kind of tell that the director guy is supposed to be gay.  He has no love interest and no interest in the actresses and show-girls at all.  At one point, at his lowest, he asks his stage director to come home with him ("I'm lonely.") A flattering portrayal it ain't, but I'll take what I can get from the 30s.

So, the film is not that phenomenal.  The last five minutes or so are great, but getting there is work.  If you've seen one of the many show-biz films about a production coming together under impossible odds, you've more-or-less seen this one.  It has bits that still work and sparkle today, but mostly it's faded too much for me.