If only there could have been more musical and dance numbers! All of them (not counting practices) occur at the very end of the film, and there are only three of them there. Luckily, the non-musical parts were really good, too. The plot was just a pretty standard behind-the-scenes of a play movie. It actually reminded me a lot of two films about plays that I have just seen recently, Micheal Powell's _The Red Shoes_ and Tim Robbins' _Cradle Will Rock_. While the plot may be a bit common, the dialogue is exceptionally good. It is snappy and witty and clever at all times. Also, the ensemble cast was extremely good. I love Dick Powell. He's not in this film too much, but he's perfect in every scene he's in. I was first introduced to him in the guise of Phillip Marlowe (and I am among the small group of people who consider him the best incarnation of Phillip Marlowe), and he's just as great in the genre which brought him his fame.

This is also the first movie that I've ever seen involving Bubsy Berkely, and I have to say, WOW!!! Those musical sequences are ingenious! One thing I find funny, though, is that, if you think about it, the audience who would be watching the play from below wouldn't be able to see any of the fancy designs the dancers make with their legs! Too bad for them! I give this film a 9/10!

On one level, "42nd Street" is a groundbreaking movie musical: It conveys the grind, the cynicism, and the tenuous nature of creating entertainment for the theater. The auditions, the undeclared war between newcomers and seasoned performers, the use of any means to keep the cash lifeline flowing, the chaos from which a performance must emerge; these elements are nicely conveyed.

Now for the actors. Good old Ned Sparks never disappoints. Nobody better depicts the sarcasm and simplicity of the Depression era. Dick Powell is obviously still in his larval state, his voice piping, his face cherubic. No hint of the Philip Marlowe he became in later years. Bebe Daniels actually was entertaining. her rendition of "You're Getting to Be a Habit....", a wonderful song, was charming and delivered with a light touch.

But Ruby Keeler!!! What hold did Al Jolson have on the Vitaphone Studio that made them cast her as a star? A reasonably attractive woman, with the dancing grace of a rhino and the ability (nice reversal) to make emotionally-charged lines sound like reading the names in a phone book. The funniest scene(inadvertently) had the director trying to prepare her for her performance by screaming, shouting, shaking her and doing everything but set her afire.

All this said, it remains a wonderfully mindless entertainment; as good as any comic book I ever read as a kid in the 40's, and just as fantastic.Busby Berkely was at his Kaleidoscopic best, leaving one to wonder what the audience was seeing. My wife could only ask incredulously why I enjoyed the film...but why do we enjoy Oreos?

This film was parodied very well in the film MOVIE, MOVIE as George C. Scott played the Warner Baxter role with gusto. Actually, after seeing this film, try to get a copy of Scott's film--they go great together. The film ALSO is remarkably similar to many other films such as FOOTLIGHT PARADE and DANCING LADY--all three which are from 1933. All are a backstage dramatization of the trials and romance involved in putting on a Broadway show. And, all are highly overdone and silly if you think too much--so try not to and just sit back and enjoy. The things that make this one stand out so much is Baxter's performance and the film's conclusion--both are top-rate. And, when it comes to the silly and over-the-top show-stopping tunes and dance numbers, just turn off your brain and enjoy. Yeah, the Busby Berkely-style routines ARE quite odd and silly by today's standards but fun nonetheless--and simply are amazing to see.

UPDATE: Tonight I watched "All That Jazz" and was surprised that in many ways, it's a lot like "42nd Street"--complete with a Broadway producer who has a heart attack because he pushed himself too hard for the sake of the show!