| 42nd Street | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | 42nd Street 1932 novel byBradford Ropes |
| Produced by | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sol Polito |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by |
|
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $439,000[2][3] |
| Box office | $2.3 million[4][5][3] |
42nd Street is a 1933 Americanpre-Codemusical film directed byLloyd Bacon, with songs byHarry Warren (music) andAl Dubin (lyrics). The film's numbers were staged and choreographed byBusby Berkeley. It starred anensemble cast ofWarner Baxter,Bebe Daniels,George Brent,Ruby Keeler,Dick Powell andGinger Rogers.
Adapted from the 1932 novel of the same name byBradford Ropes, the film's screenplay was written byRian James and James Seymour, with uncredited contributions by Whitney Bolton. The story revolves around the cast and crew rehearsing for a Broadway show at the height of theGreat Depression.
42nd Street was one of themost successful motion pictures released in 1933, earning almost $1.5 million at the box office. At the6th Academy Awards, the film was nominated forBest Picture.
In 1998,42nd Street was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In 1932, during the depths of theGreat Depression, the noted Broadway producers Jones and Barry are stagingPretty Lady, a musical starring Dorothy Brock. She is involved with wealthy Abner Dillon, the show's financial backer, but she is secretly seeing her oldvaudeville partner Pat Denning, who is out of work.
Julian Marsh is hired to direct, although his doctor warns that he risks his life if he continues in his high-pressure profession. Despite a long string of successes, he is impoverished following the 1929Stock Market Crash, so he must make his last show a hit in order to earn enough money to retire.
Cast selection and rehearsals begin amidst fierce competition. The newcomer Peggy Sawyer is ignored until two experienced chorines, Lorraine Fleming and Ann Lowell, take her under their wing. Lorraine is assured a job because of her relationship with the dance director, Andy Lee, and she ensures that Ann and Peggy are chosen. Peggy is tricked into bursting into the dressing room of the show's juvenile lead, Billy Lawler, who takes an immediate liking to her.
When Marsh learns about Dorothy's relationship with Pat, he sends some thugs led by his gangster friend Slim Murphy to intimidate Pat. Dorothy and Pat agree not to see each other for a while. Pat takes a stock job inPhiladelphia.
Rehearsals continue for five weeks, to Marsh's complete dissatisfaction, until the night before the show's surprise opening in Philadelphia, when Dorothy breaks her ankle. By the next morning, Abner has quarreled with her and wants Marsh to replace her with his new girlfriend, Annie. Annie confesses that she cannot carry the show but convinces the director that the inexperienced Peggy can. Julian is desperate and rehearses Peggy mercilessly until an hour before the premiere.
Billy finally musters the nerve to tell Peggy that he loves her. They embrace and kiss, just as Dorothy appears and walks through the door. She wishes Peggy luck and reveals that she and Pat are finally getting married. The show is staged to rousing applause. As the theater audience leaves, Julian stands in the shadows outside the stage door, hearing comments that Peggy is the star and that he does not deserve the credit for the show's success.[6]
| Uncredited:
|
The film was Ruby Keeler's first, and the first time that Busby Berkeley, Harry Warren and Al Dubin had worked for Warner Bros.Mervyn LeRoy, the original director, became ill and Lloyd Bacon was hired to replace him. LeRoy was dating Ginger Rogers at the time and had suggested that she take the role of Ann.[8]
Actors who were considered for lead roles includeWarren William andRichard Barthelmess for the role of Julian Marsh, eventually played by Warner Baxter;Kay Francis andRuth Chatterton instead of Bebe Daniels for the role of Dorothy Brock;Loretta Young as Peggy Sawyer instead of Ruby Keeler;Joan Blondell instead of Ginger Rogers for Anytime Annie;Glenda Farrell for the role of Lorraine, played byUna Merkel; andFrank McHugh instead of George E. Stone as Andy.
The film began production on October 5, 1932. The shooting schedule ran for 28 days at the Warner Bros. studio inBurbank, California. The total production cost is estimated to have been between $340,000 and $439,000.[9][10]
The film's music was written by Harry Warren with lyrics by Al Dubin.[11] The numbers were choreographed and directed byBusby Berkeley.
The "Love Theme", written by Harry Warren, is played under scenes between Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell, and Bebe Daniels and George Brent. It has no title or lyrics and is unpublished.
The music playing during dance rehearsals and the opening of the show is an instrumental piano piece that Warren wrote titled "Pretty Lady", the name of the show that is produced in the film.
The film premiered in New York on March 9, 1933, at theStrand Theatre and entered general release two days later, becoming one of the most profitable films of the year, earning an estimated gross of $2,300,000. According to Warner Bros. records, the film earned $1,438,000 domestically and $843,000 abroad.[3]
In a contemporary review forThe New York Times, critic Mordaunt Hall called42nd Street "the liveliest and one of the most tuneful screen musical comedies that has come out of Hollywood" and wrote: "Although it has its serious moments, it is for the most part a merry affair ... It is a film which reveals the forward strides made in this particular medium since the first screen musical features came to Broadway. Although it has its boisterous moments, '42nd Street' is invariably entertaining."[12]
TheNew York World-Telegram described the film as "[a] sprightly entertainment, combining, as it did, a plausible enough story of back-stage life, some excellent musical numbers and dance routines and a cast of players that are considerably above the average found in screen musicals."[13]
Variety wrote: "Every element is professional and convincing. It'll socko the screen musical fans with the same degree thatMetro's pioneering screen musicals did."[14]
John Mosher ofThe New Yorker called it "a bright movie" with "as pretty a little fantasy of Broadway as you may hope to see" and praised Baxter's performance as "one of the best he has given us", although he described the plot as "the most conventional one to be found in such doings."[15]
In 1998,42nd Street was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[16]
In 2006, the film was ranked #13 on theAmerican Film Institute'slist of the greatest musicals of all time.[17]
A Broadwaystage adaptation debuted in 1980, winning twoTony Awards, includingBest Musical. It was followed by a successful Broadway revival in 2001 and the show continues to be performed worldwide.
The February 2020 issue ofNew York Magazine lists42nd Street as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."[18]
The film's copyright was renewed in 1960, and it will enter the American public domain on January 1, 2029.[a]
In 1980, the film was adapted intoa stage musical by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. It featured additional songs by Warren and lyrics by Dubin andJohnny Mercer and a book byMichael Stewart andMark Bramble. The originalBroadway production directed and choreographed byGower Champion (whose death on opening night was announced at the curtain call by producerDavid Merrick) won theTony Award for Best Musical. Since then, it has been produced regionally and professionally around the world. The score included all musical numbers from the film except "It Must Be June."
42nd Street receivedAcademy Award nominations forBest Picture andBest Sound and was named one of the ten best films of 1933 byFilm Daily.[8][19][20]
American Film Institute recognition
