Now go out there and be so swell that you’ll make me hate you.
42nd Street (1933) - watched 9/25/24
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Writer: Rian James, James Seymour
Starring: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell
Available to watch on Tubi
First Time Watch? Yes
It’s the 6th Academy Awards, and not much has changed from the last. This will, luckily, be the last year that includes films over the span of two years. This is great news for me because having to catalog these films using two years at a time, with each year overlapping with the previous one, has been making my eye twitch.
This is also the last time in Academy Award history where no film had more than four nominations, which feels like kind of a wild little tidbit? I’ve definitely noticed that the nominations across all categories have been more spread out—just because a film was nominated for Best Picture back in the day didn’t guarantee that it would be nominated in any of the other major categories. This seems almost unthinkable in modern times—it’s often met with controversy, or at least some fist-shaking from the terminally online cinephile community, when a Best Picture nominee isn’t also nominated for Best Director, for example. It’s fair to be puzzled over such a decision—how can a movie be great, or the “best,” without the director? Or the screenwriter? Or basically every other element being at its peak?
Thinking about it too much almost makes it seem like these awards are totally arbitrary and meaningless? Hmm!!
Moving on—this year, they also introduced a category honoring assistant directors, and like… why did they ever take that away? Assistant directors work hard, honey!! The backbone of any movie set, tbh! Janet Yang, I command you to bring back a category honoring assistant directors. I’m sure you’re reading this, Janet!!!
We’re also seeing the Best Picture category expanded to 10 films. It will remain a 10-nominee category until 1944, when they thankfully pare it back down to only 5 nominees, only to jump back up to 10 Best Picture nominees again in 2009. Honestly, I think we should be brave enough to cut the number back down to a nice, manageable 5. I’d even accept 6, to keep it an even number. But 10? 10 is simply too many! And I’m not just saying this because it would make my life easier. I’m not even necessarily of the mind that having 10 nominees “cheapens” the category—though in my big-brained opinion it seems to spread out the votes in a way that I think leaves room for more questionable winners to break through. Just look at some of the winners since 2009 and you’ll see what I mean.
We’re kicking off this year’s Academy Awards with another “musical.” I put quotes around it because, well… they just haven’t quite figured out the movie musical at this point yet, unfortunately. It’s a movie… with some music… but it’s tough for my mind to grapple with the fact that the songs aren’t really properly integrated into the narrative, at least not in the way that I’m used to and prefer, so I hesitate to call it a full-blown musical. I know, I gotta cut these early films some slack, but I’m truly ready, just foaming at the mouth to be wowed by a proper classic musical.
After three weeks of this, a leg ain’t nothin’ to me but something to stand on.
Acclaimed and ailing theater director Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter) is set to direct his last show. There is immense pressure to make the show a hit, since Julian has come upon hard times as a result of the Great Depression. The show is being funded by the wealthy Abner Dillon (Guy Kibbee), who is dating the show’s star, Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels). Dorothy is having an affair with Pat Denning (George Brent), her old vaudeville partner.
With me so far?
Rigorous auditions and rehearsals commence for the show, titled Pretty Lady. Talented newcomer Peggy Sawyer (adorable Ruby Keeler) is overlooked due to her inexperience. Two chorus girls take her under their wing, one of whom is involved with the choreographer, who guarantees Peggy a spot in the show. One of the show’s lead actors, Billy Lawler (Dick Powell), falls in love with Peggy, but Peggy has her eye on Pat.
Julian soon finds out about Dorothy and Pat’s affair, which puts the show in jeopardy. To put a stop to it, Julian sends a couple of thugs over to intimidate Pat—and it works. He ends up leaving Dorothy to take a job in Philadelphia. And well, wouldn’t you know it? It just so happens that the show is going to open in Philadelphia. What are the odds?
The night before the show’s opening, Dorothy breaks her ankle after getting too sauced at a party. Julian reluctantly replaces her with Peggy (I’m sorry, did they not have understudies back then??), and they spend a day in grueling rehearsals. Right before the show starts, Billy professes his love for Peggy and they smooch. Dorothy also announces she’s retiring from acting to marry Pat, and they smooch. Smooches all around! Good ones, too.
The show debuts, and it’s an instant hit. After the show, Julian overhears patrons as they shower Peggy in praise, while making a deliberate point to say that the show’s success is not due to him. Pretty rude, tbh!
In a star, it’s temperament, but in a chorus girl it’s just bad taste.
So first things first: One of my all-time favorite movies is All That Jazz, and so I was very jazzed myself when this movie started, as it very much gave off a similar vibe. The audition and rehearsal scenes from each film practically mirror each other, staged very stylishly and emanating pure sweat and fire and exhaustion from the performers. Now that’s the stuff I like!
I also loved Warner Baxter’s performance as Julian Marsh—he almost redeems himself for me after the racist nightmare that was In Old Arizona. Warner Baxter was, to my dismay, not nominated for Best Actor for this performance, which is wild because he won for his performance in In Old Arizona! Like, what? And huh?
This also takes me back to the idea of a film being nominated for Best Picture but not getting any nominations in the other major categories—in this case especially, it makes no sense. Baxter’s performance as Julian Marsh is the driving force of the film, the heartbeat, and Baxter acts his damn ass off, the same of which I can’t say about the role he actually won an Oscar for. Feels pretty unjust, and downright wackadoodle, is what I’m saying.
Other than Baxter’s performance, though, I can’t exactly say I was wowed by this movie, which is a shame because I was really looking forward to it. I’ve heard it called one of the essential movie musicals, one of the greatest of all time. After white-knuckling it through three Ernst Lubitsch musicals, I was really itching to watch a movie musical that felt more like what I’m used to—elaborate set pieces, catchy songs, gorgeous costumes, impeccable choreography. I am READY to re-watch Singin’ in the Rain, basically. But with 42nd Street, you don’t really get much of that until the last act, when we see the show in its final form. I walked away from this movie wishing it had just kinda been the last 30 minutes—the last 30 minutes were cool as hell! Give me more of that!
It’s this portion of the movie, after all, that gave us its most iconic imagery. This dance sequence where the camera is tracked between the legs of the chorus girls has been famously recreated in The Big Lebowski. The line that Julian says to Peggy before she goes out on stage, “Sawyer, you’re going out there a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star,” has gone on to become one of the greatest movie lines of all time. It’s clear this film has its fans, has been influential to many films of all genres, not just musicals, in its wake. I can’t deny the merits of 42nd Street, but at the same time, other than the final sequence and some banger quips1 here and there… I’m underwhelmed! I guess that’s just showbiz for ya.
I know that eventually we will get to a musical that will knock my socks off. I know this because I’ve seen some of them already. I guess in these early years of film, I’m just anxious to finally watch something that truly stuns and surprises me. It’s a tall order, considering I’m viewing these movies from my very skewed modern perspective, but I’m optimistic. I’ve heard good things about Top Hat!
You’re going out there a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star.
Quick Facts:
Nominated for 2 Academy Awards, won none
Best Picture
Best Sound Recording (Nathan Levinson)
One of the most successful films of 1933, having earned over $1.5 million at the box office, and saved Warner Brothers from bankruptcy
There is a slightly puzzling moment at the end of one of the musical numbers where Billy and Peggy pull down a shade that has “ASBESTOS” written on it. Apparently back in the day it was common to have a curtain made of asbestos which separated the audience from the stage in the event of an on-stage fire. This shot was meant to be a horny little joke for the audience, implying that whatever Billy and Peggy were up to behind that curtain, it was HOT!!
Stray Notes:
Love seeing George E. Stone pop up again… my man!
The little model of the stage is cuuuuuute. Love a miniature moment.
Great tracking shots.
I want… more… music? Where is the music?
Warner Baxter is doing a bang-up job of playing an exasperated asshole—kinda shocking he wasn’t nominated for Best Actor here.
Not super interested in the lil love triangle storyline tbh!
“Philadelphia, PA. 🙄” “Yeah, and on Sunday’s it’s P-U.” Ummm excuse me???
“I don’t want to go to Philadelphia.” “Yeah, well who does?” What’s with all the Philly hate??
God I love drunk acting in the 30s. Something about it is so pure, hilarious, and pathetic.
These people are mean as hell!!
This one guy who’s always got a cigar jammed in his cheek but never actually smoking it… hilarious. What a king.
Peggy’s exhaustion when she’s rehearsing the lead role is palpable.
The show itself is pretty fun/cute!
I wish this last half hour was the whole movie.
Legs!!!
Excellent costuming in this last sequence
Asbestos???
Pleasant but kinda weird! Good not great!
My Rating: ⭐️⭐½
Next Up: A Farewell to Arms (1932)
One of my favorite exchanges is between a woman sitting on a man’s lap. He asks her where she’s sitting, and she replies “On a flagpole.” My word! Horny!!!