Synopsis
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Reviews (199)
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N
two wild things from this movie that i can’t stop thinking about: 1. at the end of a number about how great new york city is, they pull down a curtain that says “ASBESTOS” on it in big letters, and i tell you i screamed 2. during the title number a woman is literally murdered, and the camera cranes up to dick powell looking out his window down at the scene, and he just glances out casually and muses about 42nd street as though he hadn’t just witnessed a murder i have had it UP TO HERE with these busby berkeley musicals and their nonsense and i want more of it! (7/10 from 1933)
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P
Choreographer Busby Berkeley was a genuine cinematic innovator, he created the most stunning geometric constructs with his musical sequences with both steps and movement, and many of them have become the most recognisable images in cinematic history. And while the story of 42nd Street, arguably the best known of all the Berkeley musicals, is incredibly clichéd, it’s observations on the circumstances besieging a bankrupt producer’s endeavour to mount one last Broadway success to enable his retirement is the archetype of backstage musicals. It glides through its runtime and offers a portrait of the entertainment business that’s distinguishable to other musicals of its era, and additionally paints an uncompromising (and pre-Hays Code) tale of notoriety on the crusades and painful truths…
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C
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E
Nearly 90 years later this is just as much an escape as it was then. Made during the depression, these Busby Berkeley gave people everything they desired in a film, an uplifting plot, show tunes, and lots of legs. Lots and lots of legs. While not my favorite of the bunch, it’s still quite enjoyable. I wish they sprinkled more show tunes throughout like Golddiggers of 1933 and Footlight Parade, that being said the plot was more compelling than I remembered. While I don’t appreciate Ruby Keeler’s singing and dancing, she’s charming as the lead. That being said, I much prefer Joan Blondell and the rest of the cast of Golddiggers of 1933 to her. Pure joy, they’re grand and surprisingly fast paced for the era they were produced. Really enjoyed revisiting this!
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D
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I
Charming—filled with sassiness, 30’s zingers, face slaps, wonderful costumes, and exceptionally lavish/jaw dropping dance numbers. Pretty sure Busby Berkeley was some kind of chaos magician.
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S
A thing I like about these movies is that the stage productions they are putting on don’t seem to make any fucking sense at all.
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J
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T
“Sawyer, you listen to me, and you listen hard. Two hundred people, two hundred jobs, two hundred thousand dollars, five weeks of grind and blood and sweat depend upon you. It’s the lives of all these people who’ve worked with you. You’ve got to go on, and you’ve got to give and give and give. They’ve got to like you. Got to! Do you understand? You can’t fall down. You can’t because your future’s in it, my future and everything all of us have is staked on you. All right, now I’m through, but you keep your feet on the ground and your head on those shoulders of yours and go out. And Sawyer, you’re going out a youngster but…
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J
I can see why it’s considered a classic, but the thing about musicals is the music, and honestly, I didn’t quite like the songs here. But it makes sense, because it’s literally pioneering the genre!
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E
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A
Berkeley’s giant formations, the backstage plot, the struggling show, the last-minute replacement, the opening-night triumph, it all feels like a template now, having been employed by dozens of musicals from the 1930s right through to the 1950s, often with essentially the same storytelling, choreography and structure. But the visual grammar Berkeley employed here was genuinely revolutionary at the time. I fully appreciate just how essential and influential it is while simultaneously finding that very influence has diluted its impact, like…
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A
Sahne. Dansçılar. Provalar. Müzik. Gösteri. Busby Berkeley insan bedenlerini geometrik desenlere çeviriyor. İşte orada ilgileniyorum. Sonra tekrar konuşmaya başlıyorlar. Yüz kadın çiçek biçiminde dans etti. Muhteşem. Sonra hikâye geri döndü. Talihsizlik.
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D
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W
Maratona 100 anos em 100 dias (parte 3) #007 – Rua 42 (1933) Comédia musical. O filme gira em torno da criação de um espetáculo para a Broadway chamado Pretty Lady. O diretor, à beira de um colapso nervoso, está dependendo do sucesso desse show para se reerguer financeiramente. Entre 40 dançarinas está a novata Peggy, que acaba ganhando o papel principal, quando a estrela do musical torce o pé. O humor está nas relações entre os personagens: dançarinas que…
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N
id be mad as fuck if i went to a show that was supposed to star bebe daniels and got ruby keeler instead i loveeee ginger in this so much 🥰 the dresses are soooo gorgeous . i also really loved dick powells routine and honestly i thought i would never like him so hey !
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J
*42nd Street* is a really interesting backstage musical. The story is engaging, and the dialogue is very good—funny, snappy and full of energy. There were two things that particularly surprised me. The first is that the film seems quite sexually explicit by the standards of the time. I assume this is partly because it was made before the tightening of the Hays Code in 1934. The second was the female solidarity. When the main star cannot perform because she has…
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C
“After three weeks of this, a leg ain’t nothing to me but something to stand on.” I cannot stress enough how damn good Busby Berkeley was the guy when it came to choreographing big sexy dance numbers, the first two-thirds are as charming as they come with a likable ensemble and some killer one-liners (seriously every line from Ned Sparks had me howling), but it really exploded in that last third when we finally get to the stage show the film’s…
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D
Didn’t know what to make of this one. I think it’s not aged well, it’s dull in some places and in others it’s just strange and pervy (then again what do you expect from the film that’s famous for the leg shot). Ginger Rodgers plays a fun role, almost wish her character was the main character because boy is that a fun character. No doubt this had influenced many of my favourites and I respect that but as a film today… doesn’t hold up in my books.
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A
Why was this so good and why didn’t it win an Oscar 6th Academy Awards: Outstanding Production – Warner Bros. Sound Recording – Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department, Nathan Levinson, Sound Director
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A
ASBESTOS god that end number was actually just stunning to watch a real visual treat. I think this film has alot of strong things going for it: a really easy to stick with and interesting premise, a great cast of characters with engaging plot lines and some great performances. The more old films I watch the more the illusion of things werent talked about fades but it still does come as abit surprising to see a film from this period…
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C
“Sexy Ladies from the Eighties” This film correctly predicted my wife’s existence half a century ahead of her birth!
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K
This really started to go down the “if the person I want doesn’t want me, the person who wants me can’t have me” route. Also took me a second to realise they were referring to the 1800’s when they sang about ladies of the 50s and 80s
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S
Did not expect such a raunchy film to come out of the 30s! Camera work and stage effects simply incredible for a film so old. Rather racist, tho.
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𝒽
Black and white films are underrated
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L
This was…fine? I’m not sure I understand all the hype, but I can appreciate the intricacy of Busby Berkley numbers and how I guess it brought back the big musical. Ruby Keeler was fine, but I didn’t think she had a ton of star power, even though I think this basically launched her career. But I’ve never heard of Ruby Keeler, so I don’t think she had much staying power. Absolutely, 100% did not believe that Keeler would learn all…
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K
10 to 1 Challenge 2026: 34/55 7 Musicals 5/7 1933 wouldve lost its fucking mind watching Camp Rock 2 I just know it
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S
Last 20 minutes all I could think is what the fuck is this musical they’re putting on. Like what is it even about this shit is insane I loved Dorothy’s character a lot, was surprised how much depth she had and how sympathetic she was
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M
de a ratos le costaba pero QUÉ PLACERRRRR estas showgirls geniales!!!! una con 2 novios, otra con 3, y 1 lo comparten, PERO se sientan a hablar de su labor pq son dos diosas 1000000/10
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W
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W
Gee whilickers ‘let’s put on a show’ fun with lots of snappy one-liners, pre-Hays code naughtiness, an insufferable director, and lots of big musical numbers towards the end with tap dancing chorus lines, giant turntables, sets that unfold and all manner of stage illusion. There’s also a musical number with a female and 4 chorus boys which is meant to be hetero amour but noone seems particularly interested. I loved how the penultimate 42nd Street production number features far more…
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A
had a lot of fun with the backstage musical of backstage musicals and mostly came away with the notion that i could tap circles around ruby keeler if i came out of dance retirement. that clomping of hers is fucking bonkers
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V
I love all the dirty jokes in this film. How the landlady is snarking to Ruby Keeler about how she doesn’t miss anything in her boarding house, while in the background a woman is sneaking a man out.
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W
Oh hey that’s where the Great Lebowski got that shot from! Really thought i was gonna be bored based on what I’ve heard other people say, but I thought the directing was inventive, editing was quick and kinda modern surprisingly. Ruby keelers tapping is so aggressive. Idk if I’ve ever seen a pre code movie before, and it was JARRING to see so much sex plainly discussed, asses slapped, and ppl drunk and hooking up with each other. My gripe with this movie honestly is for a movie about making a musical, there’s not one FULL OUT dance sequence. And the choreography is mostly eh.
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B
42nd Street is All That Jazz’s wise, old grandmother. The number where all the chorus girls became skyscrapers was amazing. Ginger Rogers and her monocle were so funny.
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S
“Hey! Where ya sittin’? Where ya sittin’?” “On a flagpole, dearie, on a flagpole!”
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R
I’m not a fan of musicals, and especially not a fan of lavish Broadway musicals, but quality of this is indisputable, especially given the time period. Not only is the plot and performances excellent, the cinematography, artistically and technically, are excellent.
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M
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A
Lowkey so cute
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S
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M
asbestos 🫶🏻🏙️
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R
This was so much fun! ruby keeler has possibly the widest eyes ive ever seen, and bebe daniels as dorothy parker has got to be my favorite performance in the movie, especially when she’s drunk and outraged. now i know how bob fosse became bob fosse. this movie explains it all.
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N
Ruby Keeler isn’t all that convincing as the lead, and the structure is naturally unlike a musical, but there’s good stuff here. Seeing the basic beats of an entire genre being born is fascinating and when this does become a musical in the sense we know it as, it’s got some superb visuals. Then there’s the fact it’s not shy about the pressures of the job. Abusive workaholics pushing exhausted cast members beyond their limits, the seedy ‘deals’, the backstage politics. That it pays off in that final 20 minutes is great from a movie perspective, but was it ever worth the backstage cost?
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J
Star theater in Oceanside is doing this show in a few months so I gotta prepare 🤩
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P
“Philadelphia P.A.? More like Philadelphia pee-ew” dang what did Philly do to them 😭
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L
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face during the musical number it was SOOOOO PERFECTTT !!!! I think the whole story was very engaging, I absolutely enjoyed every single minute of this! Ruby Keeler is such a starrrr, I had already seen her in another movie that I love (Gold Diggers of 1933), but she won my heart in this one! I would have liked to see more of Ginger Rogers too, but I was happy to see the other girls
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K
It was okay.
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H
Just an allaround fun showbiz musical. The music is rather backloaded, with the majority of the film being about the production and the interpersonal lives of three of the characters. Busby berkely’s chorio a sight to behold, truly something that can only be achieved in the medium of sound film. The cast is likeable, though I wish we could have seen more of some of the characters.
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KKastang14 7 月 24, 2026
better than that koala
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L
I did like the train dancing scene.
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T
Aguanten los musicales!!
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N
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A
Ginger Rodgers Is The Most Beautiful And Talented Actress’s Of The Golden Age Of Hollywood In My Opinion And This Movie Makes That Even More Clear To Me. Along With The Excellent Actors/Actress’s There Are Also Some Great Comedic Moments, For Example When They Are Rehearsing And A Girl Is Resting Her Head On A Mans Shoulder And When He Stands Up She Smacks Her Head Clean Off A Metal Pole, And When Gingers Character (Ann) Is Drunk, Burps, Then Blames It On Her Tight Shoes, Over All 42nd St Is A Great And Funny Film, 8/!0
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G
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G
I didn’t care for the melodrama leading up to it, but the final performance is true Busby Berkeley magic. I also enjoyed the humorous bits. I kind of get why the old man felt he could do whatever he wanted. You can’t provide those kinds of sets every day.
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J
Even better the 2nd time around – much more nuance, amazingly subtle (and not so subtle) performances, and the innovation and verve of the dance numbers – fabulous!
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E
Is it just me or is Peggy an awful actress.
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S
Como se nota el pre-code. Un año más y sería imposible. Adorable. Pero más débil en comparación con The Dancing Lady o Gold Diggers of 1933
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C
Gracias Falco de nuevo. A mi no me suelen gustar los musicales pero es más profundo de lo que aparenta en un principio. Si bien la protagonista es infumable y en la vida real no podría hacerse famosa como en la película (según mis conocimientos rurales), como tocan el tema del acoso, machismo y el sistema terrible que hace funcionar a las instituciones como Broadway y la fama en general, esta muy bien demostrado. Además las escenas del musical, el círculo con la coreo de las piernas y la parte donde ellos están en el tren y arriba del edificio, tremendas.
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K
My wife and I are doing movie musical trivia tonight and I’ve been sorting through a big movie delivery at work for weeks now that contains several movie musicals so I through on the first (alphabetically) that I hadn’t seen to cram. Movies with Busby Berkeley numbers are so crazy because they’re just normal cute little rom coms and then you’re randomly teleported to another dimension when the choreo kicks in, it feels like science fiction. I liked the number when a lady is pursued by a bunch of suitors and the punch line is apparently that she decided to date Gandhi.
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M
The original backstage musical. Sometimes these old movies seem cliched, but then you realize this movie invented most of this stuff. Ruby Keeler must step in when the star of the musical is injured. Warner Baxter is taking maybe his last chance at succeeding. Ginger Rogers cracks wise during the numbers. Busby Berkeley with his production numbers. All they are missing is Fred Aistaire.
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T
TCM Wine Club #82: I’ve heard so many great things about Busby Berkeley productions, and this served as a great introduction. I don’t see how any film about musicals or show business after Busby Berkeley didn’t draw inspiration from him. I see shades of All That Jazz and All About Eve, but each story is still vastly unique. The musical numbers and choreography were obviously great. There were some truly brilliant shots that I wasn’t expecting for the 30s either. I don’t think…
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J
Great! Fun. Reminds me a lot of films like Show People and The Extra Girl.
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L
Busby my beloved
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S
“Must have been tough on your mother not having any children.” I watched this when I was younger and enjoyed it but I’m pretty sure I had no idea what was going on because watching this was like seeing it for the first time. I think I must have skipped around to the bits with Ginger Rogers and the songs and that’s it. The ending scene was surprisingly depressing. I was not prepared for that. And Ruby Keeler is so damn precious you really can’t help but root for her. Adjusting to first time watch because I remembered less than 10% of it.
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P
Watching this as part of a Busby Berkeley collection and it’s pretty middling. The character archetypes are done better elsewhere. That Busby Berkeley dance sequence will make you forget about The Great Depression going on though.
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M
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H
If I can say one word to describe this entire film, it would definitely be “legs”.
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T
Parts of this were a little rough but overall it was solid for 1933
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L
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R
Julian Marsh honey… what was the actual plot of your production then hmm? 😂 This was so lovely & the musical numbers were great
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M
You’re going out a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star!
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M
I was going to say this has better songs than Gold Diggers, but I can’t remember a single one outside of the titular “42nd Street”. That also has better numbers/choreography and much better characters/plotting. Still, I do think this is very solid. It’s more showbiz drama/star is born moment than the more general let’s put on a show quality of Gold Diggers, but it does have an air of prestige instead of pure crowd-pleaser. Regardless, that’s the film I’d suggest if I had to. I doubt I’ll ever choose to watch this again.
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R
Stunning! And with moments which made me aflutter . It was grand of them to make it.
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P
Somebody’s freaky ass grandpa did a great job here.
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N
This film has reinvigorated my excitement for movie musicals for the first time since it was proven to be possible to put music to film. This hits so much harder if you watched literally any musical film that predates it. Hollywood was pumping them out as a response to The Jazz Singer and most of them were fucking terrible, with only a couple being okay. This lasted until the end of 1930, when the sound craze was quieting down and…
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L
me cuestan las clasicas
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M
Would have probably liked it a bit more had I not just watched Gold Diggers of 1933, which hits a lot of the same beats but is, crucially, funnier. I probably like the music in this movie a tiny bit more, but the last song goes on for such a long time that I’m not even sure if I still believe that. Still, looks great and feels shockingly modern for a movie almost 100 years old, and one that started so many of the big “let’s put on a show” tropes.
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K
SOURCE: Personal Collection This is a film that I’ve technically seen before, but it’s always one of those films that happens to be on in the background while I’m doing something else. So while I’ve “watched” it before, I’ve never actually WATCHED it–until last night. This is the first of Busby Berkeley’s trilogy of great backstage musicals at Warner Brothers in 1933 (“Footlight Parade” and my fave, “Gold Diggers of 1933”). It’s really amazing that he made all three in…
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P
The movie that brought the musical back after the early talkie boom fizzled out. The plot has inspired countless imitators, but none have come close to the precode wisecracks and sexual innuendo, all infused with Busby Berkeley‘s choreography. Made Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, and Ginger Rogers stars.
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M
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B
We can always count on Busby Berkeley to bring in some oneiric Busbish-Berkelish visuals. Unfortunately all the songs happen right in a row at the very end and the rest of the movie is pretty boring.
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J
If only making theatre were this easy.
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N
What the hell was the plot of that musical they were putting on
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K
one of my favorites things about musicals about broadway is that most of the numbers could not be staged on broadway. but boy are they fabulous.
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Ccurtoast 6 月 27, 2026
Worth it for the final 20 minutes
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M
some really amazing shots, the main plot isn’t as fun as Gold Diggers, but the musical itself is quite good. what was with the asbestos sign?
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D
Warner Bros rounded up essentially the whole cast and crew, including the dog, back together to make Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) a few months later
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LLaura 6 月 26, 2026
Recomiendo verla por el claqué no por la trama
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C
Merecia uma estrutura mais bem acabada de roteiro e personagens, uma vez que, nitidamente, tudo gira em torno apenas do ato final, com seus números musicais caleidoscópicos que impressionam até hoje.
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J
Amazing fucking movie, it was a great musical and I liked the girls in it 👀
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Cchloé bolognino 6 月 22, 2026
Ok so where’s the promised revival starring me as Dorothy Brock
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S
A solid musical with some likeable enough characters and a simple premise. Young and Healthy and the song 42nd Street though were absolutely outstanding. If the musical numbers were somehow the best part of the movie, y’know there’s just nothing else about it that makes the film remarakble, right? Eh… I still liked the rest of the moments though.
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V
Fun and great dance sequences
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B
I’ve discovered that Bebe Daniels was also in the last film I watched and it freaked me out a little because in this one she plays a Broadway show star at the end of her career singing the numbers and has a secret lover and all that, and in the film I saw the other day she was a 9 year old girl. That was in the 1910 version of The Wizard of Oz which I struggled to sit through.…
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Y
Look, I know it’s far from perfect, when viewed in the context off all the musical movies that have come since then, but just imagine how different and amazing it must have been to see this in 1933.
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M
Very funny! Especially Ginger Rogers, comedy queen. The musical numbers are just transcendent.
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J
Charming enough, end has some swag (the actual musical part) but took too long to get there
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G
That was crazy
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A
Ginger Rogers wears a monocle as an accessory, so I want to wear a monocle as an accessory
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J
Final sequence is insanely fun, don’t really vibe at all with the rest
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G
Busby Berkeley was hired to turn what had been a backstage drama into a musical, and invented the modern musical in the process. Meanwhile, Warner Baxter, now mostly forgotten but once a Hollywood screen idol, gives a performance that is somehow simultaneously subtle and over-the-top, and gets to give one of the great inspirational speeches in movie history. No pressure, Peggy! This is the second time I’ve seen this with an audience, and both times it has been a total crowd-pleaser. It’s probably my second-favorite of all Busby’s films.
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B
“I guess I fainted.” “That’s a good guess.” “Well, I guess I’m all right now.” “Bad guess. Better sit down again.” — “Now, go out there and be so swell that you’ll make me hate you.” Pat is such a smooth talker lol. The scene from the dialogue I highlighted was so cute. All the women are so cute, I love all the little quips they make. The choreography—sorry, **dance direction**—is gorgeous, obviously. Especially for Young & Healthy, so cool. I…
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C
Really do wish there were more musical numbers throughout rather than all at the end. That said, when they go for it, they go HARD. This was really charming and clearly paved the way for a lot of other musicals. I’m learning that Ginger Rogers is my fave in anything I see her in. Fun to watch this in a theater with a crowd as part of what I found out is an old Hollywood series! Def will be back for more.
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M
As a person with no rhythm, tap dancing is an aspiration. 👯♀️
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A
Je prends des billets pour New York asap jy pense h27
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S
There’s a lot happening here that may be hard to follow but it’s just so lively and fun.
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C
hilarious that the show they’re putting on is kinda awful. it’s wild this came out in 1933 and how inspirational this is to movie musicals. i really struggle to wrap my head around how old some movies are and yet they managed to pull off camera tricks and shots that people today probably couldn’t do
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E
god i love you dorothy
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M
ginger rogers dance on air
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A
A brief review: Undoubtedly fluffy and slight, but still charming at the end when we actually get to see the musical whose frantic behind-the-scenes production we have been following. “42nd Street” benefits from a strong central performance by Warner Baxter as Julian Marsh, the director who has lost his entire life savings from previous stage successes in the Great Depression. He has become a shell of his former self, puffing one cigarette after another while fearing that his next stage…
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J
This is one of the only cases I can remember when there is a movie about the production of a movie or play and the play within way outshines the actual movie. The cast is full of simple caricatures that just are not good. The first hour of this movie I was ready to give it a half star rating. The dipshit financier was the worst of them all. And why did Gandhi just show up out of nowhere at…
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S
A really fun and funny musical. I was shocked to see Mahatma Gandhi in a film on Broadway musicals from the 30s.
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E
The musical numbers actually seemed like something you would see on stage
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C
On a journey to watch all of Best Picture Oscar Nominees #32 THE BACKSTAGE MUSICAL THAT HELPED DEFINE HOLLYWOOD’S GOODEN AGE The story itself is simple—a classic backstage tale about ambition, pressure, and a young performer getting her big break—but the execution is what makes it special. Busby Berkeley’s choreography is still astonishing. More importantly, the camera doesn’t just record the performances; it becomes part of them. The musical numbers feel grand, inventive, and surprisingly modern, creating images that simply…
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J
Backstage musical filled with energy, wit, invention. Lloyd Bacon directs the drama efficiently, but the film truly comes alive through Busby Berkeley’s extraordinary choreography, where cinema itself becomes part of the dance. Ruby Keeler, Warner Baxter, and Ginger Rogers make for an appealing ensemble, while the story’s celebration of talent and perseverance remains irresistible. A film that helped define the movie musical and still feels exhilarating when the curtain rises.
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A
I forgot
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M
went to bed with the song stuck in my head
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W
How’d they fit all those big ass sets onto one stage 😭
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K
Można zawiesić oko przy końcowych 15 min występów, ale wpierw przeczekać trzeba 75 min raczej pretekstowych wątków fabularnych i niezbyt interesujących bohaterów. Wkładu w późniejsze musicale jednak nie odmawiam, choć de facto film to próby taneczne, a nie widowiskowe sekwencje musicalowe.
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Y
ginger rogers was the highlight of this movie for me
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J
Busby gives it to you good once we have the stage production. They really let the plot get in the way of the story up until that point though. Too many sub plots and characters, doesn’t make a lot of sense. But then there’s Shuffle off to Buffalo (a song about having sex on a train), and Young and Healthy (a song about how we should have sex now), featuring some classic Busby choreography, and an incredible shot of the camera flying through all the chorus girls’s legs. Wildly horny pre code musicals are the best.
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LLéo Barbosa 6 月 1, 2026
Day 2143 of watching at least one film per day – Best Picture winners and nominees ranked (442/624) An excellent representative (and pioneer) of the “musical about musical” genre that became so popular right after the advent of sound in cinema. Easy to watch, funny, entertaining, and honestly, these are the only things that matter for a film like this.
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K
1h20 de vide pour 10 min à se faire kiffer sur un mini-musical et enfin s’amuser avec la caméra…
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P
haven’t seen a “we don’t have show” crash out that bad since my high school production of seussical the musical (tya edition)
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H
Weird ending
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A
It’s a very conventional story, partially because it was made over ninety years ago and has inspired so many imitators and successors in the past ninety-three years, but it still plays rather fresh and has an incredible energy to it that can only really be described as classic old-school Hollywood. It’s pure, cheerful entertainment, total fluff with an array of comedy, music and dance. Basically, vaudeville distilled into a ninety-minute sprint. That final scene where they finally perform the musical…
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M
What’s one man’s meat is another man’s Murphy. ok some of those shots in the finale though??? GO OFF!!!!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ i guess the moral of the story is “bullying works?” julian berating the cast the entire five weeks and putting the pressure of the entire production in a pre-show pep talk to its star…incredible direction! it’s a lot of fun…and at times funny. exuding with energy. 90 minutes, though, so you don’t have time to get below the surface with…
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C
Myabe I’ve just seen too many of these “we’re transitioning to sound” movie musicals because I felt the same with this that I do with most of them: story is okay at best and the final setpiece and some in-between technical stuff is really good.
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G
first i wanna say that Bebe Daniels was beautiful, stylish and talented. Second is that Ruby Keeler is adorable and not a bad singer at all. Also I was strangely attracted to that short man (George E. Stone) lmao. Anyway, the musical numbers at the end were AMAZING!!
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I really liked this one! I wish the old pervert man got punched more but I’m glad he didn’t end up with Dorothy in the end. During the rehearsal scenes it seemed like a very straightforward love story plot but when the actual show happened it was like wait what is the musical even about??? Very fun though I liked it a lot 🙂 Pat was such a gentleman he was probably my favorite character along with the weird dog
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N
Damn, all the Philly slander in this. Lots of show business men being creepy and so many great 1930’s expressions. These pre-code musicals are so goddamn horny. I always think it’s funny in musicals when they’re putting on a stage show, but things are being performed for the benefit of the camera’s perspective and not for the live audience that they’re actually performing for (like all the overhead shots or the camera going through the chorus girls’ legs). Definitely a…
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I
how big was that stage meant to be ??? the way i would have leapt out my seat standing ovation style when the steam train opened up phwwoaaaerrerrrrr also i am joining a tap class
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V
Busby Berkeley movies are good for the soul, also I’m so late but I think I am a Bebe Daniels fan now
6 -
A
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G
The plot didn’t really hook me, but the ending number was fantastic, albeit disturbing in that certain way that entertainment from the 1930s could be.
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H
Just the drama of all the choreography makes this for me! They music is fun, love the costuming, and a cute story!
1 -
O
Y’all better not catch me on 42nd street!
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TTisher 5 月 29, 2026
Looking with friends for something “weird and older” that might keep a 7 year old’s attention. He fought admirably through the first quarter to stay engaged before begging to be put to bed. They really hold all the big numbers until the end! My Ned Sparks admiration is undimmed.
1 -
L
Some of the coolest choreography I’ve ever seen, but for sure not the most engaging plot/acting/movie I’ve ever seen.
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T
ASBESTOS
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S
I was expecting a musical movie and instead I got a movie about a musical show and it was kinda fucking banger??
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M
The last number is great, especially the skyscraper moment, but it can be a slog to get there at times. This is a Julian Marsh hate account now.
6 -
S
I’ve got to be honest, at no point did I really know what was going on. Not in the movie, not in the play within the movie. The plot is quite simple, but not much really happened. And I seemed to have a terrible case of face blindness with all these characters. Up until about the one hour mark I didn’t know who was who for the most part. I had a laugh when the director was yelling at the…
14 -
C
Within the span of 10 minutes, this movie had a caricature, a native american headdress on a white man, and a cardboard cutout that just said “asbestos” on it. This was also the segment of the movie that was the best, and what makes the movie significant to movie history. The movie is basically like any 30s movie with a pretty decent plot. After some relatively minuscule drama, some social commentary on workplace conditions for musicals, it builds up to…
1 -
A
This is the most transatlantic movie I’ve yet to see. Some shots and moments felt strikingly modern for closing in on a hundred years old. A lot of the dialogue was charmingly dated. The actual story was alright, I did appreciate the consistent jabs and comebacks. But those last 15 minutes when you’re seeing the show?? Magic. The IDEAL classic Hollywood look. So many l wonderful and impressive dances and spectacle. I thought the final scene was underwhelming and almost hoped it just cut directly after the song and dance
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J
The staging of the closing musical numbers are stunning, it’s just brutal that you have to wade through so much boring schlock to get there
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E
I need to watch more stuff with Ginger Rogers. She’s a joy to watch even in a supporting role.
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🫷
Busby Berkeley’s choreography never fails to hypnotize me 🌀🌀
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A
There’s a lot of 42nd before you get to the street. But once you get there it’s pretty spectacular and groundbreaking for its time.
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N
when your film is so amazing and successful it saves the warner’s brothers from bankruptcy
1 -
C
The last 20 minutes is really great, but a lot of it is a bit of unfocused slog.
1 -
M
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A
A light hearted musical adapted from a gritty expose of the dark underbelly of entertainment industry, 42nd street still lives up to its original billing “The Greatest Musical Ever Made.”
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R
So…it was the world before 2nd world war ?
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R
42nd Street is pure backstage-movie pleasure: fast, funny, glamorous, cynical, and bursting with the manic energy of people trying to make something work before the curtain rises. What makes it more than just charming is its respect for performance as labor. The glamour does not appear from nowhere. It is built through rehearsal, discipline, exhaustion, money, ego, panic, choreography, and the sheer will to put on a show. The film helped define a whole mythology of show business, but the…
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N
i didnt need the credits i just KNEW busby berkeley was gonna be involved
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M
It was cool to see the ‘musical’ play at the end, otherwise a lackluster plot.
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J
The actual show is pretty great, but the story hasless juice that the other Berkley’s that I’ve seen.
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N
I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would! I think I expected this to be more dramatic, and while a lot happened in this, I don’t find much of it especially wild or shocking. I’ve seen Busby Berkly do better choreography (hell, I’ve seen better choreography from in in 1933), and I really don’t gel with the singing here. Still an entertaining movie I’m glad I watched, even if it was mostly to understand why Stephen Sondheim referenced this movie so often
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NNicole Bermeo 5 月 24, 2026
Realizing I never truly knew the lyrics of 42nd Street but an edited version I learned in 2nd grade lol. The last number is great but it felt like a struggle to go through
1 -
T
Count how many times they yell “Quiet Down” You won’t be disappointed
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T
Shuffle Off to BOPallo! Interesting to watch this knowing that it’s sandwiched between Showboat and Oklahoma. There’s certainly a semblance of a plot, but it’s all quite lightweight and none of the musical numbers serve the story. Yet, there’s this underlying sense of gender politics that hints at something deeper, like the film is a look at the ways women navigate an industry that centers around consumption and usage. It’s great fluff!
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M
People don’t yell “quiet down” constantly at large crowds of people near as much as they used to
1 -
C
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L
so fun but honestly peggy was such a pick me she annoyed the fuck outta me bringing down the vibe gurl
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Z
who doesn’t love a good old 30´s musical in New York
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E
i hope the audience was like me because i couldn’t tell the difference between peggy and dot until halfway through the movie
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A
ASBESTOS! the plot was there if you squint. last twenty minutes were a hoot and a half.
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A
Damn Hollywood used to make good films
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D
Such an interesting time capsule. It’s pretty incredible that this movie exists and is nearly 100 years old. Had to do some post watch research after lmao when Dorthy and Billy pull down the asbestos curtain. HILARIOUS with zero context.
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Aaerolissa 5 月 23, 2026
I think my expectations were too high after enjoying Footlight Parade… The summaries for this film, whether on HBO Max, IMDb, or Letterboxd, all contain a massive spoiler for the plot. However, the spoiler isn’t worth the mostly aimless journey to get there, as instead of being the catalyst, it is the third act twist. As a result, I found myself often growing distracted in the beginning and middle, though I will say that it picked up toward the end…
2 -
S
i too hate philly
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M
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L
ginger rogers is criminally underutilized but i guess it’s okay cause ruby keeler is fierce
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T
I kept waiting for there to be an identifiable main plot besides “the show must go on”, and then the movie ended. Still, it’s mostly pretty fun.
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R
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J
*Dean Pelton voice* Oh, Gandhi’s in this?
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Z
Has that early sound era mgm thing where they hadn’t realized the dialogue was supposed to be good yet. Coalesces into something enjoyable by the midpoint though and the capstone musical performance is worth making it through for
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M
Goodness gracious. 42nd street. Great title to a movie, and while there technically is a story, the story could not bore the audience more. The story scenes are 80% empty and boring, with a few fun scenes (like the tryouts with the girls) mixed in, that have limited fun. The story scenes are shot dully, acted in the 30s style that did not age well, and overall have no interesting characters. The final 15 minutes of the film are excellent.…
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T
RIP everyone involved in this movie y’all would have loved #metoo
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E
google says first american talky movie to pass the bechdel test, some nice moments, the choreo/cinematography of the musical numbers at the end were v fab!
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Aalyssa 5 月 21, 2026
he looks like a bulgarian boll weevil mourning its firstborn!!!
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C
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M
It’s definitely old, but I can see a lot of qualities that translated to modern movie making and musicals
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M
The last musical sequence was delightful!! I want to watch more black and white musicals!
8 -
A
I was really hooked by the beginning when it was focused on the casting and the rehearsals I also loved the divas who were doing the fake British accents But I kind of didn’t care about the romance as much
1 -
H
That monocle 🧐 “Oh dear…”
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J
42 street is the blueprint of every behind the scenes making of theatre movie. theres a lot of the same themes as a rogers and hammerstein musical.
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O
The finale in 42nd Street is so chaotic, a woman escapes death and is murdered all in the span of 10 seconds! Check out our episode covering 42nd Street
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P
The choreography is easily the star of the show here. Even by today’s standards, the musical numbers are impressively staged and full of energy. I wasn’t completely sold on the script or some of the performances, but the music and Busby Berkeley’s imaginative choreography more than make up for those shortcomings. Those sequences alone make this film well worth watching.
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E
42nd Street features dazzling musical numbers choreographed by Busby Berkley. However, it is also replete with melodramatic romances that are not entirely convincing. Still, as a whole the ensemble drama is satisfying, and the music is radiant.
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M
I shall never love anything as much as I love Busby Berkley’s choreography.
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S
chachachacha 🚂🚂🚂
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F
There’s a confident ebullience which runs through this picture: the writing is corny as Kansas in August, but the acting’s so good that the finished product feels surprisingly rich and lived-in. I mostly attribute this to the comic relief, especially Ginger Rogers and Una Merkel as a couple of wise-cracking chorus girls, and Guy Kibbee as the starry-eyed financier. Part of it is also surely down to coming out just a breath or two before the Hays Code came down:…
- Synopsis
- A producer puts on what may be his last Broadway show, and at the last moment a chorus girl has to replace the star.
- Director
- Lloyd Bacon
- Writer
- Rian James, James Seymour
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Country
- USA
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1933
- Runtime
- 89 mins
- USA23 Feb 1933
- USA08 Mar 1933
- USA09 Mar 1933
- USA11 Mar 1933
- UK09 Sep 1933
- Austria27 May 1934
- USA19 Sep 2000
- USA21 Mar 2006
- UK01 Jun 2006
- USA12 Oct 2010
- USA21 May 2015
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