It's Movie Time!
Today's post takes us down to 42nd Street.
Come and meet those dancing feet,
On the avenue I'm taking you to,
42nd Street.
Hear the beat of dancing feet,
It's the song I love the melody of,
42nd Street.
I've seen productions of the musical in the form of a TV presentation of London production from 2018 and an actual live performance presumably in the 1990's and presumably at the Carolina Theater.
Sorry, my memory's a bit sketchy.
Click here for more about that.
Today's post takes us all the way back to March 1933 and the release of the film that started it all
42nd Street is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon with choreography by the legendary Busby Berkeley.
Time to hang out with the little "nifties" from the Fifties, innocent and sweet.
And don't forget those sexy ladies from the Eighties who are most indiscreet.
It's a place where the underworld can meet the elite.
It's... 42nd Street!
It's 1932 and the country, indeed the world is in the grip of the Great Depression.
Still as the saying goes, the show must go on and famous Broadway producers Jones and Barry are staging a musical called Pretty Lady.
Julian Marsh has signed on to direct. Julian's got quite the rep on the Great White Way and if anyone can make Pretty Lady a hit, it's this guy.
But Julian's feeling the pressure on a very personal level. Despite his past successes, the Stock Market Crash wiped him out.
And he's got a heart condition that could kill him if he experiences too much stress.
You know, like directing an "It must be a hit or else" Broadway musical.
But Juliuan really needs the money and if can survive one more play, he can retire.
But first, there's a show to put on.
And he's got Dorothy Brock to contend with.
Dorothy's a big star on Broadway but perhaps a bit past her prime for this sort of show. But she's part of a critical package deal. She's dating Abner Dillon who has managed to hold on to his dough despite the Depression and is the show's financial backer. If Dorothy Brock is the star.
Not letting a little quid pro quo getting in the way of a good time, Dorothy is involved in an affair on the side with her old vaudeville partner Pat Denning.
So there's all THAT drama going on not to mention the stress of staging and casting and rehearsing.
And Julian's exacting determination to make sure Pretty Lady is a hit and the best damn thing on Broadway since the installation of electric lights.
Lost in the chorus is Peggy Sawyer, a newcomer to the Broadway stage. Innocent and naive, the prototype of the young theater hopeful. She shows raw talent for peforming, acting, dancing. If she can just work past her lack of self confidence and get out of her own head, she just might be a star!
And there is the confounding distraction of Billy Lawler, the show's male lead who is attracted to Peggy and begins to fall in love with her.
And so the players are set and the drama unfolds.
Peggy struggles with the rigorous demands of rehearsing for a major Broadway productions under the exacting demands of Julian Marsh.
Julian keeps pushing the make the show better than good, it has to be GREAT and the pressure of making Pretty Lady into something spectacular is taking it's toll.
And Julian certainly doesn't need to deal with Dorothy's on stage diva attitude and her off stage shenanigans. If her sugar daddy Abner Dillon finds out she's two-timing him with Paul Denning, then the jig is up and there goes the money to get Pretty Lady off the ground.
Then things take a turn for the worse when Dorothy breaks her ankle. Without his big name Star, Julian decides enough is enough and will have to shut down the show.
Until the ladies in the chorus tell Julian there is someone in the cast who knows the female lead role even better than Dorothy Brock and that's Peggy Sawyer!
Who?
Oh! That girl on the back row of the chorus?!?
Really? Her?
Can Julian Marsh trust his big Broadway comeback to a new kid with no experience?
Hey, this is a movie about the magic of Broadway.
Whattaya think, huh?
Pretty Lady makes it's big debut to thunderous applause and rave reviews.
Standing outside the stage door in the shadows, Julian Marsh is exhausted, nearly dead from weeks of stress trying to get this damn thing to fly.
Julian over hears comments from the exiting crowd about how great Peggy Sawyer was and what a big star she's gonna be and who's this Julian Marsh on the poster and what the hell did he have to do with this show's success.
42nd Street was one of the most successful motion pictures released in 1933 and was nominated for Best Picture at the 6th Academy Awards.
No comments:
Post a Comment