Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

" . . . we came, we marched away, to fight for USA--but where are we today?" is the plaintive lyric of 200 soldiers marching on stage in Donald J. Rump's New York City 1:36:24 into GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933. World War One drill sergeant Busby Berkeley choreographs this "Forgotten Man" number as a literal show-stopper (that is, it ends this story) in memory of the thousands of World War One vets, along with their wives and children, massacred by the Future Rich People Party (RPP) President I-Like-Ike Eisenhower on the orders of RPP President Herb Hoover after Herb's Billionaire Bosses told him that it would be cheaper to bulldoze them into a mass grave under what's now the National Mall WWII Memorial than to pay them the Veterans' Benefits they'd earned (the exact number of Ike's "Friendly Fire" homicides here is a closely guarded "redacted" secret yet Today, just like the Truth about WWII hero JFK's Assassination). Herb also remains infamous for appointing a Cabinet of Nine Billionaires and a Plumber (the plumber was fired after a few weeks) and enabling the Great Depression. Warner Bros. made this flick to warn America against ever again allowing a pack of RPP jackal-billionaires to run America. Now that Russian KGB Boss "Mad Dog" Putin has installed Rump as his White House Puppet, it's High Time for The Resistance to revive this movie, as well as Director William A. Wellman's Warner Masterpiece, HEROES FOR SALE.

This tidy little musical film had actors who were good actors and even better performers. The film itself used what I consider correct use of singing and dancing. Because rather than the stereotypical sing and dance situation that actors do when their characters are feeling a strong emotion, they actually worked it into the narrative to give the musical numbers a purpose. The film while at times being gender orientated through weak women and strong upper class men; the film did show both genders switching roles, having independent women and manipulated men which is probably why the ending was so gender balanced.

Classy film complete with classy guys, classy dames and classy tunes. This was the perfect bookend to 42nd St, the perfect let's put on a show film, so much so when young I used to get them completely mixed up and with interchangeable songs. I hadn't seen it in over 15 years but thanks to a very Good Samaritan I saw it again tonight and was suitably re-impressed and wondered how I could ever get confused. Why, 42nd St had marvellous songs while Gold Diggers Of 1933 had magnificent songs.Mysterious song composer, singer, actor Dick Powell mysteriously bankrolls a stage musical, with his girl Ruby Keeler starring. Turns out he has an old fashioned morally stern family headed by brother Warren William who doesn't approve of his lifestyle, leading to most of the dialogue in the script. In her choice of men the cheap and vulgar Joan Blondell must've needed those big eyes testing! The innocent love affair between Powell and Keeler is again enchanting to take in, along with Blondell's and Aline MacMahon's incessant coy pre-Code quips. Songs include We're In The Money, Torch Song, Petting In The Park, Forgotten Man, and the unforgettable Shadow Waltz imho the finest Warren & Dubin collaboration. And Busby Berkeley excelled himself in the production of that one too, the number seems to get more amazing as the years pass when you remember the technical limitations they had to put up with in 1933 with such fine results.All in all one of the best musicals produced, with so many memorable bits, from pre-Code sassiness to gloriously romantic tunes. This is a film where getting a lodging for a night takes on a whole new meaning! Sadly it all got a little tamer after this and Footlight Parade, but what a ride.

This masterpiece from 1933 is one of the best examples I've seen of early Hollywood exploitation, although by today's standards if you didn't already know it was controversial at the time you probably wouldn't notice. With the introduction of the talkies in the late 1920's, Hollywood seemed unable to control various movies using subtle innuendos, and actresses displaying a bit more skin than they should until the Hays Code came into full force in 1934, which enforced the boundaries as to what was deemed acceptable on screen. Gangsters profited from crime, women displayed their legs, and in the case of Gold Diggers Of 1933, women used their sexuality to conquer men and gain what they wanted.Set during the Depression, it follows a quartet of stage dancers after their show is stopped due to the creative director failing to pay the bills. Things look on the up when the girls are asked to return for a brand new show, which would tackle the effects of the Depression on the common man and the state of the country. The enthusiastic director Barney (Ned Sparks) overhears the girls' neighbour Brad (Dick Powell) crooning a tune playing his piano, and invites him to play more tunes and eventually write the score for the upcoming musical. Barney also needs a lot of money to fund, something that Brad is happy to pay in case, much to the girls' suspicion.It comes across as a film with two halves - the first focusing on the development of the musical, the relationship between Brad and dancer Polly (Ruby Keeler), and the confusion surrounding the shady Brad's situation. The second seeing fellow dancers Carol (Joan Blondell) and Trixie's (Aline MacMahon) attempts to squeeze as much cash as possible out of Barney's upper-class brother Lawrence (a brilliant Warren William) and bumbling Peabody (Guy Kibbee). The first is a masterclass of beautiful stage numbers, fantastic songs, and good old-fashioned escapism. The second is where the film hits full stride, providing laugh out loud situations and some verbal comedy that wouldn't look out place today, as the girls flirt with and tease the old men as we cheer them on. It's the kind of thing that Sex And The City wishes it could pull off when it isn't being so materialistic and soulless.When you think it's over it pulls off one last masterstroke in the highly effective 'Remember My Forgotten Man' musical number, as Joan Blondell sings about how her man fought for her country and now begs for food and resorts to picking up discarded cigarette butts, as bloody soldiers march through the street. It's a beautiful moment and really sums up the era. It offers an insight into the whole Pre-Code Hollywood movement, where people would go to the cinema to escape their everyday struggles to see an actress like Blondell revealing a bit more leg than she should, or a Pre-Code veteran such as Warren William sneer his way through some juicy lines and villainous roles. It gave the general public that little something extra to get excited about.This is a film that has everything, and if you can track it down I would urge you to see it. It's a fascinating time capsule, and even has a very early role for Ginger Rogers as the flirty Fay. It has also been entered into the National Film Registry for preservation by the Library of Congress. A must-see.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com