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7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. 42nd Street remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you want to know how the whole "star is born" trope started, you just have to watch 42nd Street. It’s definitely worth a watch today, though mostly for the sheer scale of the dance numbers rather than the actual plot. If you love old-school spectacle and don’t mind some really stiff acting, you’ll have a ball. If you’re allergic to black-and-white musicals from the thirties, you’re gonna hate every second of this.
The whole thing feels like a pressure cooker. Warner Baxter is sweating through his shirt as the director, and honestly, I believe he was actually that stressed out. He’s got ulcers and a failing show, and you can practically smell the cheap office coffee on him.
The dance numbers? They are absolute insanity. There’s a scene where the camera is literally spinning around the girls' legs in a way that feels like it shouldn't be physically possible for 1933. It makes you dizzy, in a good way. It’s like Busby Berkeley was trying to hypnotize the entire audience.
Ginger Rogers is in this, of course. She’s funny and sharp, but she feels a bit sidelined. It’s weird seeing her play second fiddle when you know what she becomes later.
The dialogue is so fast it sounds like a machine gun. Sometimes I had to rewind just to catch the insults. Nobody talks like this anymore, which is kind of a shame. It’s all "listen here, kid" and "get off the stage."
I couldn't help but compare the frantic energy here to something more grounded like The Sky Hawk. One is trying to reach for the ceiling of a theater, the other is just trying to stay in the air. 42nd Street is definitely the one that wants to be the biggest thing in the room.
Ruby Keeler is… well, she’s enthusiastic. That’s the word for her. Her tap dancing is loud, and she hits the floor like she’s trying to break through it. It’s charming, even if she looks a little terrified half the time.
There’s this one moment where the lead actress breaks her ankle, and it’s treated like a national tragedy. It’s so over-the-top that it becomes kind of hilarious. You really feel the movie trying to convince you that the show must go on, even if the world ends.
Is it dated? Sure. But who cares? The sheer amount of people packed onto that stage at the end is a logistical miracle. I don’t think they could even film this today without half the budget going to insurance for all those dancers.
Anyway, watch it for the legs. Watch it for the hats. Don't watch it if you're looking for deep character arcs.
IMDb 6.6
1929
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