42nd Street(1933)

Warner Bros.

1h 29m

Release Date: Mar 9, 1933 | Limited

7.3

When the leading lady of a Broadway musical breaks her ankle, she is replaced by a young unknown actress, who becomes the star of the show.

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Sun Aug 23
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Wed Aug 26
Thu Aug 27
Fri Aug 28
Sat Aug 29

Director & Top Cast

Lloyd Bacon
Director

Warner Baxter
Julian Marsh

Bebe Daniels
Dorothy Brock

George Brent
Pat Denning

Ruby Keeler
Peggy Sawyer

Guy Kibbee
Abner Dillon

Una Merkel

Lorraine Fleming

Ginger Rogers

Ann Lowell

Ned Sparks

Thomas Barry

Dick Powell

Billy Lawler

Allen Jenkins

Mac Elroy

Edward J. Nugent

Terry

Robert McWade

Jones

George E. Stone

Andy Lee

Harry Akst

Jerry

Virginia Albertson

Chorus Girl

Loretta Andrews

Chorus Girl

Marie Arbuckle

Chorus Girl

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Mono

Aspect Ratio: 1.37 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

In New York City at the height of the Great Depression, stage director Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter) has gone completely broke due to low theater attendance. He jumps at the opportunity to direct the musical comedy 'Pretty Lady' by Jones and Barry. Since Marsh is very sick (presumably from cancer) he counts on the success of the show to take care of him for the rest of his short life.Tryouts take place and two people that win the lead roles are Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels), the personal choice of Abner Dillon (Guy Kibbee) the show's producer, and Billy Lawler (Dick Powell), a well-known juvenile lead actor. Billy takes a fancy to the young Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler), who has never acted in a major Broadway theatrical production. Billy helps Peggy relax during the chorus tryouts when most of the other chorines are being unfriendly to her. Two chorines are friendly towards Peggy, whom are 'Anytime Ann (Ginger Rogers) and Lorraine Fleming (Una Merkel) who is the girlfriend of Andy Lee (George E. Stone) the choreographer. All three women win parts in the chorus.When director Marsh finds out that Dorothy as been two-timing Abner and is still sweet on her boyfriend and former partner Pat Denning (George Brent), he sends some men to strong-arm Pat lest Abner find out and withdraw from backing the show. But Pat and Dorothy have decided to split up anyway. Pat wants to make his own success and goes to Philadelphia to work in a stock company. They hope to get back together someday.After five weeks of rehearsals, the company goes to Philadelphia where the play will open on a theater on South Broad Street. Dorothy sees Pat with Peggy and though they are just friends, she becomes very jealous. At a party held the night before the opening, Dorothy gets a little too drunk in which she kicks Abner out of her hotel room. Abner is offended where he tells Marsh that he wants to withdraw his backing. Marsh convinces him to remain with the show if Dorothy will apologize to him.Dorothy phones Pat and tells him to come over to her room. He arrives a short while later at her hotel room as expected and tries to console the drunk woman. Outside the door, Peggy overhears the writers tell each other the Marsh will once again try to get Pat out of the way. Peggy then goes to Dorothy's room to tell Pat what she heard. Dorothy gets jealous and loses control of herself in which she falls sideways and twists her ankle. Marsh arrives a minute later to find out that he has lost his leading lady the night before the play.The next day, Abner announces that he has a new leading lady: 'Anytime Ann'. Marsh is willing to use her, but Ann tells him that there is only one girl who can carry the show: Peggy. Marsh had never noticed Peggy before during the tryouts and rehearsals, but he agrees to use her. For the next five hours, Marsh works with Peggy on her acting, singing and dancing. She improves steadily.Before Peggy makes her debut she gets encouragement from Bill, and even Dorothy (now hobbling on two crutches), who says that she will marry Pat. Marsh even gives Peggy some encouragement by telling her: "Sawyer, you're going out a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!"The elaborate play with several large musical production numbers makes it debut. For the final 20 minutes, the cast performs each musical number flawlessly, with Peggy singing and dancing to the show-stopping '42nd Street'. In the final scene, after the play is over, the exhausted Marsh is seen sitting on the steps of the back exit of the theater in an alley. He overhears patrons saying, "Marsh will probably say he discovered her. Some guys get all the breaks."

Storyline

Renowned Broadway producer/director Julian Marsh is hired to put together a new musical revue. It's being financed by Abner Dillon to provide a starring vehicle for his girlfriend, songstress Dorothy Brock. Marsh, who is quite ill, is a difficult taskmaster who works long hours and continually pushes the cast to do better. When Brock breaks her ankle one of the chorus girls, Peggy Sawyer, gets her big chance to be the star. She also finds romance along the way. — garykmcd Julian Marsh, a tough, demanding Broadway director, ignores his weak heart when he has a chance to earn money he needs desperately by directing "Pretty Lady," the next musical for producers Jones and Barry. The leading lady, Dorothy Brock, has been cast already by backer Abner Dillon, who is also Dorothy's sugar daddy. In a highly competitive casting call, Marsh and his stage manager, Andy Lee, audition the dancers, choosing among them Lee's girlfriend Loraine Fleming, a gold digger nick-named Anytime Annie, and newcomer Peggy Sawyer. Billy Lawler, the play's juvenile, falls in love with Peggy, but she is more impressed with Pat Denning, Dorothy's lover and ex-partner. Pat is getting tired of living in the shadow of Dorothy's life and soon leaves for Philadelphia to establish his independence. Coincidentally, the company goes to Philadelphia for its out-of-town opening. During the cast party the night before the opening, Dorothy gets drunk, fights with Pat, and in the struggle, badly sprains her ankle. The next evening, after exhausting rehearsals with Marsh, Peggy goes on in her place and is a star overnight. Now she realizes that she loves Billy, just as Dorothy admits that what she really wants is to retire and marry Pat. In the end, Marsh's finances are saved, but his accomplishment is overshadowed by Peggy's new stardom. — Anonymous Julian Marsh ( Warner Baxter ), a successful Broadway director, produces a new show, in spite of his poor health. The money comes from a rich older man, who is in love with the star of the show, Dorothy Brock. But Dorothy ( Bebe Daniels ) doesn't respond to his love, because she's still in love with her old partner. On the night before the premiere, Dorothy breaks her ankle, and Peggy Sawyer ( Ruby Keeler ), one of the chorus girls, tries to take over Dorothy's part. — Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de> The source from which all modern musicals flow: An ailing Broadway director returns to produce one final show, but his leading lady is injured and must be replaced by a novice. Call it dated, but it's aged to perfection, and the final 20-minute sequence will leave you tapping your toes, with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Movies--never mind musicals--just don't get any better than this. — Carl Schultz

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