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- The Busby Berkeley Collection is a 6-disc compilation of five remastered Warner Bros.ics from one of the greatest motion picture choreographers of all time. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR Age: 012569678460 UPC: 012569678460 Manufacturer No: 67846
Description
The Busby Berkeley Collection is a 6-disc compilation of five remastered Warner Bros. classics from one of the greatest motion picture choreographers of all time.Amazon.com essential video
Set during the depression, this is the granddaddy of backstage musicals in which the understudy finally gets a chance to shine. It may seem a little cliché now, but in 1933 this was hot stuff. All that behind-the-scenes atmosphere feels very genuine, and the script is more acer… More >>
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For some reason, I thought this would be in color. I also didn’t realize what a old movie this was. It was ok, not great.
Rating: 3 / 5
The trouble with the word “classic” is that it becomes applied to films that don’t deserve it. Perhaps that’s a little harsh, but after watching 42nd Street, that’s what came to mind. Now, I can understand how it could gain that name. When it was made in 1933, it was likely a groundbreaker in terms of the movie musical. Busby Berkley is a name known throughout the world for good reason, and the dance sequences in 42nd Street are eyepopping. It’s the rest of the movie that is lacking.
I didn’t care a whit about any of the characters in the film. I’ll take that back, I cared that the guy got dumped and that the girl that dumped him seemed to be prostituting herself for her work. And that’s one of the better qualities of the film. In 1933, the Hays office had not yet been created and the dark aspects of society, however implied, could still pass muster and be played out on the screen. The film only picks up, though, during the scenes of the Broadway play “Pretty Lady,” when Berkley’s genius finally comes to the fore. The rest is merely leading up to that finale.
Several famous names appear like Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Una Merkel, and Ginger Rogers; and 42nd Street also contains songs like the title tune and “Shuffle Off to Buffalo.” A Broadway adaptation was launched in 1980, based on the movie, rather than vice versa.
Rating: 3 / 5
… what really redeemed the 42nd st film version for me was the many moments it shook off the constraints of following the play and used the medium of film to its advantage. It’s that difference that you see in films like My Fair Lady between an amazing film construction of a number like “I could have danced all night”, and the stagnant race track number(s). and 42nd st. really explodes in it’s final title sequence. from the breathtaking track through all the girls’ legs, too the expansive and seeming endless NYC sets this number outshone the entirety of the rest of the film in my opinion. There was some very nice cinematography throughout the film, but the story behind the numbers fell flat too many times for me to accord it any higher a rank than it gets. I’d actually like to see this play remade, if only because I think the stage production is strong enough that it could translate better to film, this film isn’t as strong (or revered) as other musicals, so it’d be interesting to see someone like Paul Thomas Anderson take a crack at bringing to life a classic stage musical, if only because it hasn’t really been done yet.
Rating: 2 / 5
I bought this as a xmas gift. It came in time for xmas. I have not seen the collection
Rating: 5 / 5
A really great way to waste a rainy day. No car crashes, blood, gore, etc. just easy to watch flicks from the old days of cinema.
Rating: 4 / 5