My Complicated Opinion of “42nd Street” (1934): Film Review

In 2018, I had the privilege of seeing the Broadway version of 42nd Street performed in Vancouver by Theatre Under the Stars. It was hilarious, extremely well-acted, and the tap dance numbers had me jumping out of my seat through the whole show! So, when I came across the original 1934 film a couple of days ago, I just had to watch it and see how it compared to the stage production. However, I was, for the most part, unpleasantly surprised.

While there are some things I really enjoyed from this film, there were a lot more that I had a difficult time watching. Keep reading through this review to gain my full thoughts on this movie musical!

Basic Synopsis

42nd Street follows the story of Peggy Sawyer, a young woman living in New York for the very first time. She longs to be an actress and decides to audition as a chorus girl for Pretty Lady, a stage production being put on by short-tempered director Julian Marsh. As the cast of Pretty Lady struggles with the ups and downs of putting on a theatrical production, something happens to their leading lady that causes Peggy to step into her shoes and fill the role. Will she fall flat on her face, or will she give the performance of a lifetime?

The Attack Scene

Between the late twenties and thirties, lack of censorship was becoming more and more popular in books and entertainment and was quite prominent in the film industry. And while I’m not a fan of censorship at the best of times, there were one or two truly shocking moments in 42nd Street that would be surprising for a modern audience, let alone viewers in 1934. The majority of the film was honestly fine, but there were one or two scenes that truly altered the opinion of the film that I had up until those scenes played out.

The part that surprised me the most was during the final dance number of the titular song, where a violent assault scene is played out in a young woman's bedroom. She manages to escape the man attacking her but attempts suicide by jumping off the roof of her apartment. Another man catches her and everything seems fine until a mugger promptly stabs her in the back and she dies on the spot. This was in a dance routine of all things, which was especially off-putting considering the chipper tone of the song being performed.

I understood why this scene was put into the dance routine. The song was explaining all the things passersby can see on 42nd street in New York, both the good and the bad, but suffice it to say that the stage production managed this without having to show the attack and murder of a young woman while everyone does jazz hands and high kicks in the

background as if nothing bad had happened.

The Attitudes of the Era

When it comes to the sexist remarks made in this film, I can’t really say it surprised or bothered me too much. When you’re watching a classic, you have to account for the attitudes of the era.

There was some imagery I didn’t care for, and I do think they took the objectification of the female body a bit too far, but it wasn’t anything I haven’t seen in other classic films. However, young girls who are new to the world of classics should be aware of these attitudes before diving in.

The Characters and Casting

The way that the main characters act and their personalities in general far differ from the stage version of this show. The main character, Peggy Sawyer, who was interesting, ambitious, and full of classic leading lady gumption in the stage show, was maybe one step above a slab of wood in the ‘34 film.

Peggy was played by Ruby Keeler (Dames), who was extremely popular at the time, and, while I generally think Keeler to be talented, I believe she was sorely miscast in this movie, and her character was not written very well.

I found Keeler’s character incredibly difficult to like, as she was unbearably naive for her age. We also never really got to see why she was so enthusiastic about theatre, what it was that made her want to be an actress. The movie basically spent the entire runtime telling us how talented she was without actually showing it. When she fills in for the lead in the play towards the end of the film, I couldn’t understand why everyone was so taken with her performance. She displayed very little emotion in her face, her dancing, and her singing. Overall, she was a boring character to follow.

The fact that this movie employed the talents of Ginger Rogers (Top Hat) and they didn’t cast her in the lead will always frustrate me. Rogers portrayed the character of Ann Lowell, one of the main chorus girls. Suffice it to say that she stole the show in the few scenes she was given. I personally feel if Ginger Rogers had been cast in the lead for this movie, it would have been a lot more interesting to watch as well as more memorable.

In Conclusion

I’m not saying this movie is wholly bad. There were some moments in this film that I truly enjoyed and found quite entertaining, and the performances by actors such as Ginger Rogers and Dick Powell (Murder, My Sweet) kept my interest throughout. However, the off-putting imagery in certain scenes, as well as the casting of the main lead, doesn't even put this movie in the same league as the stage production.

The Broadway version of this movie wasn’t adapted to stage until 1980, which accounts for the somewhat more progressive feeling of the show. While both versions have the same basic plot and the same music, they are distinctly different in their tone and energy, and, for myself, I simply prefer the stage production.

However, I can’t say I will dissuade people from watching 42nd Street. After all, if it wasn’t for this movie musical, the Broadway production of this story would be non-existent, and therefore we owe a great debt to Warner Bros. for bringing this story into the world of musicals.

Not to mention that I’d watch Ginger Rogers in pretty much anything.

Have you seen 42nd Street? What’s your opinion on this film? Let me know in the comments below!