Gold Diggers of 1933

Most movies about the Great Depression tend to be a little, well, depressing. Often we witness the hard-working family man struggle to support his wife and kids as the greedy elites suck him dry. This doesn’t seem like the kind of turf that musicals, with their joy of song and endless optimism, would tackle. Yet Gold Diggers of 1933 makes phenomenal use of this setting without sacrificing a bit of the extravagance or merriment of its genre.

Gold Diggers of 1933 focuses on three struggling chorus girls: Carol (Joan Blondell), Trixie (Aline MacMahon) and Polly (Ruby Keeler). The Great Depression causes all their shows to “close before they open” and they’re reduced to stealing milk from their neighbors to get by. Word then spreads that Barney Hopkins (Ned Sparks) is putting on a new show. The girls persuade him to put them in the production, but he’s still lacking a backer. That’s when the composer next door – and object of Polly’s affections – Brad Roberts (Dick Powell) saves the day by delivering $15,000 and some pitch-perfect tunes for the musical.

Brad’s big secret comes out when he’s forced to replace the male lead last minute: he’s part of a wealthy Boston family. And they aren’t happy about his new career moves, or his lower-class girlfriend. His brother, J. Lawrence Bradford (Warren William), comes into town to try and separate the couple, but he mistakes Carol for Polly. Determined to teach him a lesson, Carol goes along with Lawrence’s scheme to woo her away from Brad but the deceptive pair soon develop conflicting affections.

The numbers, though they are rather exploitive, are quite the sight to behold and ironically play on the bleak narrative setting with their abundance. Dance director Busby Berkeley surely lives up to his reputation for extravagance, especially in the opening number, “We’re in the Money.” You probably wouldn’t think that Pig Latin could be worked so seamlessly into a song, but this number boasts an impressive 35 seconds of one of the world’s least widely spoken languages – in addition to the tons of fake coins and scantily clad women.

The three main girls provide some great comedy in their quest to shame the judgmental rich men who see them as gold diggers. The cases of mistaken identity that seem to be a staple of classic musicals can often become ridiculous, but here it’s simply entertaining. Credit must also go to supporting players Guy Kibbee, who plays a wealthy friend of Bradford’s, and Ginger Rogers, who plays the surprisingly risqué Fay Fortune.

Berkeley and director Mervyn LeRoy provide a utopian escape from the scarcity of the Great Depression with their opulent, involved musical numbers and light-hearted humor. This interesting juxtaposition makes for a refreshingly original, and thoroughly enjoyable, movie that cannot be described as anything other than classic.

Written by: Kristin Hunt

Reviewers Rating: 8.5
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