42nd Street (Warner Bros.) (1933)

night unfolds tales more enchanting than any of the thousand-and-one the Sultan heard from the painted lips of Scheherezade! ‘“‘Forty-second Street!’’ Boulevard of bluff and ballyhoo, of breaks and heartbreaks, dupes and dopes and show-girls, double-crossers, square-shooters and shysters, shows, showmen, show-goers, showups, show-downs and show-offs. Temperamental as a prima donna is 42nd Street, with a mood for every moment, a cure for every ill. She’ll get you what you want, and when you want it—of course, for a consideration! But her real complex is show-business. She takes her cue from her flamboyant side kick, Broadway, who, as everybody knows, got her start much later than 42nd Street got hers. Forty-second Street may occupy her mind with far different matters at times, during her record sprint across Manhattan from River to River—but between Broadway and HKighth Avenues, the theatre is her Stage sets and ensembles are worked out by the stage director from miniature sets. (Warner Baxter as stage director in “42nd Street.” ) meat and drink — ‘‘The show must go on,’’ her only creed. Along her thronging pavements shows pop up like rockets, often to come down as rockets do. All sorts and conditions of shows—burlesque — musical comedy —talkies—hoofers—shooting gallery peep-shows — dime museums — marionettes and, believe it or many of the immortals, trod tne boards, now houses a_hot-cha burlesque show featuring seminude ladies. It was on the New Amsterdam Roof that Eddie Cantor made his ‘‘ Broadway debut’’—which was in reality his 49nd Street debut. Below, on the vast stage of the New Amsterdam, the late Flo Ziegfeld, glorified the American girl in the ‘‘Mollies.’? The theatre is now dark—the roof occupied by a broadcasting station where Rudy Vallee croons. Extra! Only yesterday, Eva Le Gallienne, came up from the Civic Repertory on 14th St.—brings ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to the New Amsterdam and 42nd St. The ‘‘Rialto’’—so dad will tell you—supplants the old ‘‘Victoria’’ of his day—which was run by Hammerstein—as the theatrical tabloid of the time. Sensationalism was the order of the day at the ‘‘Victoria.’’ There the Cherry Sisters and their ilk, stampeded the gallery gods and any notorius headliner got a booking. Hammerstein, in this particular, the Barnum of the period, wanted names—names spelled with a capital N. Here the latest and most talked about hatchet man or holder-upper might bet his chance, with the assurance of both a big hand and a big hand-out—a combination flattering to pride, and purse as well. | Bars of Yesteryear | Today speak-steerers may lead the thirsty to cloud-enveloped hideaways in the canyons of ‘‘42nd Street,’’ or to sociable cellar rendezvous —but no gentleman of the old regime can forego a sigh for the brass rail paradises of pre-Volsteadian days. Ruth Eddings in ‘42nd Street’? Ty pifies the American Show Girl, whose beauty, Ziegfeld was the first to glorify. IUustrations and Headlines included in this ston Gut ~ The first chorus call for a new show b others just country kids lured to “42 id Street” by the urge for stage life. Ruby Keeler, plays the latter stomach. And she is prepared to get her man by this way or any other way. Provided, always, that he has the price! Her hostelries are accommodated to all comers, whether rated in. Bradstreets or a Bryant Many a “42nd Street” Show has been made possible by an “angel” for the sake of his lady Park bench. She will prolove. (Bebe Danvide the ritziest epicurean iels and Guy Kibfeast, or a doughnut and bee). sinker. ‘For the classes in be. tween, she exhibits eating places of all varieties—cafeterias—white front Greek palaces—‘‘ cafes des enfants’’ (again to quote O. Henry) rotisseries where the customer’s roast can be seen turning over live coals, by the hungr y mob outside the window—honky-tonks—and hot dogs stands! 42nd Street thinks in terms of human needs |! | ! The Great God ‘Speed’ | _ And all humanity sooner or later glides into the marble halls of the Grand Central—Pride of East 42nd’s newlynamed Pershing Square! This vast union depot, which was the realization of the dreams of the doughty Commodore Vanderbilt, was first built in the early seventies—on the site of a shooting gallery, patronized by; the doctors of the Hospital for the Crippled which them stood on the corner of Lexington Avenue. The original Grand Central was a huge arcade, with squatters’ shacks, looking down from the rocks above 42rd Street—which was “then so far uptown, as to be is a remote suburb. John Dutcher’s brindle rings out hundreds of aspirants—some veterans, type in “42nd Street.” \ f Adele re available in cut or mat form at your local exchange. Cut $1.50 Mat 50c Ravishing — brun The “42nd Street’’ director casting for chorus. No matter how perfect the face and figure, the knees are what really count. from the humblest flivver, to the highpowered cars of princes and potentates, magnates and movie stars, scuttle by ! Aeroplanes zoom _ overhead. The ‘‘blue skies’? — made famous by Tin Pan A\lley song-writers — are made eloquent by sky-writers — who trace in dissolving smoke the slogan of the newest cigarette ... or the latest in talkies... _ 42nd Street”? Dramatized And speaking of talkies, Warner Bros., one of the bigger film organizations has realized the dramas, the joys and sorrows, the gaieties, and heart-aches of Manhattan’s ‘‘42nd Street”’ —and the brilliant thoroughfare of razzle dazzle has been photo-dramatized and will be given theatrical billing in electric lights as ‘‘42ND STREET.’’ Recorded in fast-moving celluloid, in lights and shadows, is all of the sordidness. .. the love ... the pity of the Big Street which forms the cross road of the world with Broadway. Girls dancing . .. always dancing . hearts may ache, but still they dance. Here is ‘‘42nd Street’’ in its present transformation. Gone are the lobster palaces, the theatres and hang-outs of the Gay ’90’s. And in their places are the glamarous spots of the year 1933. The chorus girl hurrying to the rehearsal of a big musical comedy production. You follow her into the stage door, into her dressing room, out on the stage where the dance director fumes, frets and shouts at her. You see her joys and sorrows, her boy friends and girl friends. You are with her on the night when, by a strange Lacy, the ette Type Show circumstance, she jumps into Girl in “42nd the star role of the Big Show Sheena? and triumphs. You follow her on and on... backstage and into the side pockets of her life . . . . because this girl in her way is a lovely orchidaceous symbol of ‘‘42nd Street’’ as it has been so colorfully dramatized, with all of its blazing, hurly-burly breakneck speed— ‘49nd Street,’’ the Street of Stars!