Saturday, August 22, 2009

Gold Diggers of 1933

Mervyn LeRoy's "The Gold Diggers of 1933". The story of a well-to-do Boston blueblood deciding to go into show business and wishing to marry his co-star. His older brother, it seems, controls his inheritance and wants to show his brother what gold diggers ALL actresses are, INCLUDING his brothers fiancee. This type of musical with the elaborate sets and line, followed by line, followed by line of dancers dressed in tuxedos, evening dresses and some othe the craziest costumes that can be imagined was pure escapism during the Great Depression when they really thrived. By the late 40s to the early 50s they became passe as stars of the caliber of Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse continued to keep the musical alive but made the movies story-based removing the numbers from the stage (or so they would have you believe). This type of movie just doesn't seem relevent to the world of modern entertainment. It may have appealed to MY parents at one time, but I remember their love of Rodgers and Hammerstein or "Singin' In The Rain" not so much Busby Berkley. Although I went into this expecting to dislike it, I actually came through enjoying it. I went into this movie intending to say that it probably has no real place in "The Book" but upon seeing it I'm not so sure. I am 50 years old and this doesn't hold a personal nostalgic place in my heart. How long can we expect that these kinds of movies will continue to be aired and really enjoyed as the older audiences become smaller and smaller? As long as TCM remains? I guess we can just hope that there will be reference like "The Book" that will always keep them from fading away. Unfortunately, as the years go by, unless the number of movies listed is allowed to increase sooner or later, I am afraid that it will be replaced. Although revisions of "The Book" so far to date, tend to eliminate newer movies (no earlier than 1988) sooner or later they will start reaching back.

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