The next time you're in Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, take a good look at the art deco train station, then give this movie another (or first) viewing. You too, will get a sense of nostalgia as Bing Crosby breaks into the title song. Toss in former girl's school teacher Marion Davies as the star-struck young lady who reluctantly ends up becoming an actress, temperamental Fifi D'Orsday (in her biggest film role), funny Patsy Kelly, money man Stuart Erwin, and sour-pussed Ned Sparks, and you have a dyslexic "42nd Street" where the extra gets to be a film star rather than the chorus girl getting to be a Broadway star. The film becomes a bit dramatic, almost a variation of "A Star is Born" as Crosby descends into possible alcoholism after a misunderstanding with Davies (concerning French spitfire D'Orsday), so the second half is a major "mood swing".
However, there is a very amusing opening sequence with moonstruck young Davies absent from a teacher's meeting (definately half the age of the others) which includes Clara Blandick as the confidante who is far more easy going than the elderly teacher who proclaims, "I'm ancient Greek history" and the masculine gym instructor who answers her attendance call with a very macho "Here I am." Miss Briarcroft, the principal, who gets absolutely no billing even in the unbilled credits, appears slightly younger, but her hatred towards the radio and music and romance in general is certainly the push that Davies needed to get out of a life she hated and into the glorious gowns and furs at MGM. This scene was basically repeated by Suzanne Pleshette in the 1960's soaper "Rome Adventure" where she went "Viva Italiano" rather than to tinseltown. Some of MGM's brightest stars of the time appear in newsreel footage after a sequence which breaks the record as the fastest train ride ever from New York to Hollywood....3 minutes! Sam McDaniel (Hattie's brother) is the Grand Central porter who dryly sings "Where ya all going'?".
This enjoyably lavish spectacle also includes Crosby's seductive "Temptation" (which seems to me to be one difficult song to try and sing---it needs much acting with it as well, so that says something about der-Bingle...) and a fun dream sequence ("We'll Make Hay When the Sunshines"). Davies has a radiant smile, dances nicely in her big number, and "has never looked lovelier", as Louella Parsons would always report. But in this case, it was true, her cross-eyed gaze appropriately handled by MGM's photographic team (to William Randolph Hearst's pleasure, I'm sure.). While the title song's opening lyrics, "Out Where They Say, Let Us Be Gay!" may mean something else now, the result is Hollywood's anthem to New Yorkers who wanted to break into movies, not Californians who wanted to hit Broadway.
However, there is a very amusing opening sequence with moonstruck young Davies absent from a teacher's meeting (definately half the age of the others) which includes Clara Blandick as the confidante who is far more easy going than the elderly teacher who proclaims, "I'm ancient Greek history" and the masculine gym instructor who answers her attendance call with a very macho "Here I am." Miss Briarcroft, the principal, who gets absolutely no billing even in the unbilled credits, appears slightly younger, but her hatred towards the radio and music and romance in general is certainly the push that Davies needed to get out of a life she hated and into the glorious gowns and furs at MGM. This scene was basically repeated by Suzanne Pleshette in the 1960's soaper "Rome Adventure" where she went "Viva Italiano" rather than to tinseltown. Some of MGM's brightest stars of the time appear in newsreel footage after a sequence which breaks the record as the fastest train ride ever from New York to Hollywood....3 minutes! Sam McDaniel (Hattie's brother) is the Grand Central porter who dryly sings "Where ya all going'?".
This enjoyably lavish spectacle also includes Crosby's seductive "Temptation" (which seems to me to be one difficult song to try and sing---it needs much acting with it as well, so that says something about der-Bingle...) and a fun dream sequence ("We'll Make Hay When the Sunshines"). Davies has a radiant smile, dances nicely in her big number, and "has never looked lovelier", as Louella Parsons would always report. But in this case, it was true, her cross-eyed gaze appropriately handled by MGM's photographic team (to William Randolph Hearst's pleasure, I'm sure.). While the title song's opening lyrics, "Out Where They Say, Let Us Be Gay!" may mean something else now, the result is Hollywood's anthem to New Yorkers who wanted to break into movies, not Californians who wanted to hit Broadway.