One of the underlying themes is slavery - mostly as satire, but a disturbingly poignant scene at the climax of the slave bazaar number has a girl throwing herself to her death to escape from bondage. This was at a time when Busby Berkeley, the choreographer, was sometimes inserting serious byplay into his numbers (a la "42nd Street"). Boy, is this example a beaut! The Ruth Etting blues solo "No More Love" directly plays on the same theme. Both songs have undercurrents I've never seen suggested in a comedy before or since. These, along with the nutty, racially integrated "Keep Young & Beautiful" routine, add a curiously (yet fascinating) unsavory aspect to the proceedings that is not really easy to characterize.
Oh yeah, what about that lively beer garden drinking song near the beginning and Cantor in black-face! Offensive, absolutely - but somehow, with Cantor, what's not to love? Politically incorrect? You betcha - but this is not cruel or demeaning stuff. It's mostly just out-and-out dream-like crazy.
Others have noted the fine production values, and of course the great comic chariot race at the end. Add it all up and what you've got is a nice, unique, big 'ol pastry of a movie musical. If you wanted something to take your mind of things for 93 minutes in 1933, this was just the ticket. If you want something to take your mind off things for 93 minutes in 2007,this is still just the ticket
Oh yeah, what about that lively beer garden drinking song near the beginning and Cantor in black-face! Offensive, absolutely - but somehow, with Cantor, what's not to love? Politically incorrect? You betcha - but this is not cruel or demeaning stuff. It's mostly just out-and-out dream-like crazy.
Others have noted the fine production values, and of course the great comic chariot race at the end. Add it all up and what you've got is a nice, unique, big 'ol pastry of a movie musical. If you wanted something to take your mind of things for 93 minutes in 1933, this was just the ticket. If you want something to take your mind off things for 93 minutes in 2007,this is still just the ticket