- Actors: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Ruby Keeler, Warren William
- Directors: Busby Berkeley, Lloyd Bacon, Mervyn LeRoy, Ray Enright, William Keighley
- Writers: Avery Hopwood, Ben Markson, Bradford Ropes
- Format: Box set, Black & White, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
- Language English
- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 10
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- DVD Release Date: 12 Oct 2010
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- ASIN: B004132I6Q
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 48,248 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 6 people found the following review helpful
These films are marvellously reproduced and edited and remind us that far from escapist pap they reveal the deep trauma of depression and the need to support the Roosevelt New Deal.
I would particularly call attention to the fantastically self-ironic song of the Lady with the Ironing Board in DAMES. It subverts the feel good song and dance stuff prevalent at the time and gives us a wonderful satire of reactionary sexual politics and saccharine lyrics.
Ruby Keeler looks blissfully and jealously happy to have escaped from Nova Scotia and Dick Powell looks as if he never had bad breath ever in his life.
The Busby Berkeley compilation in the last disc are a sign that his genius alone carries the innovative glamour and totalitarian regimentation of those routines which really amount to a form of abstract expressionism, the avant-garde fashion of the Kandinsky era.
I would particularly call attention to the fantastically self-ironic song of the Lady with the Ironing Board in DAMES. It subverts the feel good song and dance stuff prevalent at the time and gives us a wonderful satire of reactionary sexual politics and saccharine lyrics.
Ruby Keeler looks blissfully and jealously happy to have escaped from Nova Scotia and Dick Powell looks as if he never had bad breath ever in his life.
The Busby Berkeley compilation in the last disc are a sign that his genius alone carries the innovative glamour and totalitarian regimentation of those routines which really amount to a form of abstract expressionism, the avant-garde fashion of the Kandinsky era.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5 reviews
42 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Another repackaging of stock
5 Sep 2010
This is nothing more than a repackaging of Busby Berkeley volumes 1 and 2 released in 2006 and 2008, respectively. There is a bonus disc of just the Berkeley musical numbers included, which brings us to 10 discs, so I don't think the 11 disc description is accurate. I rate this a four because the first collection was definitely a five, but the second collection is more like a three with Berkeley's lesser and later films included. The following is a listing of the individual films included and the extras on each disc, just in case you don't own either of the original Berkeley collections:
42nd Street: 3 featurettes ("Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer," "Hollywood Newsreel," "A Trip Through a Hollywood Studio"); notes on Busby Berkeley
Dames: 4 featurettes ("And She Learned About Dames," "Busby Berkeley's Kaleidoscopic Eyes," "Good Morning," "Eve and Melody Master: Don Redman and His Orchestra"); 2 classic cartoons; Direct from Hollywood radio promo; theatrical trailer
Footlight Parade: 3 featurettes ("Footlight Parade: Music for the Decades," "Rambling 'Round Radio Row #8," "Vaudeville Reel #1"); 2 classic cartoons; theatrical trailer
Gold Diggers in Paris: the Broadway Brevities musical short The Candid Kid; 2 classic cartoons
Gold Diggers of 1933: 5 featurettes ("42nd Street: From Book to Stage to Screen," "The 42nd Street Special," "Gold Diggers: FDR's New Deal... Broadway Bound," "Rambling 'Round Radio Row #2," "Seasoned Greetings"); 3 classic cartoons; trailer gallery
Gold Diggers of 1935: 2 featurettes ("(buz'be bur'kle) n. A Study in Style," "Double Exposure"); 2 classic cartoons; Direct from Hollywood radio promo; trailer gallery
Gold Diggers of 1937: the historical short The Romance of Louisiana; 2 classic cartoons; 2 excerpts from 1929's Gold Diggers of Broadway
Hollywood Hotel: the historical short The Romance of Robert Burns; the Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short Double Talk; classic cartoon
Varsity Show: Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short A Neckin' Party; classic cartoon
42nd Street: 3 featurettes ("Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer," "Hollywood Newsreel," "A Trip Through a Hollywood Studio"); notes on Busby Berkeley
Dames: 4 featurettes ("And She Learned About Dames," "Busby Berkeley's Kaleidoscopic Eyes," "Good Morning," "Eve and Melody Master: Don Redman and His Orchestra"); 2 classic cartoons; Direct from Hollywood radio promo; theatrical trailer
Footlight Parade: 3 featurettes ("Footlight Parade: Music for the Decades," "Rambling 'Round Radio Row #8," "Vaudeville Reel #1"); 2 classic cartoons; theatrical trailer
Gold Diggers in Paris: the Broadway Brevities musical short The Candid Kid; 2 classic cartoons
Gold Diggers of 1933: 5 featurettes ("42nd Street: From Book to Stage to Screen," "The 42nd Street Special," "Gold Diggers: FDR's New Deal... Broadway Bound," "Rambling 'Round Radio Row #2," "Seasoned Greetings"); 3 classic cartoons; trailer gallery
Gold Diggers of 1935: 2 featurettes ("(buz'be bur'kle) n. A Study in Style," "Double Exposure"); 2 classic cartoons; Direct from Hollywood radio promo; trailer gallery
Gold Diggers of 1937: the historical short The Romance of Louisiana; 2 classic cartoons; 2 excerpts from 1929's Gold Diggers of Broadway
Hollywood Hotel: the historical short The Romance of Robert Burns; the Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short Double Talk; classic cartoon
Varsity Show: Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short A Neckin' Party; classic cartoon
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
This is a great collection
15 Jan 2011
Firstly I agree this collection is nothing new from the earlier Busby Berkeley VHS/DVD film titles or packages released. But this is a great all in one collection for a new buyer like me at a great price. I can now ditch the VHS tapes. So I am happy. But if these films came out again with further enhancements and restorations I would buy them. Most of these current ones are not full frame. Too many heads chopped off.
All the films are what I expect while the best titles in my preferred order are 42nd Street, Footlight Parade and Gold Diggers of 33. However the best highlight for me are the only surviving clips of Gold Diggers of Broadway made in 1929 which are included as a bonus to the not so great Gold Diggers of 37 DVD. These clips are an absolute joy. A great rendition of Tip Toe Through the Tulips by Nick Lucas and a stunning finale full of tremendous colour and energy featuring Nancy Welford singing the "Song of the Gold Diggers".
Another thing I approve of this collection is the belated crediting of Clarence Nordstrom in the final bonus musical numbers compiliation disk. It puzzles me as how this singer who was the male lead in the "Shuffle of to Buffalo" number and one of Berkeley's best never got a credit for his performance in 42nd Street. It is good to see that the producers of this collection have done something to give Clarence deserved acknowledgement.
All the films are what I expect while the best titles in my preferred order are 42nd Street, Footlight Parade and Gold Diggers of 33. However the best highlight for me are the only surviving clips of Gold Diggers of Broadway made in 1929 which are included as a bonus to the not so great Gold Diggers of 37 DVD. These clips are an absolute joy. A great rendition of Tip Toe Through the Tulips by Nick Lucas and a stunning finale full of tremendous colour and energy featuring Nancy Welford singing the "Song of the Gold Diggers".
Another thing I approve of this collection is the belated crediting of Clarence Nordstrom in the final bonus musical numbers compiliation disk. It puzzles me as how this singer who was the male lead in the "Shuffle of to Buffalo" number and one of Berkeley's best never got a credit for his performance in 42nd Street. It is good to see that the producers of this collection have done something to give Clarence deserved acknowledgement.
25 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Why this rehash
5 Oct 2010
I must agree with the previous reviewer in regard to this set. Why rehash what has already beeen done and quite well I might add. It would have been better if Warner Bros had re-mastered and issued some of the Berkely films which have yet to be issued on DVD. I can only say that this is fine for anyone who didn't but the first two set issues.
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