Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

" . . . if you're willing to obey." No, this is NOT a line of dialogue from the latest FIFTY SHADES DARKER trailer. Rather, it comes as part of the lyric for the powerful closing number of an otherwise fairly slow-paced GOLD DIGGERS OF 1937, "All's Fair in Love and War." This ten-minute visual wonder emanates from the delightfully demented mind of Real Life World War One Drill Sergeant turned Broadway and Hollywood choreographer Busby Berkeley, and is about the closest thing to a live-action Looney Tune ever committed to screen. Call it BUSBY IN WACKYLAND: a tap-dancer strutting his stuff on the seat of a five-story tall rocking chair, a battle of the sexes clinched by womanly weapons of mass deception, Chorines popping out of Cannons, and flag twirlers first performing in mid-air, and then reaching hurricane strength. Otherwise, the plot of this edition of the GOLD DIGGERS series is mostly a vigorous (and prophetic, from Warner Bros.' Early Warning System) defense of the U.S. Affordable Care Act (aka, ObamaCare), with a plot centering on Broadway Producer J.J. Hobart's Pre-existing medical condition. (Spoiler: J.J. will be slain in a New York Minute under the Donald J. Rump Administration.)

The high point of Gold Diggers of 1937 is Busby Berkeley's staging of "All's Fair in Love and War," an all-American dose of surrealism, like a militarized, scrubbed and bleached opus by Bunuel or Dali. It hypnotizes and amuses, mixing silliness and wisdom, finesse with crudeness. And it never hurts to have at one's disposal such raw materials as a superior Harry Warren melody, and in this case, a better-than-average Al Dubin lyric.The other songs in this light-dark comedy fare less well. The two main entries by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen ("Speaking of the Weather" and "Let's Put Our Heads Together") are routine and interchangeable; when they merge in a poolside extravaganza, it's hard to tell where one leaves off and the other comes in. Harburg and Arlen also contributed the cynical "Life Insurance Song," performed only fragmentarily by Dick Powell, but it's quite sharp ("You'll get pie in the sky when you die, die, die…."). Sadly, Warren and Dubin's splendid "With Plenty of Money and You" is deprived of a big splashy production number all its own.The plot is actually not bad for movies of this type. Various bad guys, in cahoots with gold digger Glenda Farrell, try to profit from sick old theatrical producer (Victor Moore) by taking out a million dollar life insurance policy on him (innocently sold to them by Dick Powell) and then putting him into unhealthful situations which will maximize the chances of his quick and convenient demise. The proceeds will finance their new musical, which will be a big money- making hit. It's a nasty scenario when you think about it, spun out with a pretty good share of racy double entendres.Powell, in his 4th year of warbling wholesomely for the brothers Warner and sporting an unflattering mustache, looks like he's just about to roll back his eyes and shout "Enough!" but he manages to deliver the twinkle, the vitality and the sonorous vocals that made up his screen persona. Joan Blondell as his love interest is also beginning to show signs of wear. Her voluptuous chorine days are drawing to a close, but she can still pull off the act; as usual, she doesn't even attempt to sing and merely speaks her lyric lines. Victor Moore, Broadway veteran and seasoned character comedian, brings great nuance and even pathos to a role that might have been played as sheer low-minded slapstick by a lesser actor. Lee Dixon as one of Powell's fellow insurance salesmen comes off as a rather eccentric supporting actor in search of a screen personality until it is revealed that his primary talent is tap dancing, which he displays with great energy in the poolside number. But when you see the truly amazing footwork of the dancers in the 1929 Gold Diggers of Broadway (fragments of which are included as an extra feature on the Busby Berkeley Collection Volume 2), you realize that Dixon by comparison was an eager but clumsy beginner.So this late entry in the gold diggers series isn't as bad as one might expect. It would have been better, perhaps, if some of the performers had been more youthful and less sick and tired of playing the same types year after year and if there had been more socko musical numbers.

what a great musical this was! in fact, it contained of three individual parts.the first part was the introduction, where we got to know the story and the characters. this was quite boring, I tried to concentrate on the visuals rather than on the story.the second part, however, was intriguing. it showed us love can appear on every age and the intrigue was interesting too.the third part was beautiful and certainly one of the best endings from a Busby Berkeley musical. everything ended as it should be. I left the room with a good feeling. it's a shame pictures as these aren't made anymore today. long live Gold Diggers of 1937, without a doubt the best of the Gold Diggers series!

Blondell and Farell are fetching, Powell is suave, story not too bad, but most of the musical numbers are just a little too silly and corny. The last number, the "show" is quite good though. Worth watching. I want a mustache just like powell's! May be the next big thing after the goatee...