Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
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100% of critics liked it
(8 reviews) -
88% of users liked it
(1,867 ratings)
The second talkie version of the Avery Hopwood's theatrical war-horse The Golddiggers of Broadway, Gold Diggers of 1933 was the second of three back-to-back 1933 Warner Bros. musicals benefiting from the genius of Busby Berkeley. The basic plot is retained from the Hopwood play: Showgirls Joan… More The second talkie version of the Avery Hopwood's theatrical war-horse The Golddiggers of Broadway, Gold Diggers of 1933 was the second of three back-to-back 1933 Warner Bros. musicals benefiting from the genius of Busby Berkeley. The basic plot is retained from the Hopwood play: Showgirls Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Aline McMahon attempt to find financial backing for the new show planned by producer Ned Sparks. Songwriter Dick Powell, an incognito man of wealth, offers to put up the money, a fact that brings down the wrath of his older brother Warren William, who despises show folk. Attempting to buy off the three girls, William is placed in a compromising position by the crafty Blondell and is compelled to bankroll the musical himself. The oddest aspect of Gold Diggers of 1933 is the fact that the mood of the songs is wildly at variance with the plot. The film begins with dozens of chorus girls (led by Ginger Rogers) happily chirping "We're In the Money", a rehearsal number interrupted when the finance men burst in to claim the sets and props from the impoverished troupe. At the end, when everyone is genuinely in the money, the troupe stages a downbeat "Brother Can You Spare A Dime"-style production number, "Remember My Forgotten Man"--and it is on this doleful indictment of the Depression that the film fades out! Other Berkeley-staged musical highlights include "Pettin' in the Park" (yes, that salacious little baby really is Billy Barty) and the neon-dominated "Shadow Waltz", all written by the prolific Harry Warren and Al Dubin. As spectacular as Gold Diggers of 1933 was, it would be topped by the last of Berkeley's 1933 trilogy, Footlight Parade. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Mervyn LeRoy
- Written By
- Erwin Gelsey, James Seymour, David Boehm, Ben Markson
- Genres
- Musical & Performing Arts
- In Theaters
- May 27, 1933 Wide
- Studio
- MGM Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A seminal, vastly entertaining musical of the early Depression era and a showcase of the eccentric genius of Busby Berkeley in highlights like "We're in the Money."
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Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Busby Berkeley's imaginatively-staged numbers steal the show; fun to watch, even today.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Deliciously maddening extravaganza Depression-era Broadway musical.
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Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
We're still in the money watching this Depression era classic.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
A fabulously fast-paced cynical comedy in which the straight parts of the movie are -- for a change -- nearly the equal in quality to the musical numbers.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Warren William
as J. Lawrence Bradford
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Joan Blondell
as Carol King
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Aline MacMahon
as Trixie Lorraine
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Ruby Keeler
as Polly Parker
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Dick Powell
as Brad Roberts, Robert Treat Bradford
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Guy Kibbee
as Thaniel H. Peabody
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Ned Sparks
as Barney Hopkins
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Ginger Rogers
as Fay Fortune
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Clarence Nordstrom
as Don Gordon
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Robert Agnew
as Dance Director
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Tammany Young
as Gigolo Eddie
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Sterling Holloway
as Messenger Boy
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Ferdinand Gottschalk
as Clubman
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Monica Bannister
as Gold Digger
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Bonnie Bannon
as Gold Digger
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Joan Barclay
as Chorus Girl
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Billy Barty
as "Pettin' in the Park" Baby
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Hobart Cavanaugh
as Dog Salesman
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Dorothy Coonan Wellman
as Gold Digger
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Jay Eaton
as Diner
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William "Wild Bill" Elliott
as Dance Extra
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Eddie Foster
as Zipky's Kentucky Hill Billies--2nd Man
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Sam Godfrey
as Society Reporter
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Muriel Gordon
as Gold Digger
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Theresa Harris
as Black Couple
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Grace Hayle
as Society Reporter
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Anne Hovey
as Gold Digger
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Amo Ingraham
as Gold Digger
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Alice Jans
as Gold Digger
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Fred Kelsey
as Detective Jones
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Lorena Layson
as Gold Digger
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Wilbur Mack
as Society Reporter
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Etta Moten
as "Forgotten Man" Singer
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Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
as Fred Toones
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Billy West
as Medal of Honor Winner
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Dorothy White
as Dancer
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Renee Whitney
as Gold Digger
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Charles C. Wilson
as Deputy
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Pat Wing
as Gold Digger
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Busby Berkeley
as Call Boy
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Charles Lane
as Society Reporter
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Wallace MacDonald
as Stage Manager
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Frank Mills
as 1st Forgotten Man
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Dennis O'Keefe
as Extra During Intermission
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Loretta Andrews
as Gold Digger
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Lynn Browning
as Gold Digger Girl
- Maxine Cantway
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June Glory
as Gold Digger
- Jayne Shadduck
