The best-known of the Gold Diggers series takes a radically serious turn in the final musical number which - in most prints - concludes the film, Busby Berkeley's famous "Remember My Forgotten Man". One of the film's stars, the delightful Joan Blondell, recites the song lyrics in the first part, while the featured vocalist Etta Moten subsequently takes up the song and actually sings it; Moten also reportedly dubbed Blondell's singing voice during the finale of the song.
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I didn't remember much about Joan Blondell, until I was examining Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Blondell in Night Nurse (1931). Joan was gorgeous of course, but the thing I noticed most was her great body and her exposed body bits. She looked impressive in Gold Diggers (1933) as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link
Hels
The Hays Code
https://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com/2019/04/hays-code-in-hollywood-sex-and-violence.html
Oh, yes, there was so much gratuitous dressing and undressing in those pre-code films! Night Nurse was a good example of that. : )
DeleteAnd thanks for the link; great that you and your commenters are having such thoughtful discussions about these interesting topics. : )
DeleteLove that song and how it's staged ... a long-time favorite.
ReplyDeleteOne of the great sequences in film. Blondell earned every second of that prolonged closeup whether she was actually singing or not.
ReplyDeleteAmen, brother! : )
Delete"The Forgotten Man" sequence of "Goldiggers 1933" is the best introduction to the mood of the Great Depression and the disillusionment over WWI I've ever seen Hollywood offer. What a surprise from the visual master of 30s film -- the immortal Busby Berkeley. Just when you expect another "the show must go on" musical comedy we get stark reality and a departure from all remnants of American triumphalism.
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