Warner Brother’s new film musical, the GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 gives a lot of hope and America needs it badly. We can’t deny many people already have lost faith and hope.
“Faith, hope and charity – you have faith, Barney hope and we all need charity.”
This is the situation of our heroes, manly showgirls, spoken out by Aline McMahon’s character Trixie. Ordinary gold-diggers supposedly haven’t much faith, they have lost their hope. And so Trixie prefers to marry an old wealthy man. Ginger Roger’s character, Miss Faye Fortune, apparently looks cuter than McMahon’s. And thus we have the ‘pleasure’ to watch the fight for survival between two gold-diggers.
“Another look with those bedroom eyes and I break you a leg!”
This is the situation of our country indeed – moral is at its lowest level. But although Ginger Roger’s character is kind of pitiful punching girl in this movie, we won’t forget her. With her version of the GOLD DIGGERS SONG “We’re in the Money” she sings herself in our hearts. How fresh, sweet and delightful!
Dick Powell is at his best, probably because the songs in this musical are simply wonderful. His interpretation of I’VE GOT TO SING A TORCHSONG warms our hearts. But is Ruby Keeler beginning to be underestimated? Honestly I would have appreciated to see some more dancing by Ruby. Shining violins instead of real art of dancing? Is this what we need, just to have a little light in this Depression? Does this really give hope?
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and charity. But the greatest of these is charity.” [1 Corinthians 13:13]
President Roosevelt quoted this part of the New Testament several times. The 1933 GOLD DIGGERS use this, they transform it and they demonstrate how it works. There it is again, the breadline of the forgotten men. And there they’re marching again, the bonus army of last summer’s veterans. MY FORGOTTEN MAN transforms all that pain and misery into great art. It is perhaps the most genial air of show business. Etta Moten’s vocal in this part is marvelous – and let’s get this straight: Miss Blondell is not really singing herself.
These GOLD DIGGERS are much more than pure entertainment. They give faith and hope. And hopefully we all won’t forget our charity…
Clarissa Smith – May 27, 1933
I am a little late with this article. I'm still having a lot to do until Friday. Luckily the film this week (for June 1933) – HIS PRIVATE SECRETARY – is not so long: 61 mins. So I hope I'll be able to see it daily…
Well, as we have talked a good bit about Ginger's role in this one, I will comment that Joan's 'finale' is very awesome in it's own right, whoever is singing it…sure it isn't her? I know the 'harmony vocal' is Ms. Moten…BTW, have you perchance seen the series on PBS, 'Michael Feinstein's American Songbook'? It is really pretty cool – I did not know much about him, but he is a 'modern-day' standards on piano 'purist' guy, and is really quite good – he did a cool version of 'They can't take that away from me' on piano/vocal. Anyway, the 'meat' of she show is that he travels to all of these folks' houses who just happen to have LARGE collections of 20's, 30's and 40's era music, be it recorded, sheet music, etc. He went to one old dude's place and started rummaging thru a pile of sheet music and pulled out 'Shuffle Off to Buffalo'…the same one I have… that was pretty cool. but it is a show worth hunting down for us 'Golden Era' buffs… you would get a kick out of it, and probably get your dander up here and there as well! :-] KIG!VKMfanHuey—
I was a bit sad myself Huey, but I couldn't do much for Joan here. I read a lot of commentaries on actresses that praised her beautiful dresses, hairdo or pretty face. But that's not my style. The attitude "I write nice things on her because I like her" doesn't fit to my conviction. I'm all for honesty.I don't like Aline McMahon too much, but she's really outstanding in this film. So I couldn't praise Joan as much as my heart would've liked to. But I didn't pick on her – just used the opportunity to tell how it is. On IMDb someone asked whether she really sang or not. Of course it was Etta Moten's voice all the time. Joan wasn't a singer, in DAMES she sang really awful later.Real art isn't easy and we can't always have it as we like it best. Ginger's Golddigger's Song is really great. She's different, has her own style. And she handles that song with unusual creativity.And Dick Powell: Now, such voices are very rare. He's actually more than outstanding. He's a vocal phenomenon. Joan was rather business as usual – fair but not surprising.As to Ginger again: You see the letters of her name in the opening credits and then follows her song at once. That was great Ginger advertising. You won't forget her after that.Little tip: There's another actress that should please you. She acts like an angel in HIS PRIVATE SECRETARY. Her character is sweet, sophisticated, charming and very industrious: Evalyn Knapp, she's running this week on my screen and will be my next issue. Not an outstanding film, but very cute. And Evalyn – I think she's your type …
…well, I REALLY like Joan in general, so she gets a 'pass' from me on this one… but yes, the first 5-6 minutes of 'Gold Diggers/33' are the pinnacle for me, and there is just really nowhere to go afterwards… I remember the first time I saw the scene, it was on YouTube – someone had just 'posted' the single scene – I figured it was like the finale or something, since it was a big production number – although they show the producer/director/whatever sitting out in the empty seats, so that perplexed me a bit. THEN, I saw the whole movie, and it's like, 'WHAT?' This is the OPENING number? Kinda freaked me out, since, again, 'where do you go from there? But I DO love the film overall… Faye Fortune should have kicked back a bit when scolded, tho…would have made it a bit more 'Gingery'… Dick Powell is quite the vocalist, to be sure… I like '20 Million Sweethearts' with him and Ginger dueting 'You May Never be an Angel'… Thanks for the tip on Ms Knapp – I will try to round that one up – think I have heard of it – maybe TCM will air it soon.Thanks, CS!VKMfanHuey—
In September there will be FOOTLIGHT PARADE and this is definitely Joan Blondell's film, where she's really gonna be outstanding. Ruby too.Evalyn Knapp's charm in HIS PRIVATE SECRETARY is unbelievable: She's shaking her had to say no very fast, but at the same time she smiles and her eyes sparkle. You just love it if she says no to you that way. Well, her leading lad, quite young John Wayne, is very charming too. Very cute couple. Their happy end makes me cry.
I mean she's shaking her head very fast and it looks a bit girlish naive. But at the same time she really knows what she wants and she gets its by being charming and hard working as John Wayne's father's secretary. Her character is the granddaughter of a pastor. She's really acting like a saint.
Thanks, CS – wil hunt that one down for sure… cureently watching 'All Quiet on the Western Front'…an hour in – pretty impressed with it so far…for a 1930 movie, quite 'realistic'…I am generally not a big 'war movie' person, but just wanted to see how Ginger's gooberhead hubby #2 (Lew Ayres) did in it, since she fell for him while watching him in this movie… I will probably post something about this tomorrow or a few days…KIG!VKMfanHuey—