A Broadway producer has the talent, the tunes, the theater, and everything else he needs to put on a show – except the dough. Not to worry, say Ginger Rogers and the other leggy chorines decked out in giant coins. Everyone will soon be singing “We’re in the Money.” Soon after 42nd Street, the brothers Warner again kicked the Depression blues out the stage door and into a back alley. Mervyn Le Roy directs the snappy non-musical portions involving three wonderfully silly love matches (including Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler). And Busby Berkeley brings his peerless magic to the production numbers, his camera swooping and gliding to showstoppers that are naughty (“Pettin’ in the Park”), neon-lit (“The Shadow Waltz”) and soul-searing (“Remember My Forgotten Man”). Solid cinema gold!
For thoughts on Gold Diggers Of 1933, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Gold Diggers Of 1933 makes its long-awaited Blu-Ray debut with a brand new 1080p transfer sourced from the best preservation elements available that is simply stunning on all accounts. The contrast is well defined, even during the brightly lit big-spectacle shots, and there is not much in the way of print damage to be found outside of a few stray moments. The beautiful black-and-white photography looks better than ever in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a fantastic amount of detail present in the interiors, such as the apartments and backstage dressing rooms as well as the lavish production design on stage. The presentation also showcases nice texture on the costumes and impressive facial detail on close-ups. Black levels are pleasingly deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. Warner Archive has delivered another all-timer presentation that will be a welcome addition for any classic song and dance fan.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is commendably strong. While there is a fair share of singing in this picture, normal dialogue comes through clearly from beginning to end. The track balances vocals with the accompanying music with magnificent clarity. There are moments where the track is pushed to its limits with all of the competing elements, but the track maintains its fidelity with expert precision. With music being one of the driving forces of the film, it is important to report that the track nails these elements beautifully. All of the environmental sounds are tack sharp with the tapping of shoes during the dance sequences providing much excitement. Warner Archive has provided a lovely audio track that does not exhibit any glaring signs of age-related wear-and-tear. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- FDR’s New Deal…Broadway Bound: An excellent 16-minute vintage featurette in which various figures, including notable directors such as John Landis and John Waters, discuss the fascination with FDR’s promises of a New Deal, the Great Depression depicted on screen, the contributions of Busby Berkeley to Gold Diggers of 1933, the freedom of being made before the Production Code and more. Most of the big numbers are analyzed from a thematic and production standpoint.
- Warner Bros. Cartoons
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- We’re In The Money: A seven-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring some cartoons coming alive after hours and putting on a show that includes a version of the titular song. This has been restored in glorious high definition.
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- Pettin’ In The Park: A seven-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring various birds singing a version of the titular song. This has been restored in high definition.
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- I’ve Got To Sing A Torch Song: A seven-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon that is hard to describe, but it does involve a lot of singing around the world. This has been restored in high definition.
- Warner Bros. Shorts
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- Rambling ‘Round Radio Show: A nine-minute short which features some singing and instrument playing.
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- 42nd Street Special: A six-minute documentation of the press tour for 42nd Street in the lead up to FDR’s inauguration.
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- Seasoned Greetings: A 20-minute short which revolves around competing greeting card stores, one of which attempts to evolve to recorded greeting cards.
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly three-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Gold Diggers Of 1933 is a film of dazzling, boundary-pushing spectacle coupled with some snappy dialogue that never leaves you less than thoroughly entertained. Audiences only familiar with the Hays Code era of Hollywood may be surprised to see such titillating material here, but it feels more modern than many old school song-and-dance films. The music itself is very catchy, and the Busby Berkeley choreography will keep your jaw on the floor. Warner Archive has delivered a top notch Blu-Ray release worthy of the film with an amazing A/V presentation and some fun special features to round out the package. I cannot recommend this disc highly enough for fans of the genre. Highly Recommended
Gold Diggers Of 1933 can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
