United States

Berkeley burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion in March 1933 with 42ND STREET. Warner Baxter plays Julian Marsh, "the greatest musical-comedy director in America," who labours long and hard to put on his final show. Bebe Daniels is a "casting couch" star who is sidelined with a sprained ankle shortly before opening night. Baxter puts a fresh-faced, toe-tapping Ruby Keeler in the starring role, and, not surprisingly, she becomes an overnight sensation. Al Dubin's and Harry Warren's songs are sprightly and imaginative; "You're Getting To Be a Habit with Me" and "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" are prime examples of the thinly-veiled suggestiveness characteristic of the era.