There are so many things that are great about 42nd Street – mostly there’s Busby Berkeley’s choreography…and the songs, then there’s the sassy Anytime Annie (Ginger Rogers) and Lorraine (Una Merkel) double act, there’s Warner Baxter’s insanely overwrought Julian Marsh…and there’s the songs…and the dancing…and…well…there’s Busby Berkeley doing what no one else could do…
But…in amongst it all is Ruby Keeler…poor Ruby with her squawky irritating voice (both while singing and speaking), her ungainly, clunky hoofing and her vacant “acting” – it’s laughable to think that anyone, at any time thought it was anything but insane to cast such a talentless chump in the leading role. But there she is…she squawks, she clunks, she looks vacant and she makes us all yearn for the cardboard cutout skyscrapers to come and swallow her up…
Aww, you make me feel sorry for her now.