Yeah, I don't even have to add the date in parentheses. Back then, musicals about stage productions were sickeningly common, and some titles had dates as the only way to distinguish them from others. This one, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, could be taken as a companion piece to Footlight Parade and/or 42nd Street, involving many of the same names in the same year.
What makes GDo1933 stand out, not just among musicals but among non-dramas at the time, is that it does not try to make the audience forget the Depression. Opening number "We're in the Money" gets interrupted due to the inability of the stage director (Ned Sparks) to pay bills. Soon after, three dancers -- amusingly named Carol King (Joan Blondell), Trixie (Aline McMahon), and Polly (Ruby Keeler) -- are sharing an apartment, hunger, and sporadic contact with frenemy Fay (Ginger Rogers). Fortunately, Polly's neighboring crush, undiscovered composer/pianist/singer Brad (Dick Powell), agrees to give not just his talent but considerable startup funds to the next show. Where did he get this money, and why does he insist on remaining a mystery? You can probably guess....
Yep, he comes from a rich family -- one that doesn't have a high opinion of such endeavors and especially doesn't approve romance with chorus girls. Older brother Lawrence (Warren William), with assistant Fanuel (Guy Kibbee), intends to use his power of attorney to stop Brad. But Carol and Trixie see an opportunity to live down to their reputation and manipulate Lawrence and "Fanny" into being their companions. It's a vengeful prank, but this being an early-'30s musical, their pretend feelings become genuine.
Considering the focus on poverty, this movie gets surprisingly funny. Actually, maybe the dark side helps to disarm you against humor. It doesn't hurt that the pre-Code era didn't shy away from racy implications in dialog.
The songs? Well, apart from the one I mentioned, I hadn't heard any before. The DVD shows three contemporary Warner Bros. cartoons themed around different numbers, but that doesn't mean that modern listeners would have much use for, say, "Pettin' in the Park."
You're more likely to get something out of the Busby Berkeley choreography. If you think his work all runs together, then let me assure you that one sequence must have looked very cool at the time and still looks pretty cool today.
I hold GDo1933 above most musicals of the era, including the two companion pieces. It's nice to know I hadn't seen all the good ones yet.
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