This week I'm recommending a movie that's also listed in our January movie month, but now that it's finally out on blu-ray it deserves another boost. The 1933 Busby Berkeley extravaganza set the template for the backstage musical, and has some of the most spectacular numbers ever seen on film. It also benefits from its pre-production code era by being able to address some of the more serious issues of the early days of the Depression. It's a fantastic, dark musical that still holds up more than 80 years later, and there's not many you can say that about. Look for an early appearance by Ginger Rogers in the ensemble cast.
Original 1933 trailer:
