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Berkeley's Best: 50 Years of Kaleidoscopic Musicals
17 Sep
Summary
- The article counts down 20 fantastical musical numbers.
- These numbers span from erotic silhouettes to sinister tap dancers.
- The list celebrates 50 years since the director's passing.
Busby Berkeley's extraordinary legacy is celebrated 50 years after his death through a countdown of his 20 most fantastical and kaleidoscopic musical numbers. These selections highlight his innovative choreography and vision, ranging from the sensuous to the unsettling.
Berkeley's numbers often defied theatrical limitations, employing elaborate staging and camera angles. Productions like "Fashions of 1934" featured chorus girls as human harps, while "Gold Diggers of 1933" presented an ode to capitalism with a unique Pig Latin verse.
The chosen pieces showcase Berkeley's ability to transform everyday settings into surreal spectacles. Examples include "42nd Street," which opened into a panorama of New York City life, and "Pettin' in the Park," a risqué number with snowball fights and roller-skating cops.
His artistic prowess extended to groundbreaking techniques, such as the synchronized swimming in "By a Waterfall" and the expressionist nightmare of "Lullaby of Broadway." These 13-minute sequences, featuring disembodied heads and sinister tap dancers, are considered masterpieces of cinematic art.
