---
title: "42nd Street: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/42nd-street/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/42nd-street"
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# 42nd Street (1933): what the critics said

Critics' score 84 from 7 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative.

Every one of the seven reviews is favourable, and the praise gathers in the same place: Busby Berkeley’s dance numbers, which most critics treat as the reason the film is still watched. Several credit it with setting the pattern for the backstage musical, and the 1933 notices note how far its staging had moved on from earlier Hollywood musicals. Warner Baxter’s harried director and Ruby Keeler’s understudy are singled out repeatedly, Keeler for a screen debut the critics find winning.

The reservations are mild and cluster on the plot. Time Out and The New Yorker both call the story thin or conventional, a chorus novice saving the show being no surprise, and say the dialogue, songs and visuals carry it. Empire is the least effusive, granting the film its energy without claiming much more for it. The spread is narrow and nobody dissents; the only disagreement is over how much the familiar story matters when the numbers are this good.

## Radio Times — Tony Sloman

Rating 5/5. 

This is one of the most important and enjoyable musicals ever made, a beloved early talkie and recognised masterpiece from Warner Bros. It excels through its racy dialogue, lavish production and especially Busby Berkeley's spectacular dance sequences.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ezu0wi/42nd-street/)

## The New York Times — Mordaunt Hall

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 1933. 

The critic calls it one of the liveliest and most tuneful screen musical comedies to come out of Hollywood, a merry affair with catchy songs and imaginative staging of the show-within-the-film. Ruby Keeler makes an ingratiating screen debut, and the film reveals forward strides in the medium.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1933/03/10/archives/patting-on-a-show.html)

## Variety

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review praises the authentic production that rings true in every detail, with strong performances from Warner Baxter as the neurotic showman, Ruby Keeler as the unknown who triumphs, and effective direction by Lloyd Bacon aided by Busby Berkeley's dance numbers. Everything about the musical comedy is seen as believable and well-handled.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1932/film/reviews/42nd-street-1200410781/)

## Time Out — GA

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. 

The film revives the musical genre by setting the standard for backstage stories, relying on witty dialogue, songs and striking visuals rather than its thin plot. A strong cast delivers standout numbers while Busby Berkeley's inventive choreography stands out.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/42nd-street)

## Empire

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The definitive backstage musical still has plenty of pizzazz. Warner Baxter's putting everything he can into his show when the leading lady takes a tumble, but plucky little understudy Keeler is made of the kind of stuff that can take over the role and make it her own.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/42nd-street-review/)

## The New Yorker — John C. Mosher

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 1933. 

The critic finds the film a bright and cheerful musical about backstage life with gay tunes and rowdy energy that expands into a pretty Broadway fantasy in its finale. The conventional plot about a chorus novice saving the show is noted, along with strong performances especially from Warner Baxter as the director.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1933/03/18/broadway-fantasy)

## Eye for Film — Chris

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2011. Festival review. 

The critic praises 42nd Street as establishing the screen musical genre through Busby Berkeley's spectacular choreography and innovative camera techniques. They highlight its upbeat take on the Depression era and its role in saving Warner Bros.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/42nd-street-film-review-by-chris)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/42nd-street.md