Low-budget 1930s/40s musicals

September 8, 2024 5:09 PM

I'm looking for musicals from the 1930s and 40s that are influenced by Busby Berkeley but don't have a Busby Berkeley budget. I've liked both King of Jazz (which might not be super low budget?) and Club Havana; what other films might I enjoy?
posted by pxe2000 to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

I have nothing constructive to contribute, but having just watched "Footlight Parade" last week, I'm eager to see if you get any good suggestions. "Footlight Parade" was great. I was enjoying all the early 1930s witty banter just fine, but when the three Busby Berkeley numbers came on for the grand finale...well, that was downright amazing. Made me wish we could see a modern Hollywood film try something similar. Wow.
posted by jdroth at 5:51 PM on September 8

“Movie Movie” from 1978 is a sendup of this type of musical.
posted by Melismata at 5:53 PM on September 8

Best answer: Not full movies per se but Little Rascals and Our Gang had episodes where the kids would put on "a show" that was extravagant and bordered on magical realism. One of the episodes with musical sequences would be Our Gang Follies of 1936, as an example.
posted by jadepearl at 8:15 PM on September 8