42nd Street (1933)

Directed by Lloyd Bacon. Staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley.

The most glamorous and vibrant fantasies of early Hollywood were visualized with music and costumes in the film. Busby Berkeley transformed the spatial possibilities of his choreography by designing it around a trio of hydraulically operated platforms. His dancers were able to move between different levels without the need for complex lifts or partner work. With only a minimal amount of physical activity, he was able to shift patterns and speeds effectively. Moreover, his agile camera enabled him to create a wide variety of visual possibilities, including this tracking close-up of the dancers' legs, abstracting them into a V-shaped tunnel of stockinged flesh, as well as dizzying overhead shots that turned the chorus line into a kaleidoscope of patterns of art deco.