Dick Powell

An ambitious reporter can't believe his good fortune when he happens upon a newspaper predicting tomorrow's news—until he reads his own obituary.

What's a chorine to do after her show flops? Become a gold digger! The cuties do so en masse as the Gold Diggers of 1937, kicking Depression Era blues in the keester. Dick Powell plays an insurance agent with musical ambitions, Joan Blondell is a showgirl who gives up spangles for a stenographer's pad and … well, who watches any Diggers for its plot? Instead, watch as dance creator Busby Berkeley turns a garden party into a tap-happy romp. Blondell leads leggy soldiers in a banner-waving, precision-formation "All's Fair in Love and War" spectacle that's Berkeley at his showy best as Powell croons a lullaby, "With Plenty of Money and You." In short, there are plenty of reasons to watch again and again.

If you love music, check into Hollywood Hotel. The story's about a filmland newbie (Dick Powell) caught between a spoiled star (Lola Lane) and her likeable look-alike (Lola's look-alike sister Rosemary Lane). But the movie's about Busby Berkeley's ace direction – and music, music, music. The film opens with the jubilant debut of Tinseltown's unofficial anthem Hooray for Hollywood. The jaunty Let That Be a Lesson to You shows off Berkeley's snazzy-jazzy mastery of editing and camera angles. And Benny Goodman and His Orchestra – including Harry James on trumpet and Gene Krupa on drums – swing, swing, swing into Sing, Sing, Sing. Hooray for Hollywood Hotel!

A Broadway director faces cutthroat competition and other complications as he transitions to producing musical numbers for the new talking pictures.