Overview"The 42nd Street Special" is a short promotional movie launched in 1933 by Warner Bros. The movie was developed to buzz the upcoming release of "42nd Street", a musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The promotional movie was aired in an unique train and was part of a fancy marketing scheme made possible by the collaboration in between Warner Bros and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad company.
PlotThe film runs for around 20 minutes, starting in Hollywood where movie stars board the special 42nd Street train. The film showcases a variety of film stars like Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers, and Joan Blondell taking a trip across the nation on the glamorous train - "The 42nd Street Special".
Amongst the activities depicted throughout the journey consist of playing cards, dining, star-gazing, singing, and spontaneous dance numbers. The stars portray themselves, showing scenes of merry camaraderie and unwinded interactions. The movie creates an experience of anticipation for the watching of "42nd Street" upon the train's arrival in New York.
ProductionDirected by Archie Mayo, the film was produced as an extravagant promotion campaign to promote the movie "42nd Street". The 42nd Street train was commissioned for this purpose. The movie was mostly shot within the train and throughout several states to offer the audience a feel of a cross-country journey with their preferred stars.
Marketing and Release"The 42nd Street Special" acts as an innovative and sophisticated marketing tool. The movie intends to create buzz for the upcoming musical "42nd Street". To make the occasion even grander, Warner Bros arranged for the movie to be aired within a specifically commissioned train making sure a distinct experience for the viewers. The marketing event gathered significant attention and was a significant talking point amongst audiences leading up to the release of "42nd Street".
Conclusion"The 42nd Street Special" is an unique piece of cinema history, serving not just as a marketing tool but also as a historical file capturing the glamour and glamour of the Hollywood stars of that period. Though mainly meant to market "42nd Street", the movie stands as an intriguing novelty by itself. The film grants audiences an intimate look at well-known motion picture stars, caught in candid, relaxed moments, supplying a glimpse into a different, more languid pace of Hollywood life in the 1930s. It effectively develops anticipation for the main feature, "42nd Street", providing an ingenious approach to film marketing during the period.
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