Tag: 1990s movies

The Classic and the ‘Trash-ic’: 42nd Street (1933) and Showgirls (1995)

“Showgirls as a whole is filled with mirrors,” Adam Nayman writes in his brilliant book “It Doesn’t Suck. Showgirls” (ECW Press). Here, the 1933 poster for 42nd Street and the 1995 poster for Showgirls present as mirror images of each other.

One is a (seemingly) wholesome and widely beloved classic Warner Brothers’ movie musical, featuring visually dazzling song and dance numbers choreographed by the now-legendary Busby Berkeley. The other is a crass and tacky soft core MGM porn show whose title became a punch-line even before its release.

On closer inspection however, 42nd Street (1933) and Showgirls (1995) have a lot more in common than one may suspect. To paraphrase Truman Capote, it’s like the two movies grew up together in the same house and one day 42nd Street got up and strutted out the front door, while Showgirls sneaked out the back.

Although only one takes place in Vegas, both films were a gamble.

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