i have a feeling that the warner bros depression era musical be go to become a lot more pertinent in the next couple of year . yes and we be in the economic doldrums ( or have you be live under a rock ) and time look bleak . but we always have the movie a a way to escape our trouble . in the 30 and film go be hugely popular even at the height of economic gloom . footlight parade ( 1933 ) be one such film that audiences flock to . while this lloyd bacon direct musical doesn not quite capture the social issue of the time a gold digger of 1933 ( 1933 ) do and it still a wonderful showcase of talent . we have to wait until the end of the film for the three centrepiece busby berkely extravaganza number and but boy and be they worth wait for me . yes and little ruby keeler be a terrible singer and actress and and her tapping be so so and but busby magical by a waterfall whisk her and and what seem to be a hundred other chorus girl and into a dizzying water wonderland . of course busby number could never really be perform on a stage ( they defy limit of gravity and for one thing ) and and they contrast terrifically with the realism of the tough and wisecrack non musical scene . and footlight also have james cagney in at the one of his all too few musical ( really and what couldn not this man do . ) . he even get to take over from the lead man and don sailor garb and fawn over sexpot shanghai lil ( who be really little ruby in china girl wig . ) . he co star with joan blondell and his adorable and adore secretary who cagney somehow overlook in favour of other woman ( until the final reel and that be ) . apparently blondell be the only other woman who cagney love apart from his wife . and you can see the mutual adoration in every scene .