Screen greats and off-screen married couple Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler go into their dance with their only movie pairing. The story is a quick-stepping back stager, with Jolson as an irresponsible stage star beholden to a gangster and Keeler as a devoted hoofer who helps the star launch a new show. The cast includes torch singer Helen Morgan. And the production's ties to the landmark 42nd Street are many: Keeler made her screen debut in that film, Harry Warren and Al Dubin return to offer irresistible tunes (with ritzy staging showcasing About a Quarter to Nine and A Latin from Manhattan) and a story by Bradford Ropes, whose novel inspired 42nd Street, is the basis for this film's mix of musical and melodrama. Curtain up!
