Large Association of Movie Blogs
Large Association of Movie Blogs

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Busby Berkeley, American Surrealist

In my book, nothing says dada and surrealism quite like a musical number from the wondrously deranged mind of Busby Berkeley. This is just one of the delirious production numbers from Dames (1934).



And besides, we know that while André Breton and Salvador Dali didn't agree on much, both, no doubt, would have given anything to present, as part and parcel of the artistic statement, a camera track through the spread legs of smiling showgirls.

2 comments:

Carol L. Skolnick said...

I love the mosh pit sequence!

Paul F. Etcheverry said...

Frankly, I'm torn between the image of a singing Dick Powell tearing through Berkeley's Hieronymus Bosch dancer formations and those catapulting, flying showgirls.