Now, everyone assumes the Broadway musical version of "42nd Street" just recapitulates the 1933 Warner Brothers movie of that name. Not so: the stage musical -- which was a smash hit starting in 1980 -- actually folded in songs and dance numbers from a number of early WB song-and-dancers: "42nd Street," "Gold Diggers of 1933" and its 1935 sequel, "Dames," "Footlight Parade," and so forth. All of these films feature enjoyably broad comedy, priceless Depression-era slang, and climactic dance routines choreographed by Berkeley that are as straight-out gonzo as anything you'll ever see. (If you want a taste, check out this image-Google.)

In "Dames," Joan Blondell dances with empty but alive nightdresses hanging on a laundry line, and that's just the beginning. A bunch of chorus girls, pinwheeling around in the usual Berkeley geometry, flip their skirts and reveal the giant face of star Ruby Keeler, which then becomes a poster through which co-star Dick Powell bursts in full song. After that comes more dancing female kaleidoscopes that my girls demanded to replay in slow-motion -- they literally couldn't believe their little eyes. ( Natalie also dug seeing Blondell as a fiery young dancer one week after seeing her as an old diner waitress in "Grease.")

Powell is hard to take -- nobody could be that corny and still live -- but we all had a good laugh over him, as if he were the Sanjaya of 1934. The larger lesson of the WB musicals is that the most breathtaking jewels can be hidden in some of the mustiest drawers. There's a nice Busby Berkeley box from Warner Home Video, which includes a 6th DVD that collects only the musical numbers from the films. I don't think I could watch that without going into full-on cardiac arrest, though. Still -- highly recommended, especially if your kids are getting into school theater.