Showstoppers

Rating:
Summary: A Busby Berkeley Spectacular!
Review: The "Berkeleyesque" dance number is one that "depends on sheer spectacle, on the deployment of hordes of chorus dancers in a grandiose setting." Ever since I became aware of Busby Berkeley's spectacular musical productions during a film history course in college 20 years ago, I've longed for a comprehensive look at his films and career. Showstoppers is the Berkeley Bible!

Showstoppers is divided into three parts, the first of which describes Berkeley's inimitable style, the elements that distinguish his work from others, and it's roots. Part II looks at his Broadway theater career during the second half of the 1920s. The meat of the story is presented in Part III, comprising 3/4 of the book, which describes in 7 chapters his cinema career spanning from 1930 to 1962. Each of his films is examined and includes references to the photos which are presented in two groups.

Showstoppers contains 248 pages of text plus 62 pages of production still photos of Berkeley's numbers. Although the black and white photos are not enlargements of actual frames from the films, they depict real sets and actors and, in some cases, show production equipment not visible in the film such as camera tracks in one instance. They are professionally lit, well printed and the captions informative. I highly recommend this book to any Berkeley buff, film fan, or lover of the musical spectacle on film.