The Legendary Busby Berkeley 

Busby's real name was Berkeley William Enos (1895-1976) though known professionally as Busby Berkeley, an American film director and musical choreographer noted for  elaborate dancing-girl extravaganzas. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns.  Berkeley's works used large numbers of showgirls and props as fantasy elements in kaleidoscopic on-screen performances.  

During the 1920s, Berkeley was a dance instructor for nearly two dozen Broadway musicals including hits such as A Connecticut Yankee (1927) and No, No, Nanette (1971).  As a choreographer, Berkeley was less concerned with the dancing skills of his chorus girls as he was with their ability to form themselves into attractive geometric patterns.  His musical numbers were among the larger and better-regimented on Broadway.  His earliest film work was in Samuel Goldwyn's Eddie Cantor musicals where he began developing such techniques as a "parade of faces" (individualizing each chorus girl with a loving close-up) and moving his dancers all over the stage (and often beyond) in as many kaleidoscopic patterns as possible and often times shot from overhead.  

'By a Waterfall"

Production Number from the film, Footlight Parade 

Circa 1933

One of the largest soundstages ever built and specially constructed

by

Warner Bros. to film Berkeley's creations.

Berkeley's popularity with an entertainment-hungry Depression audience was secured when he choreographed five musicals back-to-back for Warner Bros that included 42nd Street. 

Una Merkel, Ruby Keeler and Ginger Rogers

Movie Stars in 42nd Street