Movies Like 42nd Street (1933)

42nd Street is a 1933 comedy, drama, romance film from Lloyd Bacon with a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Broadway Melody and Singin' in the Rain.

Comedy Drama Romance

The Broadway Melody

1929

The vaudeville act of Harriet and Queenie Mahoney comes to Broadway, where their friend Eddie Kerns needs them for his number in one of Francis Zanfield's shows. When Eddie meets Queenie, he soon falls in love with her—but she is already being courted by Jock Warriner, a member of New York high society. Queenie eventually recognizes that, to Jock, she is nothing more than a toy, and that Eddie is in love with her.

5.2

MagicScore

Singin' in the Rain

1952

In 1927 Hollywood, a silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his paranoid screen partner struggle to make the difficult transition to talking pictures.

8.1

MagicScore

Ziegfeld Girl

1941

Discovery by Flo Ziegfeld changes a girl's life but not necessarily for the better, as three beautiful women find out when they join the spectacle on Broadway: Susan, the singer who must leave behind her ageing vaudevillian father; vulnerable Sheila, the working girl pursued both by a millionaire and by her loyal boyfriend from Flatbush; and the mysterious European beauty Sandra, whose concert violinist husband cannot endure the thought of their escaping from poverty by promenading her glamor in skimpy costumes.

6.4

MagicScore

Night and Day

1946

When his first stage show fails, songwriter Cole Porter goes off to fight in WWI until, injured, he lands in a hospital. He impresses nurse Linda Lee with his creativity, but their budding romance must wait as Cole heads home. Back in New York, he mounts a series of popular shows, and when his work brings him back to Europe, he eventually marries Linda. But success doesn't spare him from marital complications or bad news about a beloved relative.

5.9

MagicScore

The Canary Murder Case

1929

A beautiful showgirl, name "the Canary" is a scheming nightclub singer. Blackmailing is her game and with that she ends up dead. But who killed "the Canary". All the suspects knew and were used by her and everyone had a motive to see her dead. The only witness to the crime has also been 'rubbed out'. Only one man, the keen, fascinating, debonair detective Philo Vance, would be able to figure out who is the killer.

5.6

MagicScore

Company

2011

Set in modern upper-crust Manhattan, an exploration of love and commitment as seen through the eyes of a charming perpetual bachelor questioning his single state and his enthusiastically married, slightly envious friends.

6.8

MagicScore

Into the Woods

1991

In a woods filled with magic and fairy tale characters, a baker and his wife set out to end the curse put on them by their neighbor, a spiteful witch.

8.1

MagicScore

A Chorus Line

1985

A group of dancers congregate on the stage of a Broadway theatre to audition for a new musical production directed by Zach. After the initial eliminations, seventeen hopefuls remain, among them Cassie, who once had a tempestuous romantic relationship with Zach. She is desperate enough for work to humble herself and audition for him; whether he's willing to let professionalism overcome his personal feelings about their past remains to be seen.

6.2

MagicScore

Gold Diggers of 1933

1933

When all Broadway shows are shut down during the Depression, a trio of desperate showgirls scheme to bilk a repugnant high society man of his money to keep their show going.

7.2

MagicScore

#10

Dancing Lady

1933

Janie lives to dance and will dance anywhere, even stripping in a burlesque house. Tod Newton, the rich playboy, discovers her there and helps her get a job in a real Broadway musical being directed by Patch. Tod thinks he can get what he wants from Janie, Patch thinks Janie is using her charms rather than talent to get to the top, and Janie thinks Patch is the greatest. Steve, the stage manager, has the Three Stooges helping him manage all the show girls. Fred Astaire and Nelson Eddy make appearances as famous Broadway personalities.

6.8

MagicScore

#11

Dames

1934

A reformer's daughter wins the lead role in a scandalous Broadway show.

6.4

MagicScore

#12

99 Homes

2015

After his family is evicted from their home, proud and desperate construction worker Dennis Nash tries to win his home back by striking a deal with the devil and working for Rick Carver, the corrupt real estate broker who evicted him.

6.8

MagicScore

#13

Dinner at Eight

1933

An ambitious New York socialite plans an extravagant dinner party as her businessman husband, Oliver, contends with financial woes, causing a lot of tension between the couple. Meanwhile, their high-society friends and associates, including the gruff Dan Packard and his sultry spouse, Kitty, contend with their own entanglements, leading to revelations at the much-anticipated dinner.

6.7

MagicScore

#14

School for Tramps

1955

Alberto Medina is a famous composer whose car breaks down while he is on a trip. While looking for help, he finds the Valverdes' house and is welcomed in by Emilia, the mother of the family, who is known for taking in tramps.

8.0

MagicScore

#15

Employees' Entrance

1933

Kurt Anderson is the tyrannical manager of a New York department store in financial straits. He thinks nothing of firing an employee of more than 20 years or of toying with the affections of every woman he meets. One such victim is Madeline, a beautiful young woman in need of a job. Anderson hires her as a salesgirl, but not before the two spend the night together. Madeline is ashamed, especially after she falls for Martin West, a rising young star at the store. Her biggest fear is that Martin finds out the truth about her "career move."

6.1

MagicScore

#16

Morning Glory

1933

Wildly optimistic chatterbox Eva Lovelace is a would-be actress trying to crash the New York stage. She attracts the interest of a paternal actor, a philandering producer, and an earnest playwright. Is she destined for stardom, or will she fade like a morning glory after its brief blooming?

6.1

MagicScore

#17

Cover Girl

1944

A nightclub dancer makes it big in modeling, leaving her dancer boyfriend behind.

6.4

MagicScore

#18

The Gang's All Here

1943

A soldier falls for a chorus girl and then experiences trouble when he is posted to the Pacific.

5.9

MagicScore

#19

Company: A Musical Comedy

2008

7.4

MagicScore

#20

Hairspray Live!

2016

A teenage girl living in Baltimore in the early 1960s dreams of appearing on a popular TV dance show.

7.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like 42nd Street?

The top films similar to 42nd Street by MovieMagicScore are The Broadway Melody (5.2), Singin' in the Rain (8.1), Ziegfeld Girl (6.4). Each shares comedy/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is 42nd Street worth watching?

42nd Street holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10 from 204 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is 42nd Street?

42nd Street (1933) is a comedy, drama, romance film directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent.

Where can I find more recommendations like 42nd Street?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more comedy recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Broadway Melody Movies like Singin' in the Rain Movies like Ziegfeld Girl Movies like Night and Day Movies like The Canary Murder Case Movies like Company

About movies like 42nd Street

This ranked list pairs 42nd Street (1933), a comedy and drama and romance film from Lloyd Bacon, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Warner Baxter take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

← Back to 42nd Street