Remember My Forgotten Man

During the month of February, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is featuring 31 Days of Oscar and showing a series of selected films that have all either won or been nominated for Oscars as chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This week, they showed the pre-code musical The Gold Diggers of 1933, which is ribald film that is winsomely witty, shockingly snarky and amazingly meaningful musical that touches on a number of unique social issues from 1933. Choreogaphed by Busby Berkley, best known for his stunningly visual production numbers in films that created unique, geometric and psychedelic patterns, the final production number of this film is led by the stunning Joan Blondell, singing the tune, Remember My Forgotten Man. “My forgotten man” refers to veterans,the men who we have enlisted with our national security and protecting our freedom, but also our pioneers who toiled to make our country great. What is shocking is the same issues that we are faced with today, homelessness, addiction, unemployment and mental health, was just as prevalent in 1933, which is why pre-code films were so fabulous. They never shirked away from very stark issues that society was face with during the 20s & 30s. For anyone who never thought musicals had any substance needs to watch this phenomenal final number.