The name Busby Berkeley was very famous during the Hollywood’s classic era, the director and choreographer contributed some brilliant, excellent musical and dance numbers, bringing it to a level which other would reach decade later. And it is been learnt that a biopic on the Hollywood legend is been planned and Ryan Gosling is said to star.
Project is based on the Jeffrey Spivak’s: “The Life And Art Of Busby Berkeley”. Gosling will be accompanied by Marc Platt, the pair was seen working together on “Drive”. Below is the Amazon synopsis of the book.
Spivak’s well-written biography of the Hollywood choreographer and director, famous for the complicated, kaleidoscopic dances he choreographed for such films as 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933, has scholarly depth yet is gracefully accessible. Spivak’s writing is especially strong when he discusses Berkeley’s trademark style—playful, visually arresting dances, packed with large numbers of chorus girls dancing in lockstep—and his myriad artistic influences, which include his mother, who was in the theater and silent movies; and a stint in the military, where he drilled soldiers to march in formation. In his prime, Berkeley worked extremely long hours like a man possessed, driving himself and his dancers to the brink of collapse and, in Berkeley’s case, beyond, into an alcoholism that eventually all but destroyed his career. Cineastes will enjoy Spivak’s close attention to Berkeley’s obsessively detailed planning and execution processes, and Spivak’s no-less-detailed descriptions of the final films. And for those who like movie gossip, there’s Berkeley’s wild, dysfunctional private life (which included parties, love affairs, and multiple marriages, all fueled by too much alcohol).