Barbara Rogers: Original Pre-Code 42nd Street Showgirl 1933 Still Photo

Original vintage 8" x 10" Warner Bros. / Vitaphone still photograph from 42nd Street, the 1933 pre-Code backstage musical, featuring Barbara Rogers.

The photograph shows Rogers in a reclining showgirl pose on a fur throw. Her name is written in the lower right image area, and the lower margin carries the original printed studio caption: “42nd Street” with 14 Stars / 200 Girls — A Warner Bros. & Vitaphone Picture.

42nd Street was released by Warner Bros. in 1933 and directed by Lloyd Bacon, with musical numbers staged by Busby Berkeley. The film was one of Warner Bros.’ pre-Code backstage musicals of the early sound era and helped establish the studio’s musical style of the period.

Provenance
These pre-Code movie stills descend from the estate of the consignor’s great-uncle, who worked at Duluth, Minnesota’s Lyceum Theatre during the 1930s. According to family history, he rescued the stills from the theater at the time and preserved them for decades. Opened as a vaudeville and motion picture venue, the Lyceum began showing films around 1921 and featured two theater organs as well as a 16-piece orchestra conducted by Louis Christie. The theater remained a Duluth landmark until its closure on January 11, 1966, and subsequent demolition.

Condition:
Original vintage photograph with age toning, surface wear, handling marks, light creasing, edge and corner wear, and general wear from age and storage. There is a tear to the bottom margin. Reverse has old tape remnants/residue, toning, and light soiling. Front presents well overall. Please review photographs carefully for condition.