The 1933 film "Gold Diggers of 1933" begins with Broadway show girls performing a dance routine to the song "We're in the Money" while wearing costumes made of large cardboard coins. The film stars Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, and Ginger Rogers and was released in May 1933. It has many references to the 1930's Depression and the efforts to end it. At one point, a girl who is broke announces that she is "off the gold standard." The film also produced a theater advertising token.

The title coin is apparently based on the Charles Barber "Barber" design used for United States silver coins from 1892 to 1916. Some of these coins would have still been in circulation in 1933.

A "Barber" half dollar:

The credits for the primary film stars appear at the beginning of the film.

She is covered with imitation coins, all with the "Barber" design. The song "We're in the Money" is also known as the "The Gold Diggers' Song."

Ginger (and the girls behind her) hold up the cardboard coins, resembling a many-armed Indian goddess. Then the first Busby Berkeley production begins with many girls holding cardboard coins.

The giant background coin has "In God (We Trust)."

She is really "in the money."

When the song production ends, the sheriff shows up with an order to close the show and take the props and costumes. One of the sheriff's men asks for a girl's costume.

The Motion Picture Production Code came in to effect in 1934, banning risqué lines like this one.

Brad lives across from Polly and her friends, and they are going together. The girls hear about Barney's new show.

Barney comes over to hire the girls for his new show. As soon as he gets $15,000. Brad puts up the $15,000, and the girls wonder where he got the money. Just before the show opens on Broadway, Brad replaces the lead singer.

Another song with a risqué title becomes another Busby Berkeley dance production.

Brad is spotted by people who know him as a rich Boston heir. Brad's brother Lawrence arrives with Peabody, the family lawyer and orders him to leave show business and rejoin the family business. Lawrence also tries to break up Brad's romance with Polly as he thinks that chorus girls are "gold diggers" and not suitable wives. Lawrence and Peabody meet Polly's roommates and begin seeing them. The girls trick Lawrence into believing that Carol is Polly; Brad also is involved in the deception.

Lawrence, Brad, Trixie, Carol, and Polly. Lawyer Peabody is seeing Trixie and Lawrence is seeing Carol but believes she is Polly. Trixie and Carol get Lawrence drunk, then place him in Carol's bed. The next morning he wakes up and Trixie demands money for the false Polly's "services" and Lawrence writes a check for $10,000. The girls frame the check and place it on their wall.

The date on the check is August 6, 1933, giving a rough idea of when the story is set. Back at the theatre, another Busby Berkeley dance number, "Shadow Waltz."

Things work out happily, all three girls find love with rich boyfriends, and the show becomes a hit. In the show, a homeless man has just bummed a cigarette from Joan, leading to the famous song "Remember my Forgotten Man" about the effects of the Depression on World War I veterans. The title was based on a speech by the newly-inaugurated President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The policeman sees a medal indicating that the man is a World War I veteran and lets him go.

The medal is a French Croix De Guerre with Bronze Palm. The French Government awarded these medals to some American servicemen. Joan Blondell is then backed by a large production number.

Images of soldiers marching back veterans marching.

The film was a huge hit and moneymaker for Warner Brothers. It was followed by several sequels.

Dick Powell as Brad
Ruby Keeler as Polly
Joan Blondell as Carol
Aline MacMahon as Trixie
Ned Sparks as Barney
Ginger Rogers as Fay
Warren William as Lawrence
Guy Kibbee as Peabody
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Musical numbers directed by Busby Berkeley
Writers: Erwin Gelsey, James Seymour, David Boehm, Ben Markson, Avery Hopwood
Songs written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin.

This advertising token was issued in 1933 to promote the film by the Branford Theater, possibly located in Newark, New Jersey or Branford, Connecticut.

Bronze, 29 mm, 6.46 gm
Obverse:
Three women standing in dance costumes
WARNER BROS
"GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933"
Reverse:
No images
WARNER BROS.
SUPER MUSICAL HIT
"GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933"
BRANFORD THEATER

The "Branford Theater" on the token is not further identified.
There was a motion picture theater by that name in Branford, Connecticut which burned down in 1953 and was rebuilt and later was converted to a condominium building. There was also a Branford Theater in Newark, New Jersey, which was open at the time the film was released.