Recap: where are musicals by the end of 1935?

The quick answer is that they've matured. I have evidence for all but 2 of the 8 major studios (Columbia, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Universal, MGM, UA, RKO) that they each have produced at least one good musical. (Italicized are those lacking evidence. Columbia really doesn't devote much effort to musicals in general: later they'll have Ann Miller under contract in her early years, and make B pictures with her; fortunately she transfers to MGM. Rita Hayworth becomes their star, and she does maybe 10 musicals, but few the caliber enjoyed by women at the studios that DO focus on musicals during her career. Universal is one of the studios I can't really track without a better database tool. IMDb's search recognizes any film that Universal has ever owned as theirs, and they bought 700 films from Paramount in 1958. Likewise all the mergers of MGM/UA/RKO/Warner inventory has muddied the MGM data, and IMDb has no way for me to select RKO or UA films anyway. So for most studios I can only track the titles one at a time.)

So here are the musicals I find worthwhile for the years 1927-35. I eliminated any that I rate highly for non-musical reasons. They have to satisfy at least 2 of the 3 basic criteria: good Singing/music, good Dancing, good story/Characterization.

The Jazz Singer (1927, Warner Bros); 7, SC; Al Jolson [drama]
Hallelujah (1929, MGM); 7, SC; Nina Mae McKinney & all-black cast,  [drama]
The Great Gabbo (1929, indie); 7, DC; Eric von Stroheim [drama]
The Love Parade (1929, Paramount); 7, SDC; Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Lupino Lane
Monte Carlo (1930, Paramount); 7, SC; Jeanette MacDonald
Love Me Tonight (1932, Paramount); 8+, SC; Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald
Hallelujah I'm a Bum (1933, UA), 8, SC; Al Jolson [drama]
42nd Street (1933, WB), 8+, SDc; Busby Berkeley (42nd Street)
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933, WB), 8, SDC; Busby Berkeley, Joan Blondell (My Forgotten Man)
Footlight Parade (1933, WB), 8, SDC; Busby Berkeley, James Cagney (Shanghai Lil, By a Waterfall)
Wonder Bar (1934, WB); 8, SDC; Busby Berkeley, Al Jolson (Goin' to Heaven on a Mule) [drama]
Evergreen (1934, Gaumont British), 7, SDC; Jessie Matthews (time survey in song/dance)
Dames (1934, WB); 7+, SD; Busby Berkeley (I Only Have Eyes for You)
The Gay Divorcee (1934, RKO); 8+, SDC; Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers (Night and Day)
Folies Bergere de Paris (1935, 20th Century); 7, SDC; Maurice Chevalier, Ann Sothern (Rhythm of the Rain)
Naughty Marietta (1935, MGM); 7, SC; Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy
Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935, WB); 7-, SD; Busby Berkeley (Lullaby of Broadway)
Top Hat (1935, RKO), 10, SDC; Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers (Cheek to Cheek)
Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935, MGM); 7+, SD; Eleanor Powell, Buddy & Virna Ebsen (Broadway Rhythm)
The Littlest Rebel (1935, 20th Century Fox), 8, DC; Shirley Temple, Bill Robinson (various) [drama]

And now for some statistics. Let's review by Studio. Through 1935,

• According to IMDb, Columbia has produced a total of 18 Musicals; I watched none of them during this quest.
• Fox Films + 20th Century Productions » 20th Century Fox in '35: 11 Musicals. I watched 8, including 4 Shirley Temple.
• Warner Bros + First National: 75 Musicals produced; 16 watched, including 8 BB (with Busby Berkeley dance #s.)
• Paramount Pictures: 84 Musicals produced; 26 watched
• Universal Pictures: unknown produced; 0 watched
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: unknown produced; 13 watched, including 1 BB
• United Artists and independents: unknown produced; 5 watched
• RKO Radio Pictures: unknown produced; 8 watched
• Goldwyn: unknown produced; 5 watched, including 4 BB; notice none appeared in the list above
• various British prods: unknown produced; 6 watched

Here's how all my 3400+ ratings distribute.

• 10s: 0%
• 9s: 2%
• 8s: 9%
• 7s: 23%
• 6s: 49%
• 5s: 15%
• 4s: 2%

87 pre-1936 Musicals (or Music) watched. Ratings; surprisingly similar to overall (above):

• 1 rated 10 (Top Hat) [1%]
• 1 rated 9 (Duck Soup, but not for its musicality) [1%]
• 9 rated 8 (4 with +) [10%]
• 24 rated 7 (3 with +, 11 with -) [28%]
• 42 rated 6 (18 with +, 11 with -) [48%]
• 10 rated 5 (1 with +, 5 with -) [12%]

31 of these I deem as musicals with worthwhile dancing; 31 is kind of a small number, and it would make sense that "worthwhile dancing" films will get higher scores, but I know I put some films on this list that I advised myself just to skip to the dancing:

• 1 rated 10 [3%]
• 6 rated 8 (2 with +) [19%]
• 10 rated 7 (2 with +, 5 with -) [32%]
• 12 rated 6 (7 with +, 2 with -) [39%]
• 2 rated 5 (1 with -) [7%]

Chronologically:

• 1927 [1 film] rating: 7
• 1928 none
• 1929 [11 films] ratings:57657576676, average 6.1
• 1930 [ 9 films] ratings: 665767656, average 6.0
• 1931 [ 4 films] ratings: 6766, average 6.25
• 1932 [ 6 films] ratings: 767856, average 6.5
• 1933 [13 films] ratings: 6885868696767, average 6.9
• 1934 [19 films] ratings: 6685756666766786666, average 6.3
• 1935 [24 films] ratings: 7767765676766677X7666868, average 6.7
• average overall: 6.45 versus IMDb user avg 6.9 for these, versus 6.3 average for all my ratings