Dancing Lady (1933)

Yes, she had poisonality(to jealous chorus girls)

"Them things won't mix with Those things". This was Jamie Barlow's(Joan Crawford) final excuse for again turning down dandy Todd Newton's(Franchot Tone) latest marriage proposal, leaving the door wide open to complete her long simmering chase of hard-to-get musical show director Patch Gallagar(Clark Gable). Her point was that, as a former downtown burlesque dancer, she wouldn't feel comfortable nor fulfilled as the ornament of a filthy rich high society scion. She wanted to continue her dancing career for an indefinite period. Although this film was included in my Clark Gable Signature Collection, as the title and credit order suggest, Joan Crawford was considered the primary star. In large part, it turned out to be semi-autobiographical. Crawford was primarily a dancer in her silent era show business career. Franchot Tone, frustrated in his pursuit of Crawford in this film, managed to get a marriage license out of her a few years later. But, the marriage failed within a few years, in part, because of their different backgrounds and preferred lifestyles. Tone was, in fact, a Yankee blue blood, as portrayed in this film. Although never including Gable among her 5 husbands, the two apparently were occasional lovers until his death.
The unbelievable sequence where Crawford pursues Gable whereever he goes for some days, and he refuses to even give her a verbal brush off, may simply serve to burlesque the strength of her ambition to join his troop and his fear of harassment by girls wanting a position in his troop.
However, I get the impression Gable instinctively knows at first sight that she is potential romantic dynamite for him and doesn't want to get involved at this time. The give and take between Crawford and Gable, and between Crawford and Tone, dominates the middle of the film. It's clear that Crawford's huge expressive eyes are hard to resist. But she's very stingy in dishing out her hard core romantic responses, even to always smiling debonair Tone, who bailed her out of jail and got her started with Gable's dance team.
The show, in its final form, in an extravaganza, featuring Crawford and newcomer Fred Astaire as dancing-singing partners in several numbers. In Busby Berekeley-style, it begins as a believable stage production and progresses into several surreal sequences which could only be produced via cinematic techniques, with occasional returns to stage musical sequences. Among the surreal sequences, we see Crawford and Astaire float up and down on a saucer-like magic carpet, while dancing.
In another sequence, various people in archaic dress and modes of transport are magically transformed into modern dress and fashionable transport as they emerge from behind an archway. The most visually complex surreal sequence features a carousel in which the horses and chorus girl riders are both floor and ceiling mirrored, as well as shadowed in the background. In addition, a cone-shaped rotating kaleidoscopic structure emerges skyward from the center of the carousel, studded with chorus girls who appear and disappear with rotation.
Nelson Eddy, in only his second cameo appearance in a film, dominates the vocals in part of the final show scene. Already, it's clear he will probably become a major film singer. Vaudevillian Ted Healy has considerable screen time as Gable's assistant. His 3 Stooges, still in their first year of films, appear briefly from time to time as wacky prop men. You'll never again see them in an Astaire or Gable film! Too bad they couldn't cut out their slapping and poking each other and been cast as a comedic element of otherwise musical or drama-dominated films.
This DVD also includes 2 shorts: "Plane Nuts" and "Roast Beef and Movies", that include one or all of the Stooges plus some Busby-Berkeley-like chorus girl routines. May 4, 2008

fine MGM film with great acting and show stopping musical numbers

Dancing Lady is a wonderful early MGM musical. The convincing acting impressed me and the plot moves along at a good pace.

The action begins with Janie Barlow (Joan Crawford) and her pal Rosette (Winnie Lightner) dancing in a burlesque show. One drunken man nearly tears off Janie's blouse leaving her almost topless; and that's precisely the moment when the cops raid the place. They're all hauled off to jail. However, Janie gets out pretty quickly--it seems that a very wealthy would-be suitor, Tod Newton (Franchot Tone), bails Janie out to get to know her better. Eventually Tod helps get Janie a small part in an upcoming Broadway production. It is during rehearsals that Janie becomes much more familiar with the director Patch Gallagher (Clark Gable).

Of course, Tod has his eyes on Janie; and he tries to woo her every way that he can. He arranges with the head boss to have Janie paid for rehearsing, although in reality Tod is paying her through the head boss. Tod takes Janie to his home for a fancy swim and he eventually goes to extremes to win Janie's love.

Meanwhile, during rehearsals for the show Patch starts to have feelings for Janie even though he tries to fight them off. Janie does seem more comfortable with Patch than she is with Tod, too.

What happens next? The plot could go anywhere from here. Will Janie marry Tod as he wants her to? What will happen, if anything, between Patch and Janie? What happens when the production is suddenly closed down? How will the show go on--if it goes on at all? No spoilers here, folks, you'll just have to watch the film to find out.

The choreography is wonderful in every dance scene; and the theater scenes within the movie are very well done. The cinematography works well, too.

Overall Dancing Lady is a fine early MGM musical that some say is MGM's answer to 42nd Street. This is a wonderful movie for fans of Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. Look also for a great performance by Franchot Tone as Tod Newton; and there's also some comic relief by The Three Stooges. In addition, there are numerous stunning visual effects and a show stopping number or two toward the end of the film even if the Bavarian number is a bit unusual.

Enjoy!
January 10, 2008

"Occupation: Hipswinging!"

Janie Barlow (Joan Crawford) is a dancer; she'll do anything to dance, including dance in a strip show. She's quite a beautiful girl, and despite her low standards, she draws the attention of a wealthy playboy Tod Newton (Franchot Tone). He uses his monetary influence to get her a small part in a big show, directed by Patch Gallagher (Clark Gable). He takes a shine to her, but hides it by being mean to her. She's torn between Tod and her career, which seems to be flourishing in front of her very eyes.

I've always loved Joan Crawford, especially the gorgeous Joan of the early '30s, so this movie is an absolute delight for me. It helps that two wonderful actors join her: hubby Franchot Tone and lover Clark Gable. They're flanked by some major stars making early film appearances: the Three Stooges, Fred Astaire, and Nelson Eddy. Not bad for an early musical. This one is pretty innovative too with all of the moving camera shots and Busby Berkeley-like dancing sequences. This film is completely saccharine and not the kind of film you learn something from, but it is completely entertaining and a joy to watch.

Also included on this DVD are two musical shorts featuring one or more of the Three Stooges. Plane Nuts stars Ted Healy and his Stooges in a cute short with the group in their very early stage. Each stooge is very funny in his own right, but it is interesting to see how differently they behaved when they first began. This short features popular music of the era. Roast Beef and Movies is a technicolor short featuring Curly Howard. November 30, 2007

"Slumming in ermine"

Frequent co-stars Joan Crawford and Clark Gable are very memorable indeed in DANCING LADY, perhaps the most popular of their films. Their unique chemistry carries over perfectly from the screen. Also appearing in this movie is Franchot Tone, who would go on to marry Crawford two years later.

DANCING LADY was filmed by M-G-M in 1933 as their answer to rival studio Warner Brothers' hugely-successful "42nd Street", choreographed by Busby Berklely. The formula is copied in DANCING LADY with a fair degree of success. Joan Crawford plays Janie Barlow, a street-smart burlesque dancer who finally hits the bright lights of Broadway...but will she marry the society gent who picked her up from the gutter, or her hard-boiled Broadway director?

As mentioned above, the musical numbers are very reminiscent of those choreographed by Busby Berkeley for "42nd Street"--even the final number, "Rhythm of the Day", is staged as a direct parody of the title song in "42nd Street". This was Crawford's return to the glittery musicals that had made her name, following a series of successful ("Grand Hotel", "Letty Lynton") and not-so-successful ("Rain", "Today We Live") comedies and dramas.

Clark Gable and Franchot Tone are well-cast in the two leading male roles. The movie also features early screen appearances from The Three Stooges and Fred Astaire, plus a singing cameo from Nelson Eddy. For fans of the classic musicals, it's hard to resist DANCING LADY.

The DVD also features two Vitaphone musical shorts ("Plane Nuts" and "Roast-Beef & the Movies"), plus the trailer. Also available as part of Clark Gable - The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo) October 20, 2007

7 male stars and ONE MARVELOUS JOAN

Along with A WOMAN'S FACE this is one of my favorite Joan Crawford films. This is early Joan Crawford, but she was allready clearly a STAR. She has romantic scenes with Franchot Tone, trades punches and pawing with Clark Gable, trades quips with Ted Healy and the 3 stooges, and goes toe to toe with Fred Astaire in his first movie... he has only ONE line and the big production number, and struggles to sing in HER key.

Study some dance history before you fault her dancing. Joan was a nightlife and film CHARLESTON dancer. With knees akimbo - the style of the day - she flaps her way with abandon (which is what she was known for in clubs), and she holds her own with intricate tap steps that are on par with today's best. The style is dated, but so is Nelson Eddy's singing in the "Rhythm of the Day" number.

This film has 7 males stars and... JOAN - not just holding her own, but LEADING them. This plot is flimsy, but a lot sterner stuff than most musicals of that day; and very risque, too! Enjoy this teaser-to-tapper treat. Thank you Karl and Patty for the gift of an all time favorite.
October 18, 2007

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