Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Dorothy Arzner

Writers:

Vicki Baum (story)
Frank Davis (writer)

Release Date:

30 August 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Heartbreak Behind Gayety of a Girly-Girl Show!

Plot:

Judy O'Brien is an aspiring ballerina in a dance troupe. Also in the company is Bubbles, a brash mantrap...

Plot Keywords:

Burlesque | Ballerina | Audition | Chorus Girl | Akron Ohio

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Maureen O'Hara	...	Judy O'Brien
Louis Hayward	...	Jaes 'Jimmy' Harris Jr.
Lucille Ball	...	Bubbles / Tiger Lily White
Virginia Field	...	Elinor Harris
Ralph Bellamy	...	Steve Adams
Maria Ouspenskaya	...	Madame Lydia Basilova
Mary Carlisle	...	Sally
Katharine Alexander	...	Miss Olmstead
Edward Brophy	...	Dwarfie Humblewinger
Walter Abel	...	Judge
Harold Huber	...	Hoboken Gent
Ernest Truex	...	Bailey #1
Chester Clute	...	Bailey #2
Lorraine Krueger	...	Dolly
Lola Jensen	...	Daisy

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6247)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Lucille Ball and 'Maureen O'Hara' became inseparable friends while filming Dance Girl, Dance, and became life-long friends afterward, up Till Ball's death in 1989. Maureen was having lunch with Lucille when Lucille first saw her future husband Desi Arnaz.

Quotes:

Judy O'Brien: Go on, laugh, get your money's worth. No-one's going to hurt you. I know you want me to tear my clothes off so you can look your fifty cents' worth. Fifty cents for the privilege of staring at a girl the way your wives won't let you. What do you suppose we think of you up here with your silly smirks your mothers would be ashamed of...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie (1993) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mother, What Do I Do Now?

Absolutely Irresistible RKO Drama, Definitely Dorothy Arzner's Best Film

"Dance, Girl, Dance" is the kind of obscure, little-discussed film from Hollywood's Golden Age that is every bit as good if not better than more famous classics. It covers familiar ground but there is something special about the way its strong performances master nuances of the superb script. Maureen O'Hara plays an aspiring ballerina in a dance troupe who struggles to get a chance to prove her worth. Lucille Ball is the troupe's wild card, who wants to have a career in burlesque. Maria Ouspenskaya plays the troupe's manager. O'Hara's luminous screen presence clashes beautifully with Ball's brassy personality. They are both superb. Ball, in particular, surprised me with a complex characterization. I didn't know she had it in her. Director Dorothy Arzner - one of the few female filmmakers of the era - avoids most of the clichés associated with rags-to-riches stories. Arzner explores the showbiz milieu brilliantly and she even makes a few well-pointed observations on the unique obstacles career women face. It is now available on DVD (Region 1). Don't miss this one!