Dance, Girl, Dance is a film released in 1940,
directed by Dorothy Arzner.
In 2007, Dance, Girl, Dance was selected for preservation in the
United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally,
historically, or aesthetically significant", describing it as Arzner's "most intriguing film"
and a "meditation on the disparity between art and commerce.
The dancers, played by Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball,
strive to preserve their own feminist integrity,
while fighting for their place in the spotlight and for the love of male lead Louis Hayward."
Dance, Girl, Dance was edited by Robert Wise,
whose next film as editor was Citizen Kane and who later won Oscars
as director of West Side Story and The Sound of Music.
Lucille Ball joins Maureen in this ordinary film,
The fans liked the film, but the critics didn't!
and I think the comments below, nearly as long as the movie, sum it up!!!
The end should have been the beginning!,
Author: from Chicago, Illinois
QuoteJudy O'Brien is an aspiring ballerina in Madama Basilova's dance troupe. Lucy "Bubbles" has oomph and no class, so she makes it big in burlesque right away. This movie is frustrating. First, Madama Basilova takes her favorite and principal dancer Judy to New York to meet the major ballet company director. In her excitement she rushes into oncoming traffic and dies instantly. Judy should have been holding her hand or keeping her back, but what can you do. Next when Judy finally does go back to meet the producer Steve Adams, the receptionist doesn't know who she is, she watches the dress rehearsal and is intimidated. Now she doesn't even want an audition. Then infuriatingly Steve Adams gets on the same elevator down, and she doesn't even put two and two together. He is immediately smitten by her beauty, but she assumes he is merely a flirtatious smoothie and her dignity is further assaulted by the fact that she has lost her last dime, missed the bus, and is without an umbrella in the rain. He never says his name, so she goes onto an offer she can't refuse from Bubbles as a shill to intro her number. Then she endures cruel taunts from perverts and the shame of having to compromise her principles just to survive and dance. Luckily Steve Adams reads about her in the papers and goes to watch her performance. He is ready to sign her but she still doesn't know it's him and rips up his business card! Among this is the wealthy tire company heir from Akron Jimmy Harris, a fickle but harmless and fun playboy who offers a momentary romantic diversion for Judy and Bubbles, but ultimately gets back together with his estranged wife. It's a happy ending providing some relief when Judy finally meets Steve Adams and he promises her career with the company will be stellar. She will at last be able to adapt the "Morning Star" that she is. This should be the beginning of the sequel, where she becomes a Mrs Ballanchine type except that instead of tiring of her as she grows old he falls more deeply in love with her with each ballet that is created for her, as her greatness fame world renown and idolatry grow ever more out of control. And no tragedy like "The Red Shoes" except for that of his ultimate passing as he is older and his work is done here, he cannot outdo himself and his legacy to the world is complete, with heartwarming memories for effective softfocus slomo dreamlike flashbacks. But at least we know it gets better after the movie ends.