mark.waltz Giving her all to this big budget musical, Joan Crawford goes from the 42nd Street burlesque houses to the star of a lavish musical revue (that couldn't fit on any Broadway stage) and proves herself to be quite the dancer if not one of the better singers of the early movie musicals. She looks great in her evening gowns but in rehearsal clothes appears to be rather odd looking with a rather wide head that made her seem older than she was. Put her in frills and sequins, however, she's the glamorous Joan that made her one of the biggest stars of the 1930's, and certainly MGM's most financially successful.The men here are second string in supporting Joan with Franchot Tone a Park Avenue man about town who happens to spot Joan in the chorus of the burlesque show and takes her out, glamours her up and then tries to keep her from the big musical revue's producer, the rugged Clark Gable. She is unaware that Tone has manipulated her success by putting money in the show and withdrawing it when her initially cool working relationship with Gable seemed to be turning into romance. But Gable, like Warner Baxter in the same year's "42nd Street", is determined to make sure that the show goes on.1933 saw the return of the movie musical in a major way, and MGM produced several that rivaled the Busby Berkley dance extravaganzas being made over at Warner Brothers. Joan, however, isn't Ruby Keeler, the innocent chorus girl who gets a lucky break; It's obvious from the get-go that she's tough, sharing wisecracks with burlesque star Winnie Lightner and even getting some laughs with her brief encounter with none other than the Three Stooges. Like Marian Davies in MGM's "Going Hollywood", she is meant to be more window dressing than Jeanette MacDonald, and looks fabulous in her Adrian gowns. When all of a sudden she begins to dance with Fred Astaire in an outrageously lavish production number, she proves herself to be practically his equal, giving her the distinction of being his first screen dancing partner.Nelson Eddy leads the big production number of "Rhythm of the Day", giving "Dancing Lady" the distinction of having the two leading men who would become part of famous twosomes in musicals for the rest of the decade. "Rhythm of the Day" is almost laughably pretentious, but not as outrageous as "Heigh Ho the Gang's All Here" which has Fred and Joan dancing on a whirling gadget that flies through the sky and lands in the middle of a big festival with chorus boys and girls clad in liederhosen. "Let's Go Bavarian!" is actually ironic for a 1933 release with its Germanic themes considering that this was the same year that Hitler began his rise to power and ultimate reign of terror.May Robson, already having played Joan's mother in "Letty Lynton", is Tone's hard of hearing grandmother, with Grant Mitchell as a theater owner and in an unbilled role, the future Eve Arden as a chorus girl rejectee who had tried to feign a Southern accent. Of course, Arden would go on to support Joan in a larger way years later in "Mildred Pierce", so there's an irony in seeing her here. The blowzy Winnie Lightner, after a brief leading lady stint at Warners, gets in some good gags and an amusing musical number.While certainly not among the best of the 1930's big budget musicals, "Dancing Lady" is still fun, frivolous and frilly. Gable seems a bit out of sorts putting on a show, and his role is rather secondary. Tone's character lacks motivation, but somebody's got to be the heavy, even if the script gives no real indication as to why. This is Joan's picture all the way.

tavm 1933 was a watershed year for the movie musical. It was the year Busby Berkeley helped make it exciting again with his numbers for 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933. Ginger Rogers was a factor in that excitement when she performed the "We're in the Money" number in the latter. And if that had been it for her career, she'd at least be an important footnote in the movie musical's history. But bigger things were coming her way later in the year. And it wouldn't be at Warner Bros. where she was at the time but at RKO. Her future legendary partner was already there but had yet to make his film debut. But since the studio had no assignments for him yet, he was allowed to go to M-G-M for a specialty spot there as himself. And so it was at Leo the Lion's place that Fred Astaire-previously a Broadway sensation with sis Adele-got his first stint in front of the cameras. His partner there was Joan Crawford, who had displayed much of her dancing ability in many of her previous films so she wasn't a bad first film dancer for Fred to start with. So on that note, this movie is worth a good look for that reason alone. But there's still some good acting by leading man Clark Gable, second lead Franchot Tone (whom Ms. Crawford would briefly marry) and Ted Healy as Gable's assistant who was still the leader of his stooges: Moe, Curly, and Larry, all represented at their slapstick best here. Other notable supporting turns came from Robert Benchley who keeps looking for a pencil, Winnie Lightner as Crawford's friend, May Robson as Tone's grandmother, and Eve Arden-years before playing her Oscar-nominated role opposite Oscar-winner Crawford in Mildred Pierce-in a small part as a rejected potential chorus girl. Oh, and this was one of Nelson Eddy's earliest singing spots. In summary, Dancing Lady is enjoyable enough to watch as entertainment with a historical first as an extra treat.

David_Brown Perhaps I am the wrong person to give an opinion of this film, because it is not my type of movie. That said, I give this film 2 Stars, 1/2 each for Moe, Curley (and one for Larry playing the piano). Basically I don't like Joan Crawford (The exceptions are "Grand Hotel" and "This Woman Is Dangerous"), and I HATE musicals. In fact the only way I watch them is when singing numbers pop up, the sound goes off, or if I recorded it, I zap right through them (And in all cases, it is to see a star I like (See Marilyn Monroe)). My objections to Crawford are she is essentially built like a linebacker (You see how bad she looks in a dress in this film), and she is overly melodramatic. The reason I put it on was were to see the Stooges, and to see Clark Gable, usually his films are good, and he always seems to have a co-star I like: Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Claudette Colbert, Marilyn Monroe & Sophia Loren to name a few. But this film is like "Parnell" (Considered Gable's worst film by most people) basically unwatchable, except for when the Stooges pop up. I would only recommend it to see Larry play the piano (You don't need to suffer with Joan Crawford to laugh with the Stooges). 2 of 10 stars.

Igenlode Wordsmith The plot is nothing much in the originality stakes -- to be honest, the musical numbers (with the exception of the tuneful "Everything I Have is Yours", featured off-stage in a party sequence) aren't anything much either -- but it doesn't matter. With its sassy dames (I'd have liked to see more of Winnie Lightner as the cynical older roommate), Depression-era morals, sharp script and high-octane performances all round, this is unmistakably a 1930s product, fizzing with energy and entertainment.Joan Crawford is well cast as the ambitious dancer determined to thrust her way up out of a sleazy burlesque show; in fact, the few moments when her character is intended to melt into genuine feminine tenderness are the least convincing, in acting terms. Crawford was born to sparkle with sharp edges.Clark Gable as the street-smart producer trying to manage the whims of his wealthy patron is full of charisma in a tough-guy role, and teams well with his backstage foils Ted Healy and Robert Benchley; the Three Stooges put on a rather infantile finger-poking act in the background which apparently had audience appeal, but fortunately for my taste there wasn't much of it. Franchot Tone makes the role of the moneyed Society boy and would-be 'protector' of the heroine a surprisingly sympathetic one, glowing with genuine enthusiasm at her achievements even when this undermines his own aims, and shows off a well set-up figure in expensive tailoring and a swimming suit; not to be beaten, Clark Gable strips off to display his muscles in the gym, while Miss Crawford models a series of backless costumes that leave very little to the imagination -- and nor does that nightdress! Strong character performances, a coherent plot and a good script win out over standard backstage material and uninspiring musical arrangements in this MGM picture; I enjoyed it, and felt it had the edge over "Broadway Melody of 1938", screened the previous night.