Dance Hall

I have a special fondness for old films that provide a window into the way we once were. Such a film is "Dance Hall" which provides the perfect boy meets girl & on off romance, in fact in real life this was how perhaps most couples met and romances developed. This movie shows British life before TV took over, before the teenage revolution and rock and roll when the big bands ruled via the dance hall phenomenon. A pimplier era of full employment and terrific post war optimism. Today hardly anyone can dance properly and dance halls are only in history books. I had not seen this movie previously and found it joyously nostalgic and a wonderful time capsule to a era long long gone.

Yes, I too went dancing at the "Hammersmith Palais" in London from 1972-1976 and before that in 1964 I learnt the basic dance steps at a hired room of a cinema in Harrow, Middx.Dancing was certainly one method of meeting members of the opposite sex if you did not have the opportunity at work or college.At the "Hammersmith Palais" the resident orchestra was Ken Macintosh along with his regular band singers who belted out pop hits of the day.My late mother impressed upon me that dancing should be in every young man's accomplishments and there were many new dances taught to students in the 60s & 70s e.g. "The Stroll", "The Twist" "Cha-Cha-Cha" etc.

The subject film is set in 1950 when the survivors of WWII had returned to their jobs and housing was very claustrophobic, cramped and scarce with all the bomb damage around.In many cases one had to live with in-laws which this film aptly illustrates.Of course in reality the girls turning lathes in factories would have had harsh vernacular accents, not the modulated sounds taught at drama schools in the late 1940s.Most notably Diana Dors (real name Diana Fluck) appeared in one of her early films before she dyed her hair peroxide blonde which she did from the mid 1950s and which is her most popular public persona when she was billed as Britain's Marilyn Monroe.Bonar Colleano (a U.S. import), first came to my attention in the 1948 film "Sleeping Car To Trieste", here plays a dance partner of the female lead who has ambitions to win the dance competition at the "Palais".You will notice that in films of this vintage, unlike today with it's politically correct messages, almost everyone smoked which I personally put down to the stresses of living through WWII.One politely offered friends a cigarette like offering round a bag of sweets."London Live" TV station is currently running a season of Ealing Films which I am enjoying as it gives me a chance to view those Ealing films not familiar to the general public.Moderately enjoyable I rated it 6/10

I suppose that you could call this a blast from the past.The time when women were supposed to be chaste not chased,and knew their place in the home.As a big band enthusiast I have to say that the most interesting aspect of the film is seeing Geraldo and Ted Heath in their prime.I did know Geraldo's widow and she had all of his 78 records safely stored away.This was really the swan song of that era.Within a few years the only big band leader left was Billy Cotton.He kept his musicians in full employment and died almost broke.I used to drive past Hammersmith Palais and when that closed an era ended.One of the aspects of life not specifically mentioned in the film was rationing on food and clothing.When Donald Houston opens all those tins he could have been eating a week's worth of rations.Also the parent's would have had to go into their clothing ration to buy the dress for Petula Clarke,so she would have been doubly upset.

This post war film is one I watched with Len Colyer whose name you can see in the credits as one of the professional dancers backing up the actors in their competition scenes.

The film isn't one I would recommend seeing twice but if you are interested in history and want to see what life is like for people in England after the country was torn apart then the film will hold your attention for it's short duration.

The drama in the film is of course melodramatic and over the top but that can also be an attractive element to those of us that wish life to be dramatically over the top and more complicated then it actually is.

Worth a watch if you get a chance, but harder the second time around.