***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** "Go Into Your Dance" (Warner Brothers, 1935), directed by Archie L. Mayo, with choreography by Bobby Connolly, is a flimsy but highly entertaining show-biz musical that became the only film collaboration of the Jolsons, Al and Ruby Keeler. Like most Jolson movies of that period, "Go Into Your Dance" starts off with good comedy and wisecracks, and during its final half hour or so, changes to melodrama. In spite of mood swings, the changes don't hurt the continuity in any way. Jolson appears to be more at ease with his comical one-liners and is much improved here as an actor during the more serious moments. Keeler gets to sing one song but she gets plenty of opportunity to go into her dancing.
Opening title: "BROADWAY: The street of ups and downs, where show business in 1935 was in top speed." Story: Al Howard (Al Jolson), is an irresponsible and egotistic entertainer responsible for his Broadway shows closing by not appearing. Al's sister, Molly (Glenda Farrell) comes to the Actors Equity Association with the assurance that this will be Al's last time that he will ever desert a show, but she is told by the producers that he is through on Broadway. Molly manages to get her old friend, Dorothy Wayne (Ruby Keeler), a dancer, to team up with Al in hope her partnership with him will lead up to his comeback. Dorothy agrees and she and Al become successful for the next several months appearing at Brown's St. Ledger Roof Garden. While Al treats Dorothy like a "kid," and philanders with other women, especially chorus girls, Dorothy, who resents being treated this way, unwittingly falls in love with Al and decides to leave the act. Molly, however, persuades Dorothy to remain and soon arranges to hire Duke Hutchinson (Barton MacLane), an underworld financier, to back Al's new night club engagement, The Casino De Paree, in New York. In the meantime, Al, who considers himself "God's gift to women," becomes entangled with Luana Wells (Helen Morgan), a blues singer who happens to be Duke's wife wanting to also make a comeback on Broadway by appearing at the Casino De Paree. Before opening night, Al is told by Dorothy, after receiving a phone call, that his sister Molly is in jail for murder. Al must decide whether to take the show's $30,000 to bail out Molly, or go on with the show as planned. If he abandons this show, the Duke will have his thugs awaiting for him outside.
Patsy Kelly, not mentioned in the above synopsis, provides true comedy relief in appearing in three separate scenes with Jolson actually unrelated to the plot as if she were added in at the last minute to boost up some comedy. In spite all, it helps the continuity along. Kelly is a laugh riot and not to be missed. Glenda Farrell, featured as Jolson's sister, known best for usually playing a wisecracking and fast-talking gold-digger, gets her chance on film to play a basically straight character. Farrell only has one scene that does involve comedy which takes place on a train where she encounters a British passenger (Arthur Treacher) after accidentally dipping him with ink. She even gets her chance to wear stylish wardrobes and fur coat.
Great tunes by Harry Warren and Al Dubin include: "Cielito Lindo" (written by Elpidio Ramirez and sung in Spanish by Jolson); "A Good Old-Fashioned Cocktail" (sung/danced by Ruby Keeler and chorus); "Mammy, I'll Sing About You" (Jolson); "About a Quarter to Nine," "Swanee River" (by Stephen Foster, sung briefly by Jolson in black-face); "The Little Things You Used to Do" (sung by Helen Morgan); "Casino De Paree," "She's a Latin From Manhattan," "Go Into Your Dance" and a reprise finish to "About a Quarter to Nine" (all sung by Jolson). During a night club sequence earlier in the story, there is an underscoring by a band to the tune, "'Cause My Baby Says It's So," but is never sung in the story. Possibly an intended song for this movie but scrapped before release. That song would finally be heard and fully introduced by Dick Powell in "The Singing Marine" (Warners, 1937).
Also in the cast are Akim Tamiroff, Sharon Lynn, Phil Regan and Gordon Westcott. While Benny Rubin gets screen credit, he has only a tiny bit at The Caliente. I did recognize former silent screen actress, Mary Carr, famous for sentimental mother roles in the twenties, briefly scene as a wardrobe woman.
"Go Into Your Dance," available on DVD and occasional viewing on Turner Classic Movies, is 89 minutes of solid entertainment, highly recommended as it is entertaining. And as Jolson would say whenever being truthful and sincere, "A word of a Howard." (***1/2)
