Dancing Lady

Where else are you going to see Joan Crawford dancing to the accompaniment of The Three Stooges? Add to that Winnie Lightner with a Shirley Temple hairdo doing a striptease, Fred Astaire in his screen premiere and enough Art Deco to fill a warehouse.

However, for those used to the Warner Brothers musicals of that time, "Dancing Lady" does have its drawbacks. The pace is a good bit slower (over 90 minutes with only two complete musical numbers!) and the choreography has little of the saucy snap Berkeley was providing at the WB. Joan Crawford isn't as bad in the Terpsichore department as everyone has said, even holding her own against Astaire. The drawbacks are the songs which are putrid. The Astaire-Crawford number is "Let's Go Bavarian" as they sing about the glories of beer! One can only hope Hitler saw it and got indigestion. MGM does have one advantage over the more famous competition; Clark Gable, who brings a good bit more heat to the screen than Warner Baxter. One pre-code moment: in the last musical number historical figures march through an arch which turns them into modern characters. A knight in armor goes under and turns into a mincing handkerchief-waver!

'Dancing Lady' (1933) is about a woman (Joan Crawford) who lives to dance. After being arrested for dancing at a burlesque house, she meets a rich playboy (Franchot Tone), who, behind the scenes, paves the way for her to get her big break. Clark Gable is the director of the musical and makes you fall in love with him! Joan Crawford is a reasonable dancer - no Fred Astaire or Eleanor Powell - but she is quite good.

This lavish glossy Busby Berkley-ish musical dazzles you from start to finish! A combination witty, quick lines, the appeal of the stunning Joan Crawford and dashing Clark Gable plus some great songs and dances makes this 1933 movie a mega hit! This movie went surprisingly fast and was a pleasure to watch. Definitely recommend it.

Perhaps the most eclectic cast in movie history. Here we have Clark Gable and Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone in his man-about-town mode, Fred Astaire playing himself in his movie debut, Nelson Eddy in his second film, Robert Benchley contrasting with Ted Healy and the Three Stooges, (in by far their most prominent role before the TV era) and even a young Eve Arden. Gable spends the film snarling at everybody and demanding that they produce a "modern, up-to-date musical" that's about what's happening now. Somehow this morphs into a finale in which Astaire and Crawford are prancing about in liederhosen, (which has a relevance to 1933 they perhaps didn't anticipate). What it all proves it that MGM, while it had the know-how to make the greatest musicals of all-time in the 1940's and 1950's, just didn't quite "get it" yet in 1933. RKO and Warners were still miles ahead of them.

Like the other studios, MGM wasted no time cashing in on the success of 42nd Street with its own backstage musical, complete with ersatz Busby Berkeley choreography.

This one is "Dancing Lady," and she's young Joan Crawford costarring with Franchot Tone and Clark Gable. A dancer named Fred Astaire makes his official film debut, and Nelson Eddy pops in for a song.

Crawford is an ambitious dancer being pursued by a rich boyfriend (Tone), but she's blinded by the footlights of Broadway. He helps her out by getting her into a show directed by tough guy Gable, and when he sees her talent and perseverance, he gives her the "top spot" in the show. Of course, he's attracted to her, too, and she to him.

It's easy for all of them to be attracted to one another because they're all gorgeous. 30 years after this film, Franchot Tone would play a dying President in "Advise and Consent"...and look it. Here he's a smooth dazzler in his top hat, tails, brilliant smile and dimples.

Gable is muscular, sexy, and rough around the edges. Crawford sparkles with her athletic figure, beautiful legs, and surely a pair of the most spellbinding eyes ever in film. She is perfection in her Adrian outfits.

Though she does well in her big number with Astaire, Crawford really was from the Ruby Keeler School of Hoofing - lots of arms, big steps, and a ton of noise.

The musical itself - uh, "Dancing Lady" - is tuneful and pleasant, and its spectacular finale gives one the impression that Louis B screamed for the kitchen sink - Berkeley-type choreography, a Nelson Eddy solo, and Astaire.

It's wonderful to see these stars so young and energetic, and they are all great to watch. Look for an uncredited appearance by a blond Eve Arden and Lynn Bari somewhere in the chorus. Lots of fun from MGM.

By definition any film like Dancing Lady that has the debuts of movie icons Fred Astaire and Nelson Eddy is historic. But Dancing Lady is a good, not great film.

It is also one of the few sound films that took advantage of Joan Crawford's dancing talents. Few remember that it was as a dancer that Joan Crawford started in show business. During her silent period Crawford played a few roles as a flapper, but her dramatic talents came to the fore when sound came in. It would be another twenty years before she did a musical role in Torch Song on a return visit to her old studio MGM.

Crawford is an aspiring dancer who's doing some strip teasing at a dive when slumming playboy Franchot Tone spots her. He's interested in her, but she's interested in a career. She auditions for a new Broadway revue that is being directed by Clark Gable.

Despite some misgivings Gable recognizes her talent and is ready to star her. But a few bumps on the road to love and Broadway occur as they do in any musical. It all gets resolved though.

This was one of Franchot Tone's first role in a tuxedo. I guess he looked so good in white tie and tails that Louis B. Mayer starred him in over half his films in a tuxedo. Tone got pretty tired of it and left MGM at the end of decade, but couldn't shake the typecasting for the rest of his life. But he also got Crawford in real life, he became her second husband.

We cannot forget the contributions of that comedic team of Howard, Howard, and Fine who were Ted Healy's three stooges. Dancing Lady is one of the Three Stooges earliest films, Larry in fact had a bit more of a substantial role as a pianist here.

Joan Crawford became the first of a long list of distinguished women of the cinema to dance with Fred Astaire. Though he made his debut here, Louis B. Mayer thought little of him to sign him to a long term contract. Later on he paid dear for Mr. Astaire's services. Fred has a few lines of dialog and two numbers with Crawford.

At least he was smart enough to keep Nelson Eddy, signed fresh from the Metropolitan Opera. After two more bits like this in films, Eddy was co-starred with Jeanette MacDonald in Naughty Marietta and the rest is history. Eddy sings the finale number.

Though Warner Brothers practically had a patent on the backstage musical stuff in the Thirties, Dancing Lady is entertaining enough on its own terms.