gridoon2018 "Dancing Lady" covers all the bases: there is flirty comedy (the gym and the swimming sequences are subtly erotic), snappy transitions, comedic cameos (from May Robson to the Three Stooges!), love-triangle drama, swank, cheesecake, singing, dancing, and a long, wonderful, surreal production number at the end (I award *** out of 4 and not **1/2 to this movie on the basis of that number alone). Joan Crawford, in one of her very few musical roles, is surprisingly proficient at tap-dancing; she even holds her own when partnered with Fred Astaire, in his movie debut! She also displays her magnificent, strong legs, which are deservedly praised by Clark Gable; their on-screen pairing is one of those old-movie things that absolutely cannot be replicated today. All in all, "Dancing Lady" is an enjoyable cinematic potpourri.

JohnHowardReid "Dancing Lady" (1933), the fourth of no less than seven movies in which Clark Gable and Joan Crawford appeared together – is a variant on "42nd Street" with Gable as the harassed but vigorously energetic producer – much more energetic than Warner Baxter. In fact, Gable's Patch Gallagher even works out in a gym! In execution, however, the movie emerges as a Warner Brothers musical in reverse. This was not exactly what Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had intended, but the problem is that instead of building to a spectacular musical climax, all the really invigorating numbers occur earlier on. Despite the presence of Fred Astaire and Nelson Eddy – the latter unable to mime or synchronize to his recorded voice very ably – Dancing Lady's musical climax is weak. And so is the predictable story's ending as well! Available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD.

writers_reign Released in November, 1933,Dancing Lady beat 42nd Street onto the screen by one month and it would be interesting to know if contemporary audiences and critics noticed the strong similarities between the two putting-on-a- Broadway-musical-chorus-girl-turns-star plots. Certainly 42nd Street boasted a better score although having said that the Burton Lane-Harold Adamson number Everything I Have Is Yours is not exactly chopped liver. On the other hand 42nd Street lacked the bizarre element of Dancing Lady which boasts not only the Three Stooges billed separately under their own names but nevertheless doing their schtick as perfected in vaudeville and with a role - as Gable's PR - for their 'leader', Ted Healey, arguably the worst song Rodgers and Hart ever wrote which is done no favors in the wooden voice of Nelson Eddy. Arthur Jarrett (who?) gets to sing Everything I Have Is Yours and, saving the best till last, Fred Astaire (as himself) appears in his first-ever Hollywood film. The DVD print is surprisingly good and this is more than worth a look.

zardoz-13 Joan Crawford plays a struggling dancer in "Dancing Lady" who alternates between Broadway producer Clark Gable and Wall Street tycoon Franchot Tone in this fast-paced, amusing musical with lots of dance numbers. This Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer release features the antics of the Three Stooges while they were still second bananas with Ted Healy. The finale with Joan and Fred Astaire on a floating saucer that takes them to Bavaria exemplifies a bit of early cinematic surrealism. Nelson Eddy makes his debut along with Fred Astaire in this predictable but entertaining 1930's melodrama. Director Robert Z. Leonard keeps the action scooting along with one surprise after another. Janie Barlow (Joan Crawford) is a dancer who lives to dance, even if she must dance in a burlesque show. Wealthy Park Avenue investor Tod Newton (Franchot Tone of "Lives of a Bengal Lancer") attends her show the evening that the police raid the theater and arrest Janie and his counterparts for indecent performances. Janie tells the judge that she is a social worker. He fines her $30 or 30 days, and the gallant Tod antes up the loot. Tod wines and dines Janie, but she remains focused on dancing, the art of dancing. In fact, she decides to quit burlesque and pursue Patch Gallagher for the chance of a big break. Tod provides the introduction to a stage producer, Jasper Bradley, Sr. (Grant Mitchell) and Patch's assistant Steve (Ted Healy) and the Three Stooges decide to give her "the brush off." Nevertheless, Steve is impressed by Janie's ability and urges a reluctant Patch to consider her. Patch berates Pinky (Sterling Holloway), the author of the play that the show is based on, because it is Spanish American War era relic. Indeed, Patch has dreams of staging a different show. No sooner has Patch got the show underway than the bottom falls out. It seems that Janie has to assure Tod that if the show bombs, she will marry him. The treacherous Tod pulls his money from the show and the Bradleys have to close it. Patch is left high and dry, while a clueless Janie accompanies Tod to Cuba. Meantime, Patch decides to put himself into hock to finance the show. Imagine Janie's shock when she learns about Tod's underhanded scheme to shut down the show. She goes back to do the show for Patch. Of course, everything works in the end. "Dancing Lady" provides Crawford with a good, strong role.