Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)

68% of users liked it
(411 ratings)

Based on a story by Vicki Baum (of Grand Hotel) fame, Dance, Girl Dance finds innocent young Judy (Maureen O'Hara) journeying to the Big Apple in hopes of gaining fame as a classical dancer. Instead she ends up as the "stooge" for raucous strip-tease artist Bubbles (Lucille Ball), who attempts to… More Based on a story by Vicki Baum (of Grand Hotel) fame, Dance, Girl Dance finds innocent young Judy (Maureen O'Hara) journeying to the Big Apple in hopes of gaining fame as a classical dancer. Instead she ends up as the "stooge" for raucous strip-tease artist Bubbles (Lucille Ball), who attempts to perform ballet before leering, catcalling, unappreciative burlesque audiences. Eventually, Judy and Bubbles both fall for playboy Jimmy Harris (Louis Hayward), a rivalry that culminates in a hair-pulling, eye-scratching cat fight. Eventually, Harris's ex-wife (Virginia Field) reels him back in, and Judy is hired by ballet producer and entrepreneur Steve Adams (Ralph Bellamy). In recent years, Dance, Girl, Dance has been canonized as a feminist manifesto, due to the fact that Dorothy Arzner was the director and because of Maureen O'Hara's climactic burlesque-house speech, in which she lambastes the male spectators for their puerile chauvinism. It should be noted, however, that Arzner became director only after Roy Del Ruth pulled out of the project. Uncertain how to promote the film, RKO Radio elected to sneak it into its first-run houses without fanfare, and the result was a $400,000 loss for the studio. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Dorothy Arzner
Written By: Tess Slesinger
Genres: Drama, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 30, 1940 Wide
On DVD: Jun 19, 2007

Critic Reviews

Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
As a piece of Hollywood history, the film's worth seeing, but it's no unsung masterpiece.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Arguably Dorothy Arzner's most personal film, this chronicle of female friendship is an anomaly: a feminist film made before feminism existed, directed by Hollywood's only female director, and a buddy picture before the genre was invented.
Dan Callahan, ToxicUniverse.com
Dorothy Arzner's best film, Dance, Girl, Dance, spotlights women's inner worlds.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Lucy tears it up as Bubbles but the rest of the film is bland.

Cast

            Maureen O'Hara as Judy O'Brien

            Louis Hayward as Jimmy Harris

            Lucille Ball as Bubbles/Tiger Lily White

            Ralph Bellamy as Steve Adams

            Virginia Field as Elinor Harris

            Maria Ouspenskaya as Mme. Lydia Basilova

            Walter Abel as Judge

            Mary Carlisle as Sally

            Katherine Alexander as Miss Olmstead

            Edward S. Brophy as Dwarfie

            Harold Huber as Hoboken Gent

            Ernest Truex as Bailey No. 1

            Chester Clute as Bailey No. 2

            Lorraine Krueger as Dolly

            Lola Jensen as Daisy

            Emma Dunn as Mrs. Simpson

            Sidney Blackmer as Puss In Boots

            Vivien Fay as Lead Ballerina

            Ludwig Stossel as Caesar

            Ernö Verebes as Fitch

            Wade Boteler
            
            Paul E. Burns
            
            Leo Cleary as Clerk

            Clyde Cook as Claude

            Gino Corrado as Waiter

            Kernan Cripps as Bailiff

            Paul Fung as Chinese Waiter

            Lew Harvey
            
            Milt Kibbee
            
            Bob McKenzie as Fat Man

            Philip Morris as Policeman

            Robert E. O'Connor
            
            Lee Phelps as Plainclothesman

            Paul Phillips as Reporter

            Dewey Robinson as Nightclub Manager

            Ralph Sanford as Taxi Driver

            Lee Shumway as Policeman

            Harry Tyler as Barker

            Lee "Lasses" White as Stage Manager

            Marjorie Woodworth as Jane
See full cast