Cinematography:
Russell MettyComposer:
Edward WardCast:
Maureen O'Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, Virginia Field, Ralph Bellamy, Maria Ouspenskaya, Mary Carlisle, Katharine Alexander, Edward Brophy, Walter Abel (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Dorothy Arzner, the sole woman to work as a director in the Hollywood studio system of the 1930s and early ’40s, brings a subversive feminist sensibility to this juicily entertaining backstage melodrama. A behind-the-footlights look at friendship, jealousy, and ambition in the ruthless world of show business, Dance, Girl, Dance follows the intertwining fates of two chorus girls: a starry-eyed dancer (Maureen O’Hara) who dreams of making it as a ballerina and the brassy gold digger (a scene-stealing Lucille Ball) who becomes her rival both on the stage and in love. The rare Hollywood film of the era to deal seriously with issues of female artistic struggle and self-actualization, Arzner’s film is a rich, fascinating statement from an auteur decades ahead of her time. (Criterion)
(more)Reviews (1)
It's not quite the exceptional film that the authors of "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" make it out to be, but it still has a good concept and great characters, especially the female ones, of course. This is the element that makes the film interesting, and it reaches its peak, unfortunately, only in the final scenes. Otherwise, this is unlikely to become one of your favorite films.
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