Dancing Lady

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Joan Crawford and Clark Gable were both in their young MGM prime when they suited up for Dancing Lady, the studio's big, shiny, silly reply to 42nd Street. Joan is a burlesque dancer (but mind you, serious artiste) when she is plucked from the ranks by a playboy, played by Franchot Tone, Crawford's future real-life hubby. Gable is the bluff, hard-driving theater director guiding a new Broadway musical that has room for one more chorus girl. Maybe. It all builds to the opening of the big show, and some utterly insane musical numbers including a Bavarian spectacle and the mind-bending "Rhythm of the Day." The saving grace in these scenes is that Fred Astaire, in his film debut, partners Joan onstage and sings a bit. The movie also has Nelson Eddy and soused one-liners from Robert Benchley, plus Ted Healy and His Stooges doing some surreal comedy. Vaudevillian Healy actually has a pretty big role here, but the Stooges (three fellows named Moe, Curly, and Larry) would go on to stardom without him. The movie may not be a great one, but it gives the sugary flavor of early-'30s MGM, and even a simple scene like a gym workout (with Gable and Crawford in especially sassy form) provides the pleasures of art deco production design and cool costumes. --Robert Horton

Description

A Broadway chorine (Joan Crawford) needs a little help with her hoofing, so her dance director (Clark Gable) gets an idea. A good idea. "Do you feel like going through that opening number with Mr. Astaire?" And Fred Astaire, making his screen debut, shows the lady how it's done. Three film icons give the backstage musical a jolt of superstar electricity in a song-, dance-, and romance-filled extravaganza featuring support by Nelson Eddy, Robert Benchley and The Three Stooges and tunes by Rodgers and Hart, Burton Lane, Dorothy Fields and more musical greats. Gable and Crawford had such stellar chemistry that MGM teamed them for eight movies. Here, as always, they have street-smart glamour and charisma to burn. Add Astaire's sophistication and Dancing Lady can take a well-deserved bow.

Customer Reviews:

All Star Cast.......2007-05-13

I have a lot of good impressions of "Dancing Lady" but I don't want to oversell it. After all, the plot's pretty obvious; we know who'll end up with who from the moment we see who every who is. There weren't any musical numbers that I'll be singing to myself later on. However, I was impressed by the number of stars in this production. The fact that Nelson Eddy and Fred Astaire played bit parts ought to say something. The Three Stooges were present as well although I would have preferred they had a little more screen time. The stars of the movie were stars of their day; Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, and Franchot Tone but there were also some other up-and-comers in Sterling Holloway and Eve Arden.

The musical numbers reminded me of the absurdity that Hollywood musicals of the 1930's got into when they showed "Theater Productions" in movies. The scene is always the same; a Broadway musical has its' opening night and everything hinges on how the new "star" handles his or her big chance. That's all well and good but the way the stage seems to expand way beyond the confines of a legitimate theater is mind-bogglying. There's a number in "Dancing Girl" where the core of the stage turns into a sort of flying carpet with Joan Crawford and Fred Astaire carefully continuing their dance routine. To pull that number off in a theater would have required something bigger than the Rose Bowl. Another neat trick had everyone and everything get "modernized" when crossing through a large portal in mid-stage. People's costumes changed as they waled through that entry, horse and carriage turned into limosine, etc. I guess back then it was a sort of "artistic license" but it looks odd to see it today. Most viewers probably have more sense than me and just enjoy the production without needing a justification.

When I was a teenager, Joan Crawford made a sort of "comeback" by playing bizzare roles in hatchet-murder "B" movies. It was nice to realize what a lovely, glamorous actress she was in her prime. Beyond all the "Mommy Dearest" there was a real star. I'm glad to have replaced all those negative images (even if I had to stretch my imagination in doing so).

Extraordinary time capsule.......2007-01-29

There is a lot going on here visually, musically and artistically- and much of it is specific to the style of the time -1933.

Most surreal is seeing the Three Stooges next to Joan Crawford and Fred Astaire. This was at MGM, before the boys went over to Columbia. There are a couple of other Stooge shorts on the disk- also made by MGM with Busby Berkely-type chorus girl shots! The production values were far more lavish than their Columbia shorts. Makes me wonder what they would have accomplished had they stayed at the bigger and richer studio.

Joan Crawford was hot! She looked good next to Gable, and it makes me wish they would release "Possessed" (1931). I would also like to see some of her other early films, including some of the silents, where she plays dancer/hottie.

"My Dancing lady, There is nobody like you...".......2007-01-17

And no movie like this one! If you have never seen a Joan Crawford movie before, this is the one to see. Every one will love it,and there is something in it for everyone I promise...the suprisingly talented and moreover stunningly beautiful 1933 incarnation of Joan Crawford is one you wont believe. Joan is Janie Barlow;a street smart,no-nonsense, ambitious and beautiful aspiring dancer.She is determined to make herself succeed in this business, no matter what the pratfalls, waiting to catch a break and relying on her sheer will and hard work to dance her way to the top .....and "yes, it's GOT to be dancin!".Sound familair?
One night, the burelesque house where janie is dancing at is raided,and her indignation worsens when she gets put in the slammer, however she is delighted when rich playboy Todd Newton(husband number two,Franchot Tone)bails her out.But much like our Joanie, our Janie is no fool, and wholeheartedly insists she will pay him back with the cash and nothing else.Undeterred, she hikes it to Broadway "uptown where it's art" to get a hold of "Patch" Gallagher(Clark Gable)the shows cranky but equally no-nonsense producer.Janie knows early on she wants the part and the producer, but not if Todd has anything to say about it....perfection pretty much ensues in some of the memorable scenes I have ever seen ,beautiful cinematography and the direction is very clever especially during janie's relentless pursuit of "patch" early on in the movie.Although it was common for joan to portray a character like this in part to appeal to depression era audiences, it was the combination of her fierce independence and wise-cracking gusto that made this one work.Her sexual chemistry with Gable is so powerful, they not only made 7 more movies together,but you can feel it this radiate out of the tv 74 years later.This movie does have something for everyone... Fred Astaire in his movie debut makes a luminious vision dancing with joan/janie and LOOK CLOSELY and you will spot the munchkinland and Emerald City sets( during the Bavaria and Rythym of the Day sequences)which would be used 6 years later in The Wizard of Oz.Also of interest: this film is pre-code meaning there is sex, sex SEX..in a tasteful and funny manner ,of course.I I cannot say enough about this film... go watch it.

SENSATIONAL PRODUCTION THAT HAS EVERYTHING!!!!!.......2006-08-09

I was so impressed with this great production on DVD. Young, beautiful Joan Crawford is so talented ~ I had no idea. She is vivacious, sexy, dances, sings, dives and swims ~ she absolutely sparkles. Clark Gable is young, handsome, and shows off his athletic body in the gym. Fred Astaire is in his debut in this film where Joan and him dance together. There is also the Three Stooges, as well. It has great fun dialogue, is very technically modern for its time, extremely entertaining, fast paced, and an absolute joy to watch this CLASSIC film ~ WHAT A TREAT!! THEY SURE DON'T MAKE MOVIES LIKE THIS ANYMORE. YOU WILL LOVE IT AS I DO AND PLAY IT AGAIN AND AGAIN!!

All singing, all dancing, all hokum!.......2006-08-06

Clark Gable may have been the right star at the wrong studio - just think what Warner Bros. could have done with him in the Thirties - but he still had enough star quality to overcome even the most dubious casting. Take Dancing Lady, MGM's take on Warners' backstage Busby Berkeley musicals. It's a terrific movie put together with no expense spared, but somehow Gable isn't the first name that springs to mind when you think of a musical director putting on a Broadway revue. But then Joan Crawford isn't the first name you'd think of for a downtown gal going from Burlesque to Broadway and exhibiting the singing ability of Lee Marvin and the dancing skills of a fugitive from a chain gang (there's a difference between dancing and just knowing the steps).

All clichés are present and correct, from Joan replacing an `untalented' star who can dance her off the screen to the chorus girls with great faces but horrendous voices. Somehow it doesn't matter: it's too much fun and too ridiculous for that, especially in the absurdly overproduced musical finale which would need a theatre the size of Times Square to stage (great lyrics too: "Here in Bavaria/We'll take good care of ya"). Franchot Tone provides the romantic rivalry, Fred Astaire the only discernible dancing ability. Far more enjoyable than it has any right to be.

There are a few minor print glitches in the first half hour, but otherwise this is a pretty good restoration.

Shirley Temple Collection: Curly Top, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

"Curly Top (1935) ... Shirley Temple ... 20th Century Fox (2005)"
charming early Temple musical

Shirley Temple Collection: Curly Top, Vol. 2
Starring: John Boles , Esther Dale , Jane Darwell , Etienne Girardot , and Rochelle Hudson
Director: Irving Cummings
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FKPDWA
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Description

When Edward Morgan the rich trustee on an orghanage, first meets little Elizabeth and her older sister Mary, he is immediately entrancd and adopts them for an imaginary benefactor. Though both girls come to adore Edward, Mary falls in love with him, unaware he is having the same feelings about her. So it's up to Elizabeth to play matchmaker and bring her two favorite grown-ups together.

Customer Reviews:

"Curly Top (1935) ... Shirley Temple ... 20th Century Fox (2005)".......2007-08-04

20th Century Fox present "CURLY TOP" (released: 2 August 1935) (76 mins) (B&W/Color Versions) - Under Irving Cummings (Director), Winfield R. Sheehan (Producer), Arthur J. Beckhard (Screenwriter), Patterson McNutt (Screenwriter), Jean Webster (Short Story Author), John F. Seitz (Cinematographer), Oscar Bradley (Musical Direction/Supervision), Ray Henderson (Composer (Music Score), Edward Heyman (Composer (Music Score), Ted Koehler (Composer (Music Score), Jack Donohue (Choreography) - - - - - - The film was based on Jean Webster's novel Daddy Long Legs --- the story opens at the orphanage with Elizabeth Blair (Shirley Temple) as an orphan along with her older sister Mary (Rochelle Hudson) --- our cute youngster comes to the attention of a visiting wealthy beneficiary of the orphanage, Edward Morgan (John Boles), who can't seem to put her out of his mind after meeting her and eventually he arranges to adopt her but she's not to be parted from her older sister, Mary, so both are accepted --- Arthur Treacher is amusing with his formal butler ways and adds to the fun, particularly the kitchen scene --- Lovely Mary is so appreciative of their good fortune that Edward becomes captivated by her charms also, and soon love grows between them but unspoken --- enter young Jimmie (Maurice Murphy) who's intent on getting engaged to Mary and succeeds, but how will it end? --- never fear Shirley Temple movies always have a happy ending.

the cast includes:
Shirley Temple ... Elizabeth Blair
John Boles ... Edward Morgan
Rochelle Hudson ... Mary Blair
Jane Darwell ... Mrs. Henrietta Denham
Rafaela Ottiano ... Mrs. Higgins
Esther Dale ... Aunt Genevieve Graham
Etienne Girardot ... Mr. Wyckoff
Arthur Treacher ... Reynolds the Butler
Maurice Murphy ... Jimmie Rogers

BIOS:
1. Shirley Temple
Date of Birth: 23 April 1928 - Santa Monica, California
Date of Death: Still Living

2. Irving Cummings (Director)
Date of Birth: 9 October 1888 - New York, New York
Date of Death: 18 April 1959 - Los Angeles, California

If you enjoyed this film, check out 20th Century Fox present "The Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 1" (Heidi/Curly Top/Little Miss Broadway) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- now in COLOR and Glorious Black and White --- In 2004, Shirley Temple teamed with Legend Films to restore, colorize and release her earliest black and white films, as well as episodes of her 1960 television series, The Shirley Temple Storybook Collection --- a patented coloring and remastering process makes her picture perfect charm more vivd than ever --- no one can resist Shirley's charm in all her heart warming films.

Hats off and thanks to Barry B. Sandrew Ph.D. (Founder, COO, CTO & Board Member) and his Legend Films Staff --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '20s, '30s & '40s --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Legend Films where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 76 mins on DVD ~ 20th Century Fox ~ (8/30/2005)

charming early Temple musical.......2007-05-06

CURLY TOP is a musical version of Jean Webster's "Daddy Long Legs", about a young orphan who is mysteriously sponsored by a never-named benefactor.

Shirley Temple and Rochelle Hudson play Elizabeth and Mary Blair, two orphans who are sponsored by Edward Morgan (John Boles) who uses the alias of 'Hireman Jones'. Complications arise when Edward falls in love with Mary but of course he cannot reveal his true identity. It's up to little Elizabeth to play matchmaker!

Jane Darwell, Esther Dale, Arthur Treacher and Rafaela Ottiano round out the supporting cast. Temple sings the classic "Animal Crackers in My Soup". A real charmer.

Twentieth Century-Fox would revisit this property again in 1955's "Daddy Long Legs" (starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron).

Average customer rating:

Delightful
What a waste......

Love at the Top
Starring: Jean-Louis Trintignant , Jean-Pierre Cassel , Romy Schneider , Jane Birkin , and Henri Garcin
Director: Michel Deville
Manufacturer: Pathfinder Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008K793
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Description

A shy, unambitious man decides to change his ways and begins a relationship with three beautiful women. Stars classic french actor Jean Louis Trintignant (A Man and A Woman, The Conformist, Z)

Customer Reviews:

Delightful.......2004-11-10

Beatifuls girls (Schneider, Jane Birkin) in a plot that seems like a hollywood one, but much more honest, and funny, as dreamlike.
The US version of this film could be "Risky bussiness", film that i just can' bear.
Extremely recommended to everyone who not like Cameron Crowe.

What a waste.............2004-11-07

Romy Schneider , my favorite star and Jean -Louis Tritignant of 'A man and a woman" wasted on an extremely poor script. Jane Birkin always delightful , here almost comical in a serious role.One good line " Nobody dies anymore except in a comedy"could not save this flick anymore.

Love at the Top (Le Mouton enragé) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]

Average customer rating:

Love at the Top (Le Mouton enragé) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]
Director: Michel Deville
Manufacturer: Galileo
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000N167HG

Product Description

Germany released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), German (Dolby Digital 2.0), Danish (Subtitles), Dutch (Subtitles), English (Subtitles), French (Subtitles), German (Subtitles), Italian (Subtitles), Spanish (Subtitles), WIDESCREEN (1.66:1), SYNOPSIS: In this French satire, a meek little bank (Jean-Louis Trintignant) clerk finds fame and fortune when he begins getting lessons from an impoverished novelist (Jean-Pierre Cassel) . Soon the clerk is wowing the Parisians with his ability to make the women swoon, and for his talent at attracting money. The film is also known as The French Way Is. SPECIAL FEATURES: Biographies, Filmographies, Interactive Menu, Short Film, Trailer(s),

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Bollywood Dreams
Starring: Jackie Shroff , Aamir Khan , Urmila Matondkar , Gulshan Grover , and Avtar Gill
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Manufacturer: Pathfinder Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AQKUWM
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

Milli (Urmila Mathondkar) is a middle class young woman that wishes to be an actress. She's a dancer who hasn't gotten a break yet. Munna (Aamir Khan) is an orphan that has a close relationship with Milli's family. Munna loves Milli but has the normal troubles. One day Milli is discovered by Rajkumar (Jackie Shroff), the famous actor, and he persuades his director to sign Milli up for his next movie "Rangeela". During the making of the movie, Munna feels left out as Milli becomes a big star and moves in celebrity circles, and Rajkumal falls in love with Milli. When the movie is completed, Munna doesn't go to Milli's premier and sends her a letter saying he is leaving town and doesn't want to get between Milli and Rajkumal. Who gets Milli?

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