Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)

Dance, Girl, Dance: Directed by Dorothy Arzner, Roy Del Ruth. With Maureen O’Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, Virginia Field. When a troupe of danseuses becomes unemployed, one of them takes up burlesque dancing while another dreams of performing ballet.

“I love classical Hollywood as much as anyone I know, but I am also aware that the films are often mechanical and emotionally distant. Very few reach the level of Dance, Girl, Dance. The plot is great. It is not exactly original, but it seemed that way to me. I was entirely hypnotized. This is due to the direction, characterizations, and acting. This is one of the few Hollywood films of the era directed by a woman, Dorothy Arzner. Generally, you canu0026#39;t tell this fact, except for in the climactic scene of the film, where Maureen Ou0026#39;Hara delivers a powerful feminist speech. The direction is amazing, but itu0026#39;s definitely subtle and sometimes hard to catch. All the characters in this film, especially the lead two, are very well realized. Theyu0026#39;re people, and we believed them. The acting is the best of all. Lucille Ball may be best known for her television show, but she was a great movie actress, as well. I canu0026#39;t say that Iu0026#39;ve seen too many of her films, but it would shock me if she was ever better than she is in Dance, Girl, Dance. She is the spark of the film, and Maureen Ou0026#39;Hara is the emotional core. I think that her part represents one of the best female characters to be found in the cinema. Ou0026#39;Hara is simply fabulous as a ballet dancer who has to lower her artistic standards to make a living. And, like I mentioned before, listen for that speech she gives near the end of the film. I hadnu0026#39;t heard of this film before. I had never heard of Dorothy Arzner. I love the feeling that Iu0026#39;ve made a major cinematic discovery. This is most definitely one of those. 10/10.”