Highly Overrated But Still Good

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I had never seen Joan Crawford in shorts, never seen her 'gams' displayed in all their lengthy glory, never watched her dance. Hmmph. She's no Ginger Rogers, I can tell you that! She does have chemistry with Clark Gable. That makes up for her NOT being Ginger Rogers when she dances with Fred Astaire in this film.Crawford is beautiful, yes. The young Joan Crawford was never so beautiful as when she was young with those gorgeous luminous eyes, those heavy lush lashes, and surprisingly toothy smile.Clark Gable has a scene with Crawford in this film in which he performs some gymnastic moves, as part of his fitness regimen. It reminded me that this magnificent man was not only handsome and charismatic but also strong and slender and sexy! Move over, Tom Cruise - you with your fondness for doing your own daring stunts! Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, Charlie Chaplin, and now Clark Gable. These men were gymnastic athletes. Wow! And looked good in their clothes, of course.I often wished for Ginger to be dancing with Fred. This movie made me wish there was more, more, more, to the story. But what I could see and enjoy was a delicious appetizer even if not a feast.

"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.

This pre-code production is well worth seeing. Regardless of how good or bad this film is, I believe it is a seminal film. As the studios were trying to determine what the American film-going public wanted, they "stumbled" across some formulae and some talent that paved the way for future success.Although I was never a great fan of Joan Crawford, in her early films--such as this one--she possesses a raw energy that is engaging. Here she plays the titular role, the Dancing Lady, and must have been considered a dancing talent to land the role. There have been discussions on the IMDb bulletin boards about the level of her dancing talent. Was her dancing "clunky"? Perhaps, but I believe the style of the day was somewhat ungraceful, in general. As I was watching her early dancing scenes, I was thinking that it would take Astaire to elevate the form on screen. Sure enough, he appears in the film--and he does add some class to the dance scenes.But it is Gable whose masculine energy really carries this film. He plays Patch Gallagher, the director of the Broadway show where Crawford's Janie Barlow gets her big break. She has dancing in her blood. Gallagher recognizes her talent and rewards her with a starring role. During the time they work together, she gets under his skin, making things awkward for Gallagher, who likes to keep things simple.The careers of Gable, Crawford, Astaire and even Nelson Eddy, among others (including the Three Stooges) may be said to originate in Dancing Lady. In just a few years, they all would be established box office stars. Gable would transform film's idea of the masculine lead. Astaire would elevate dancing in film with his graceful moves and refined choreography. And MGM would have a solid foundation for its burgeoning stable of talent.

With Warner Brothers turning out three brilliant musicals in the same year it was only natural for Hollywood's major studio MGM to get a piece of the action with Dancing Lady. Featuring major stars Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, leading man Franchot Tone and the about to be discovered talents of Fred Astaire, Nelson Eddy and the Three Stooges along with the expensive sleek pristine art deco sets overseen by Cedric Gibbons Lady on paper dwarfs the Poverty Row entries. Execution is a completely different story however.With all this talent bumping into each other the film loses it's cohesiveness fast. Crawford is sexy but no Ruby Keeler when it comes to hoofing and the choreography overall lacks the tightness and precision of Busby Berkeley's kaleidoscopic routines. Gable as a Broadway director is passable but lacks the maturity and fatigue of Warner Baxter in 42nd Street on one hand and pales in energy to Cagney's frenetic performance in Foot Light Parade. It's too little of either, although he and Crawford make for a good pairing. The precious moments ultimately belong to Fred, Nelson, Moe, Larry and Curly performing on the periphery before discovery. But the sum of these moments never develop beyond auditions and Dancing Lady ends up with two left feet. MGM may have been the home of Hollywood royalty in the thirties, but when it came to musicals, it couldn't carry a tune with Warners.