Movie of the Week: Dancing Lady (1933)
This week, Clark Gable’s a grumpy Broadway director in Dancing Lady.
Clark made no qualms about which film of his was his least favorite out of all of them–this one. In 1957, he recalled, “MGM assigned me to do a bad part in Dancing Lady with Joan Crawford—a picture I didn’t like. But as bad as the part was, it wasn’t as bad as my health…I’d lost a lot of weight. They’d been working me hard and I was tired. I told myself, ‘If I have a few operations, that will take care of my health and the part in Dancing Lady too.’ I had my appendix and tonsils out, but it didn’t take care of everything, for MGM was mad at me. For some strange reason they thought I’d taken evasive action to avoid their picture. They bided their time during the eight or nine weeks I was in the hospital. Then the very day after I got out they called me in and said, ‘We’re sending you over to Columbia Pictures on a loan-out.’”
The loan out? That would be for a little picture called It Happened One Night, which would earn Clark his one and only Oscar.
Despite Clark’s hatred of the film, it actually is significant for several reasons:
- It is the film debut of none other than Fred Astaire, whose first onscreen dance partner was Miss Joan Crawford. (There’s a good piece of trivia to stump your friends, folks)
- Speaking of film debuts, there’s Ted Heely and his Three Stooges in small roles as well!
- It also marks the film debut of a Miss Eve Arden, who has a unrecognizable small appearance as a disgruntled dancing hopeful with platinum hair and a bad Southern accent. She would later play second fiddle to Joan Crawford’s Oscar-winning role in Mildred Pierce.
- Clark and Joan had been engaged in a steamy on-again, off-again affair for the past two years. Due to Clark being absent from the set for weeks due to illness, Joan and Franchot Tone spent a lot of time together…and ended up marrying two years later.
- Concieved to compete with rival Warner Brothers’ smash hit 42nd Street, it was produced by David O. Selznick, whom Clark would later have a tumultuous working relationship with while filming Gone with the Wind.
- There’s also bit parts played by May Robson, Sterling Holloway (why yes that is the voice of Winnie the Pooh!) and there’s the unmistakable voice of future sensation Nelson Eddy singing “Rhythm of the Day.”
I enjoy these early 1930’s musicals, no matter how hokey. It really is a glance at a time gone by–when you could pay 35 cents to see a show where girls paraded around half naked in a “burlesque house” and then it gets raided by the police and they have to defend themselves in night court.
“What constitutes a strip tease?” the judge snaps at the girls.
“A good constitution and a couple of zippers!” retorts one of them.
Franchot Tone is the stereotypical rich guy who is in love with the down-on-her-luck poor little dancer girl. He played this part a lot in the 1930’s, memorably again to hoofer Jean Harlow in Reckless.
Clark is right to hate this film, really. He is tragically wasted in this part. His character is just angry all the time, yelling and yelling and then softens up to Joan in the last bit. He is a footnote, and that is ridiculous considering his name is above the title with Joan’s. Franchot even has a juicier part. There aren’t many memorable lines of Clark’s, as he is just grumpy most of the time. “If you don’t get a good break, you get a bad one. That’s show business.” The only cute parts are when Joan is frantically stalking Clark through the streets of New York in the hopes he’ll give her a part, and a brief scene with Clark and Joan working out in a gym.
Poor Clark was suffering badly throughout most of the film, and you can tell in some scenes. He just doesn’t look like he feels good. In addition to having his appendix removed, he had developed pyorrhea—a serious infection of the gums that threatened his life. He was extremely ill with a high fever as the infection spread. After two weeks of rest, his gums were finally well enough for indentations to be made for a new set of dentures. After being absent for weeks, Clark appeared back on set to film one scene: the one he has with Fred Astaire. Clark’s mustache had been shaved off for his gum surgery and so he had to wear a fake one. In his absence, they had already filmed all of Fred’s dancing numbers and he had to finish his scenes so he could start his first film with RKO, whom he had recently signed a contract. Clark was on set just one day to film that one scene and Joan recalled, “He was so weak, perspiration broke out on his face. I never felt so sorry for anyone.”
Joan has her detractors and it’s easy to forget that she started out her career as a dancer, but boy can she dance!
Despite Clark and Joan having electrifying chemistry in Possessed and Chained, this one is a little lacking. Probably just the lack of development of Clark’s character.
“Wanna work with me?” he barks at her.
“Yes sir!” she says enthusiastically.
“Shake.” They shake hands.
“Now beat it!” he says as he smacks her in the butt.
“Thank you!” she chirps.
Yeah you’d have a sexual harassment suit against you for that nowadays, Mr. Gallagher…
Despite Clark not being in it hardly at all, the ending of the film is worth watching the whole film. This is what MGM was all about–the stars! the costumes! the big production numbers! the singing and dancing! the extravagant sets! It’s spectacular.
You can find the full page for the film here.
Read my full review here.
Read my nutshell review here.