- Dance, Fools, Dance
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Dance, Fools, Dance 
Directed by Harry Beaumont Written by Story & Dialogue:
Aurania Rouverol
Continuity:
Richard SchayerStarring Joan Crawford
Lester Vail
Clark GableCinematography Charles Rosher Editing by George Hively Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Release date(s) February 21, 1931 Running time 80 minutes Country United States Language English Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) is a pre-code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Lester Vail in a story about a reporter investigating the murder of a colleague. Story and dialogue were created by Aurania Rouverol, and the film was directed by Harry Beaumont. Dance, Fools, Dance was the first of eight cinematic collaborations between Crawford and Gable.
Contents
Plot and cast
Bonnie Jordan (Crawford) is a cub reporter whose brother Rodney (William Bakewell) is involved with a beer-running gang. On one caper, he drives the car that guns down a rival gang. Bonnie's journalist colleague Bert Scranton (Cliff Edwards) is murdered when he finds out too much. Gang chief Jake Luva (Gable) is suspected of plotting Scranton's murder and Bonnie investigates, barely escaping with her life after learning the details of the gang's operations. The criminals are brought to justice. A subplot involves Bonnie's successful romance with a millionaire (Vail).
Reception
Photoplay commented, "Again Joan Crawford proves herself a great dramatic actress. The story...is hokum, but it's good hokum and Joan breathes life into her characterization." A.D.S. noted in the New York Times, Miss Crawford's acting is still self-conscious, but her admirers will find her performance well up to her standard."[1]
Historical note
The film is loosely based on Chicago real-life events of the production's period such as reporter Jake Lingle's murder by underworld hoodlums and the St. Valentine's Day massacre.
See also
References
- ^ Quirk, Lawrence J.. The Films of Joan Crawford. The Citadel Press, 1968.
External links
- Dance, Fools, Dance at the Internet Movie Database
- poster for German release of Dance, Fools, Dance
- Webpage dedicated to Joan Crawford
Films directed by Harry Beaumont 1910s Brown of Harvard (1918)1920s The Gold Diggers (1923) · Main Street (1923) · Beau Brummel (1924) · Our Dancing Daughters (1928) · The Broadway Melody (1929) · Speedway (1929)1930s Great Day (1930) · Lord Byron of Broadway (1930) · Children of Pleasure (1930) · Those Three French Girls (1930) · Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) · Laughing Sinners (1931) · Are You Listening (1932) · Faithless (1932) · When Ladies Meet (1933) · When's Your Birthday? (1937)1940s The Show-Off (1946) · Alias a Gentleman (1948)Categories:- American films
- English-language films
- Black-and-white films
- 1930s crime films
- Crime drama films
- 1931 films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
- Films directed by Harry Beaumont
- Films made before the MPAA Production Code
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