Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Dance, Girl, Dance

      1940, Musical, 1h 30m

      12 Reviews 500+ Ratings

      You might also like

      See More
      Flying Down to Rio
      Anything Goes
      You Were Never Lovelier
      Babes in Arms
      Summer Holiday

      Where to watch Dance, Girl, Dance

      Rent/buy Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Rent Dance, Girl, Dance on Vudu, Apple TV, Prime Video, or buy it on Vudu, Apple TV, Prime Video.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      Dance, Girl, Dance  Photos

      Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)

      Movie Info

      A burlesque queen (Lucille Ball) competes with an aspiring ballerina (Maureen O'Hara) for a divorced playboy (Louis Hayward).

      • Genre: Musical

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Dorothy Arzner

      • Producer: Erich Pommer

      • Writer: Vicki Baum, Tess Slesinger, Frank Davis

      • Release Date (Theaters):  original

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Runtime:

      • Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.

      Cast & Crew

      Maureen O'Hara
      Louis Hayward
      Lucille Ball
      Virginia Field
      Ralph Bellamy
      Maria Ouspenskaya
      Edward Brophy
      Harold Huber
      Emma Dunn
      Sidney Blackmer
      Tess Slesinger
      Frank Davis
      Harry E. Edington
      Russell Metty
      Robert Wise
      Darrell Silvera
      Edward Stevenson

      News & Interviews for Dance, Girl, Dance

      Critic Reviews for Dance, Girl, Dance

      Audience Reviews for Dance, Girl, Dance

      • Dec 11, 2012

        Awesome movie, Lucille Ball like you never seen her before. This was made before she started playing the stupid housewife of Ricky Recardo. Her acting is over the top in this movie. 4 1/2 stars 12-5-12

        Super Reviewer
      • Jul 16, 2012

        Dorothy Arzner is often remembered (and rightfully so) for her bravery -- the only regularly employed female director during the Golden Age, the first woman to join the Directors Guild of America, and the first feminist filmmaker some 30 years before it became a social issue -- but Dance, Girl, Dance, her most personal film, follows an almost identical trajectory: a critical and commercial failure that lost a pre-Citizen Kane RKO a crippling amount of money, only to be reclaimed over the years as a film of relevance to the feminist movement. Dance, Girl, Dance is a milestone in the dance film and musical, despite its B-movie production values (featuring lots of back projection). Key sequences which demand critical attention include Judy's (Maureen O'Hara) attempt to be a hula dancer, stunningly upstaged by the sexy wiggles of Bubbles (a pre-I Love Lucy Lucille Ball), and the burlesque routine which gives Bubbles her biggest chance to shine, "Mother, What Do I Do Now?" Hollywood also shows us classical ballet, with an extended routine choreographed by Steve Adams (Bellamy) - relying on the assumption that classical ballet/high art is not as appealing as good old low-down burlesque, regardless of how much money and talent is thrown into the "art" pot. While it may have made use of the resources from Fred and Ginger's RKO musicals, the ballet sequence looks flat against the earthy sexiness of Bubbles' hula dance. Judy's most stunning set piece, a speech near the end berating the men who go to watch strippers on the burlesque stage, could be considered as a barbed attack on the movie audience - after all, part of the Hollywood myth was the objectification of women, and despite Arzner's input, Dance, Girl, Dance is as guilty of this as any other film of the period. The film could be classed as high camp, but it has much more to offer than this implies. Although Arzner's experience with musicals was limited, she ensured the film was tightly directed and gave the finished product considerable power. However, this art vs. commerce mediation was her penultimate film. It succeeds because of its sheer charm and attention to detail; we can understand perfectly how it feels to sleep in a room of the type rented to chorus girls, how seeing a ballet performance can fuel the ambitions of one of their number. It is also a kind of fairytale where Judy is the good princess and Bubbles the wicked witch, although the ending isn't brought about by masculine intervention, but by sheer determination and self-faith.

        Super Reviewer
      • Dec 09, 2007

        Lucy tears it up as Bubbles but the rest of the film is bland.

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All