Joan Crawford Thrills as the “Dancing Lady.”

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7459, 9 May 1934, Page 5

Joan Crawford Thrills as the “Dancing Lady.”

UO-STARRED WITH CLARK GABLE IN FINE FILM.

Three of the most popular players of Hollywood, in a grand ensemble of dancing, stage settings, music and singing, comes to the Regent on Saturday. In “Dancing Lady,” which is a splendid example of the technique and spirit of the screen's Interpretation of musical comedy, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Winnie Lightner, lead the way to a strong cast and a background of

pretty ballet and beautiful settings. The plot is reasonably developed, and concerns the rise of Joan Crawford to the heights of her ambition as the dancing lady—and well she earns her fame. The gracefulness of her lithe figure has never been seen to better advantage as in this picture, and her tap-dancing is some of the brightest ever seen in films. Her role demanded a variety of emotional close-ups, which were done to the complete satisfaction of the audience. Thero is no “slush" in the show, for everything is carried out in a pleasing temper, and one tearful breakdown would have spoiled an excellent picture. Clark Gable looks his best, and plays a part free of melodrama and “cave-man” triteness. As the capable stage producer he performed convincingly and did a lot of strong acting without being over-directed. He made a fine opposite for the leading lady, and carried off his part of the entertainment successfully. Winnie Lightner, rumourod long ago to be dead, is a very live body as Joan Crawford s room-mate. Her quips are of the “Gold Diggers" type, and she might well have been present in another sceno or two, for she is good fun. Humour, however, is plentifully supplied by the * ‘ toughguy" 6tago manager, Ted Healey, and two dumb fools in the background. The men behind the scenes in iilmdom need to work ard to find a novel “stage” setting to be incorporated in such a film as “Dancing Lady." Three of their ideas deserve special mention: An ingenious “magic carpet," transferring the scene from America to Bavaria; a double stage wherein the old period people, gigs and coaches walked behind a pillar and emerged in modern clothes and as flivvers and limousines respectively. Tho most striking is a setting with a huge inverted cone with many mirrored facets reflecting the poses on a turntable on the stage. Not overburdened with theme songs, the picture has a definite light rhythm throughout, sustained by piano or full orchestra playing sensible tunes and soloists singing reasonable songs.