| Dance, Fools, Dance | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Harry Beaumont |
| Written by | Story & Dialogue: Aurania Rouverol Continuity: Richard Schayer |
| Starring | Joan Crawford Lester Vail Clark Gable |
| Cinematography | 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.
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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).
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]
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.
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