Dance Hall (1929 film)

Dance Hall was an American Pre-Code musical film directed by Melville Brown and written by Jane Murfin and J. Walter Ruben, based on the short story of the same name by Vina Delmar.[4][5] It was RKO's second to last release of the decade, and was a critical and financial flop.[N 1] Dance Hall featured a love triangle with a shipping clerk competing with a dashing aviator for the affections of a young taxi dancer.[6][7]

Dance Hall
Directed byMelville Brown
Produced byHenry Hobart[1]
Screenplay byJane Murfin
J. Walter Ruben
Story byViña Delmar[2]
StarringArthur Lake
Olive Borden
CinematographyJack MacKenzie
Edited byAnn McKnight
George Marsh
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Productions
Release date
  • December 15, 1929 (1929-12-15) (Premiere-New York City)[3]
  • December 27, 1929 (1929-12-27) (US)[1]
Running time
65 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

A shipping clerk, Tommy Flynn (Arthur Lake), engages a young female taxi dancer, Gracie Nolan (Olive Borden), and the two gain some success in dance halls, winning several dance contests. As they do, he becomes infatuated with her, but she only has eyes for a pilot, Ted Smith (Ralph Emerson), who wants her as a trophy of his own.

Flynn is unsuccessful in his attempts to woo the young Gracie, until the pilot crashes during his attempt at a transcontinental flight. Flynn hides the fact from Gracie that the pilot is still alive, as he attempts to get her to fall in love with him,. When she discovers his subterfuge, she is enraged and rushes off to be with the pilot.

However, when she finds Smith, she uncovers that he has been living with another woman. Devastated, she returns to Tommy, who takes her back. Reunited, the two lovers become a successful dancing team.

Cast
Olive Borden and Arthur Lake

Production

In February 1929, it was announced that Viña Delmar had been signed by RKO to write the story of Dance Hall.[8] By the end of June, RKO had scheduled filming to begin on approximately August 1, 1929.[9]

In September, The Film Daily reported that Melville Brown had been signed to a long-term contract by RKO, and that Dance Hall would be his first project with his new studio, and in early October, it was learned that J. Walter Ruben would be contributing to the script's dialogue.[10] Also in October, RKO announced that Arthur Lake and Olive Borden were attached to the project,[11] and also that Margaret Seddon, Ralph Emerson and Tom O'Brien would be joining the cast.[12] The production featured the introduction of two new dances: the "Dumb Drag" and the "Blue Bottom".[13]

While originally scheduled for August, filming on Dance Hall did not begin until mid-October 1929.[14] After production began, a fire at Consolidated Film Industries, the laboratory developing the negatives, destroyed two days worth of filming.[15] By November 20, filming on Dance Hall had concluded and the picture was being edited.[16]

Dance Hall opened on December 15, 1929 at the Globe Theater in New York City,[3] although the American Film Institute has it opening a day earlier.[1]

Reception

In his film review for The New York Times, Mordaunt Hall characterized Dance Hall as mildly entertaining, "... while it may be a slice of life, or whatever one cares to characterize it, the result is far from being an edifying entertainment. Possibly some of those who compete in marathon dances may find that this production appeals to them, but others, young or old, will, in all probability, wish for something just a trifle more stimulating to the mind than this tale of a dance cup winner and his love for his partner."

[17]

Film historians Richard Jewell and Vernon Harbin in The RKO Story (1982) considered Dance Hall, a "sour note ..." yet "... mildly diverting." They further described that the film "collapsed in the critical areas of acting (Arthur Lake was the weakest of the weak), (and) dialogue ..."[2]

References

Notes
  1. The RKO Story (1982) has Dance Hall listed as the last release, and it was the last general release, but the Seven Keys to Baldpate premiered on Christmas Day, 1929, although it was not released until January 1930.[2]

Citations
  1. "Detail view: 'Dance Hall'." American Film Institute. Retrieved: June 3, 2014.
  2. Jewell and Harbin 1982, p. 23.
  3. "The Broadway parade.' The Film Daily, December 16, 1929, p. 2. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  4. "Shades of old at Riverside." Milwaukee Sentinel, January 13, 1930, p. 9.
  5. "'Dance Hall' at Park." The Reading Eagle, January 16, 1930, p. 25.
  6. Wynne 1987, p. 172.
  7. Pendo 1985, p. 10.
  8. "Two more writers added to Radio Pictures staff." The Film Daily, February 10, 1929, p. 9. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  9. "Shooting Schedules set on 4 new Radio films." The Film Daily, June 30, 1929, p. 6. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  10. "Director signs long contract." The Film Daily,'September 30, 1929, p. 9. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  11. "At works in 'Dance Hall'." The Film Daily, October 23, 1929, p. 6. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  12. "RKO signs Rupert Julian and twelve new players." The Film Daily, October 20, 1929, p. 5. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  13. "Film introduces popular dances." The Nevada Daily Mail and The Evening Post, August 2, 1930, p. 3.
  14. "Radio's Octette." Variety, October 2, 1929, p. 8. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  15. "Negatives and heavy damage at disastrous Con. Lab Coast fire." Variety, October 30, 1929, p. 9. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  16. "Cutting four." Variety, November 20, 1929, p. 8. Retrieved: January 15, 2016.
  17. Hall, Mordaunt. "The screen; A tragedy of the desert." The New York Times, December 16, 1929.

Bibliography
  • Jewell, Richard B. and Vernon Harbin. The RKO Story. New York: Arlington House, 1982. ISBN 0-517-54-656-6.
  • Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN 0-8-1081-746-2.
  • Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. ISBN 978-0-93312-685-5.
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