Review of Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) by David B — 04 Feb 2008

Good, but notable primarily for being a 40's Hollywood film directed by an actual woman (although 70 years later, you still don't see many female directors, esp. in Hollywood.) Modelled on those golddigging showgirls musical-comedies [e.

G., Busby Berkeley], this aims to entertain while also attempting a critique of the perverse values and female-flesh-exploiting nature of that kind of movie. Whether the attempt is succussful seems to be very debatable, but it's an interesting movie nonetheless.

(I'm sure feminist film theorists like Laura Mulvey, with their obsession with the male gaze, just eat this movie up.) On a distinctly non-feminist note, I'd like to add that the young Lucy Ball positively sizzles in this movie, as a sultry burlesque dancer (during one number she even gives her ass a couple firm slaps!).

Maureen O'Hara, of course, is herself a fox and half; but what really sold the movie for me was Ferdinand, a little stuffed-animal bull with a flower in his mouth. So cute.