After nearly twenty reviews appearing here, the roster is not begging for another, but I don't mind acknowledging one more time the hold that this film can exert on the viewer. Atmosphere abounds, what with some of the popular tunes of the day played in vernacular dance band style, not in the polished string-section renditions that are made today. From the concern and drudgery of life for those folks precariously hanging onto the rungs of the lower and middle social strata to those still holding onto the opulence and prestige derived from providing jobs to working America, Mr. Barrymore and his crew of thespians offer a sparkling but yet gritty glimpse into America's social scene and concerns in the time just after the Great Depression's curtain descended. See what living in America looked like in 1931!
The acting is so natural, convincing, and consistent throughout the film that I was totally melded into the lives of the characters portrayed. And what a role for Miss Stanwyck... is there an emotion or state of mind that she doesn't have to portray here? I mean desperation, anticipation, deception, excitement, boredom, realization of hatred, sweetness, disgust, indignity, anxiety, resignation, humiliation, and much more! Her character has a lot of power... she only has to learn how to know it and use it. And she is so beautiful... with a sleek figure like a cut diamond. As men might have said in the day, "What a dish!"
"Ten Cents a Dance" may be 80 or more years old now, but both women and men can take lessons from this film on how to relate to the opposite sex, how not to relate, and what it means to be the sex they are. There are no 3, 24, or 56 genders represented here. And while so many films from just five years or less into the "talkie" era seem today to be stilted and old, this one seems young and vibrant. It is a remarkably enjoyable film, so please, by all means settle in and enjoy it!
Review of Ten Cents a Dance
