This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Aspiring dancers try to make it big in New York City. This is a forgettable movie that can't decide if it wants to be a comedy, a drama, or a musical when it grows up. A good cast is wasted. Ball is the main attraction here, energetically singing and shaking her groove thing as a dancer named Bubbles. O'Hara, playing Miss Goody Two-Shoes, isn't given much to do, but handles herself well. Hayward is underwhelming as a ladies' man. Bellamy fares better as a decent fellow who's smitten with O'Hara. Arzner, while historically important as a female director in Hollywood, fails to make this interesting. Despite the cast, it feels like a B movie.

This is a real typical early '40's musical, that only this time isn't focusing on signing but dancing. Not that it makes much difference to the story though and the movie progresses just in the same manner as you would expect from a genre movie such as this one. Not that this makes the movie a bad one but it of course also doesn't exactly make this an original one either.Of course nothing really happens as a surprise within this movie but I guess that is what makes this movie also perfectly enjoyable and good to watch, for the genre fans in particular. It however can't be really seen as the best movie within its genre, fore it has some problems.One problem of the movie are its characters. There are some good actors within the movie but due to the writing, most characters feel very messy within the movie. You also just don't really start to care about any of them, also since Maureen O'Hara, who plays the movie's main lead, plays her character far too naive and friendly. You would almost cheer for the more 'bitchy' part played by Lucille Ball who does a surprising much better job.Making it in the big town as a ballerina dancer in my book also isn't already the most compelling or interesting concept to start off with. Combine with this all the usual formulaic ingredients and you have a very average movie in basically every regard.Yet it's a perfectly watchable movie, perhaps because of the very reason that you already know what is going to happen all in this movie. After all, more important thing of course also remains not what is going to happen but how its going to happen. In that regard this movie simply does not fail, for it brings some good quality entertainment that is brought well to the screen by female director Dorothy Arzner and acted out well by most of its principal cast members.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Film director, Dorothy Arzner, was perhaps one of the first women directors in male Hollywood. Maybe her lesbianism helped in others forgetting that she was a female. Anyway this cast included Maureen O'Hara, Lucille Ball, Ralph Bellamy, and others who would have fabulous careers in Hollywood at the time. Dance, Girl, Dance is nothing more than a comedy and melodrama. Of course, Arzner's direction is not inspiring because she has such a wonderful cast. Who would have thought that Lucille Ball could have had a dramatic role for a change before her own hit show on television? Maureen O'Hara is truly an Irish beauty who is still with us for now while most of the cast have gone to a better place. Dorothy Arzner paved the way for other women directors, lesbian or not, to put their stamp on Hollywood. Sadly, this film is not the greatest or worst film of all time but you can still watch it and debate on whether women have come so far in Hollywood.

Judy O'Brien is an aspiring ballerina in Madama Basilova's dance troupe. Lucy "Bubbles" has oomph and no class, so she makes it big in burlesque right away. This movie is frustrating. First, Madama Basilova takes her favorite and principal dancer Judy to New York to meet the major ballet company director. In her excitement she rushes into oncoming traffic and dies instantly. Judy should have been holding her hand or keeping her back, but what can you do. Next when Judy finally does go back to meet the producer Steve Adams, the receptionist doesn't know who she is, she watches the dress rehearsal and is intimidated. Now she doesn't even want an audition. Then infuriatingly Steve Adams gets on the same elevator down, and she doesn't even put two and two together. He is immediately smitten by her beauty, but she assumes he is merely a flirtatious smoothie and her dignity is further assaulted by the fact that she has lost her last dime, missed the bus, and is without an umbrella in the rain. He never says his name, so she goes onto an offer she can't refuse from Bubbles as a shill to intro her number. Then she endures cruel taunts from perverts and the shame of having to compromise her principles just to survive and dance. Luckily Steve Adams reads about her in the papers and goes to watch her performance. He is ready to sign her but she still doesn't know it's him and rips up his business card! Among this is the wealthy tire company heir from Akron Jimmy Harris, a fickle but harmless and fun playboy who offers a momentary romantic diversion for Judy and Bubbles, but ultimately gets back together with his estranged wife. It's a happy ending providing some relief when Judy finally meets Steve Adams and he promises her career with the company will be stellar. She will at last be able to adapt the "Morning Star" that she is. This should be the beginning of the sequel, where she becomes a Mrs Ballanchine type except that instead of tiring of her as she grows old he falls more deeply in love with her with each ballet that is created for her, as her greatness fame world renown and idolatry grow ever more out of control. And no tragedy like "The Red Shoes" except for that of his ultimate passing as he is older and his work is done here, he cannot outdo himself and his legacy to the world is complete, with heartwarming memories for effective softfocus slomo dreamlike flashbacks. But at least we know it gets better after the movie ends.