Der Tanzpalast

Teresa Wright and Lou Jacobi meet to waltz and shmooze. Gigolo Christopher Walken bilks old ladies and Geraldine Chaplin. Lilia Skala's attempt to win the Peabody dance competition is thwarted when her partner winds up in the hospital.

It's an anthology movie of three stories set at New York City's Roseland Ballroom. For decades it sat at 239 West 52nd Street, with an increasingly elderly patronage. Probably that's why this Merchant-Ivory picture (script by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, of course) has people dying on the dance floor As you might expect, the dialogue is excellent, and so are the performances, but it's a remarkably unsentimental and unsympathetic view of the institution. Perhaps this reflects the problems they had shooting it, like being picketed by the Teamsters and getting into a wrangle with the Screen Actors Guild. With Helen Gallagher and Conrad Janis,.

I saw this film when it first came out in Bay Harbor, Florida. I was nineteen at the time and for some me reason thought I was going to see a film about ballroom dancing with some beautiful dancers. Nope, not even close. Basically, a very downbeat, low-key, sad movie about a bunch of very lonely and somewhat burnt out people. A young and at the time, a somewhat unknown Christopher Walken steals the whole film, which honestly is not much to steal. He definitely shows his talents and has a strong screen presence which will take off shortly with his breakout role in The Deer Hunter. The movie theater was totally empty the night I saw this movie. Seriously, I was the only one there. Leaving the theater, I felt a bit melancholy after watching this total Downer. Enough said.

Maybe I wouldn't have bought the movie if I'd seen the low voting-rate here. But I read the three bones in the Videohounds and got curious for Roseland, New Yorks famous old ballroom, filled up with mostly older dance-lovers, often looking for some company. Two bitter-sweet stories in the Ginger y Fred-style open and end. The middle part "Hustle" has Christopher Walken - who in his youth was dreaming of becoming a dancer - as the young darling gigolo for the older ladies. Walken plays a brilliant part here (just before his Deer Hunter-fame), you believe him right away. As the younger Geraldine Chaplin offers her love, house and help, he gratefully accept it,but when she tries to force things and make him think of him and her alone she loses easily from a golden watch. We've seen a lot of dancing-movies alright, but especially the genuine atmosphere with regular customers as the extra's, gives Roseland some unforgettable moments. 9 out of 10 is rather high, but boy, you have to fight against these poor ratings!

'Roseland' is a film made up of three separate stories set in the legendary Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. The first, entitled 'The Waltz' features the wonderful Teresa Wright as a widow who comes to Roseland in order to sustain the memory of her late husband. She meets Stan (Lou Jacobi), who offers her an opportunity for happiness in the present. 'The Hustle' concerns Christopher Walken as a gigolo with three women in his life, all of whom depend on him for different degrees of romance and companionship. In the final story, 'The Peabody,' an older woman (Lilia Skala) sets out to win a dance competition despite warnings that it could endanger her health.

All three segments are sensitive portrayals of different kinds of lonely people seeking some sort companionship and/or fulfillment. Out of the three, only 'The Waltz' is truly memorable, thanks to the great performances from Wright and Jacobi. The performances in the other two are good, but don't top those in the first.

The cinematography captures the dance floor activities wonderfully, and the entire film has an eerie, otherworldly quality to it. It's as if when these people step off the cruel New York streets, they are transported into another world. A world that is full of music, romance, and possibilities.

I watched this movie for the simple pleasure of staring at pretty young Christopher Walken; I had no expectations of actually caring about the rest of it since it didn't seem like something that aligned with my interests whatsoever. I was pleasantly surprised, and I've been thinking about it ever since. The three stories are simple and subdued, wistful, mournful little vignettes peering in on the lives, drama, and regrets of various characters who frequent this ballroom. It's mellow yet moving, sweet yet sad, with compelling characters and an inviting atmosphere that kept my tiny attention span thoroughly invested. Also, if you're like me and you're here for the prettyboy, you won't be disappointed.