Good natured and fun, especially the musical numbers, but the story hurts it
'Go Into Your Dance' is interesting for seeing husband and wife team Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler together. It is a very watchable film and musical, faring better as a musical than as a drama.
What hurts 'Go Into Your Dance' the most is the story, which is flimsy and contrived, as well as trying to combine backstage musical and gangster drama. The backstage musical stuff has been done so many times before and since, and much better, here it doesn't always have much spark, while the gangster drama stuff doesn't gel with the rest of the film.
Jolson sounds great, but is a little stiff as an actor at times and fails to make his character rootable. Despite being married to Keeler, to me Keeler had a sweeter and more natural chemistry with Dick Powell. Fred Toones is also obnoxious, and the film has a point around the half-way mark where it drags to just before the final production number.
However, 'Go Into Your Dance' is a good-looking film and nicely directed. The songs are very tuneful and at their best great, the highlight being "About a Quarter to Nine" with "She's a Latin in Manhattan" close behind. Surprisingly good are the choreography and dancing, have often been indifferent to Bobby Conolly, but he does a great job here with the final production number being particularly imaginative and energetic.
Keeler is very charming and likable, even if her dancing is not always great. Helen Morgan knocks it out the park with her powerful rendition of "The Little Things You Used to Do", and Patsy Kelly is a lot of fun. There is often a good natured feel to the film as well.
Overall, fun if flawed film. 6/10 Bethany Cox
What hurts 'Go Into Your Dance' the most is the story, which is flimsy and contrived, as well as trying to combine backstage musical and gangster drama. The backstage musical stuff has been done so many times before and since, and much better, here it doesn't always have much spark, while the gangster drama stuff doesn't gel with the rest of the film.
Jolson sounds great, but is a little stiff as an actor at times and fails to make his character rootable. Despite being married to Keeler, to me Keeler had a sweeter and more natural chemistry with Dick Powell. Fred Toones is also obnoxious, and the film has a point around the half-way mark where it drags to just before the final production number.
However, 'Go Into Your Dance' is a good-looking film and nicely directed. The songs are very tuneful and at their best great, the highlight being "About a Quarter to Nine" with "She's a Latin in Manhattan" close behind. Surprisingly good are the choreography and dancing, have often been indifferent to Bobby Conolly, but he does a great job here with the final production number being particularly imaginative and energetic.
Keeler is very charming and likable, even if her dancing is not always great. Helen Morgan knocks it out the park with her powerful rendition of "The Little Things You Used to Do", and Patsy Kelly is a lot of fun. There is often a good natured feel to the film as well.
Overall, fun if flawed film. 6/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- 4 nov 2016