Rumba

"Rumba" is George Raft's best Latino film and that's not saying much. He at least gets to play a New Yorker, albeit a New Yorker of Cuban descent hanging out in Havana because gangsters in the States are out to get him. That idea is actually more exciting than the events that play out.

Carole Lombard gets some strong closeups and looks lovely. She plays a bored socialite a little too well, never seeming to rise above ennui even when she's dancing. She gets some nice little bits of dialogue but mostly could have phoned this one in.

Because of his sensual Latin looks, Paramount seemed insistent on making Raft do the sensual Latin dances. Sure, he could dance the rumba OK, but it is nothing like the hot style of dancing that made him famous as the "fastest dancer in New York" back in the '20s. Only in the first dance number in "Rumba" do we get a very brief glimpse of this.

Overall, this is hardly an important film for anyone - but look fast: Ann Sheridan is among the mass of dancers.

Joe is a dancer in Cuba with a chip on his shoulder. Diana is fascinated by this diamond in the rough. However, pride on both sides seems to thwart the union and Diana in despair returns to New York City and her less than exciting fiancé. Joe follows.

The main problem with this film is George Raft. His stone faced and monotone delivery mean that there is absolutely no chance for any chemistry to develop between himself and Lombard. And it is supposedly this magic between the two that propels them in and out of each others lives and causes both to risk their lives in the end to be together. The film is also weighed down by more that one overly long dance sequence. George Raft himself is an adequate dancer, but comes off as little more than a "dandy". He has non of the fire or charisma of say a Desi Arnaz, who truly comes alive with the spirit of Latin dance and rhythms.

Diana's father is here played by Samuel Hinds who also played the father in the Andy Hardy series. Monroe Owsley, who also co-stared with Lombard in the movie "Brief Moment", plays Diana's wealthy fiancé. His part here is considerably smaller, and amounts for the most part to "window dressing".

Carole Lombard does a good job here. If she had had a better leading man this film might even have been enjoyable. The production values and quality of the acting in general were actually pretty good. Supposedly George Raft was quite the ladies man in real life, and even enjoyed a clandestine affair with Lombard, but in this film he is a dud.

George Raft may have cut quite a swath through the women of Hollywood, but I'm afraid that, for me, his image will never recover the look of him in a girl's blouse. Yes, it's modeled on flamenco costumes, but with little ruffles covering him from neck to waist, George looks as if he has put his head through a little girl's petticoat.

The rest of Rumba is similarly anaphrodisiac. Carole Lombard, playing a bored socialite, looks half asleep, even in moments of fear and passion, and the dances, supposed to be Latin American sensual-sensational, are very mild stuff. In the final number, the chorus girls and boys seem to be getting it on far more than the two principals, who do a standard Astaire-Rogers dance, and needless to say it is mediocre.

The one, unexpected plus here is the Mexican actress Margo. Lovely, sensual, and sensitive, she is so much more womanly that Carole Lombard that only enforced patriotism would keep George fixated on the icy Carole.

RUMBA (Paramount, 1935), directed by Marion Gering, reunites George Raft and Carole Lombard, following their initial teaming of BOLERO (1934). Hoping to recapture the success of BOLERO, the studio came up with RUMBA, not a sequel but more of a rehash or follow-up story featuring its initial players in different character roles. Unlike BOLERO, RUMBA is seldom revived nor discussed. After a few revivals on public television in the 1980s, RUMBA has disappeared completely. As much as many might label RUMBA inferior to BOLERO, the film in itself gets by through its usual story, with the dancing being the highlight of the shortcomings of the plot, even though Raft and Lombard were no match the current dancing craze phase of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

The story opens in Cuba where Joe Martin (George Raft), an egotistic dancer accompanied by his dancing partner, Goldie Allen (Iris Adrian), finds that his lottery ticket bearing the number of 17171 has won $5,000. As he goes to collect his winnings, it so happens that Diana Harrison (Carole Lombard), an American socialite vacationing in Cuba with her fiance, Hobart "Harvey" Fletcher (Monroe Owsley), also has won the lottery bearing the exact same number. It so happens that Joe's ticket is a forgery sold to him by a corrupt peddler. While Diane is in the right, Joe holds a grudge against her. As Diane and company come to the Rolling Tar Club, they spot the dance act of Joe and Goldie. Feeling Joe needs the money more than she, Diana approaches Joe in his dressing room with her thoughts, but finds Joe's pride won't let him accept money, especially from a woman. After being dismissed from the club, Joe accepts Diana's wager that he couldn't form a dance act and club for himself. After meeting Carmelita (Margo) in a gift shop, Joe invites her to accompany him at a fiesta where he witnesses a new dance craze called the Rumba, with intentions of using it as his new dance act with Carmelita as his new dancing partner. Known for having a mind of an elephant, for that elephants never forget, Joe and his friend and newspaper reporter, Flash (Lynne Overman) join forces in forming El Elephante Club where Joe dances under a new name of Jose Martinez. Once again Joe meets up with Diana and party as patrons, with Diana wanting Joe to become her rumba dancing teacher. While slowly becoming attracted to each other, Carmelita breaks them up. Returning to New York, Diana's father tells her about Joe's involvement with the underworld with mobsters out to rub him out if he should return to New York. At the risk of his own life, Joe comes to New York anyway to perform his dance act, publicized as "The Dance of Death."

Other in the cast include Virginia Hammond (Mrs. Harrison); Paul Porcasi, Soledad Jimenez, Jameson Thomas and Akim Tamiroff. While Gail Patrick appears Patsy Fletcher, Diana's society friend, they would reunite as rival sisters in the comedy classic opposite William Powell in MY MAN GODFREY (Universal, 1936). As much as there were a couple of songs vocalized, done entirely in Spanish, only "The Rhythm of the Rumba" featuring its interpretation to the history of the Rumba dance from past to present, is a ten minute expansion to the five minute dance finale to 1934s BOLERO, and moderately staged.

Surprisingly short for 71 minutes, RUMBA did not earn a third Raft-Lombard collaboration to Spanish dance titles as TANGO or CARIOCA for example. Raft would dance again in his future films, but is better known and admired most for his tough guy image in playing gangster or detective types. As much as Lombard excelled best in comedy, she displayed her talent for heavy dramatics as well, namely RKO Radio's IN NAME ONLY (1939) and VIGIL IN THE NIGHT (1940).

To date, the availability of RUMBA can be found on DVD through Vintage Film Buff, accompanied by BOLERO, Raft's favorite movie role. Both worthy companion pieces of the two movies featuring the short-lived dance team of Raft and Lombard. (**1/2).

I never thought of Lombard as particularly sexy. Madcap and off the wall, yes, but not really a sex symbol, per se. And yet in the little celebrated Rumba she definitely radiates sensual appeal and it helps that her more irritating mannerisms are somewhat, although not entirely, restrained here. There IS a chemistry with George Raft, you can see that. Lombard's dancing is quite credible and given the character's doubts then it's a skilfull interpretation. A surprise in some ways. One gets the impression that if things had been loosened up a little then it would have set the screen alight. But it's just a bit watered down. Could have been great but it's passable enough.