Ten Cents a Dance (1945) User Reviews

Snazzy little B musical that wipes away the blues.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 25 December 2017]

This is no relation to Columbia's 1931 precode melodrama starring Barbara Stanwyck and directed by Lionel Barrymore. Yes, the plot surrounds that famous moody 1920's standard (Ruth Etting's theme) and deals with taxi dancers, which I guess were still around at the end of World War II. (Come to think about it, they were around in the 1960's, although I doubt a dance still cost only a dime when Charity Hope Valentine taxi danced for a living...)

This focuses on the pretty Jane Frazee who sings in a dance hall while the girls take tickets while hoping not to get their feet stepped on. There's lots of jazzy music in this hour long B film and enough of a plot to keep the film going. Jimmy Lloyd and Mark Roberts are sailors on leave who want some adventure and find their share with Frazee and her childhood pal Joan Woodbury, nice girls in a not always nice profession. George McKay plays the dance hall's owner who already has a claim on Frazee, willing to go out with Lloyd simply to keep them coming back for more.

Her basic decency makes her feel guilty for using them in McKay's scheme to fleece Lloyd and Roberts, and how she handles this situation is the basic conflict of this little known film. There's a cute little novelty number, "Michael the Bicycle Rider" that might have your toes tapping. It's obvious that Frazee will not be able to fill her duty to McKay, and that makes her quite a likable heroine. Some fun character performances (especially a salty landlady and a lovable bartender) adds to the charm of this as well. Frazee doesn't have to emote too much, but she's sincere and pretty, with Woodbury a nice second lead.

This might not have the melodramatic bite of the Stanwyck film, but I find it to be a better film, not easy for me to admit considering that Stanwyck is my favorite leading lady. Frazee may not be as well remembered, but this film just might make you a fan.

Some Great Music, Some Pointless Plot Points

[boblipton · 5/10 · 21 June 2019]

Jimmy Lloyd and Mark Roberts are on 36-hour leave. Roberts is rich, but for some reason which is explained but doesn't stick, they pretend Lloyd is the rich one. They head over to a taxi-dance joint, where Jane Frazee is a singer and dancer. The girls are trying to raise money for one of their number who has been injured to get an operation. Their boss, John Calvert says if they can locate a sucker, he'll put together a game to raise the money. He then palms a card beautifully.

This is a movie with lots of good bits that don't add up and don't connect more than the most primitive of romantic comedies. Miss Frazee sings the Rodgers-Hart "Ten Cents a Dance" at the beginning -- a great song, a good version, but too on-the-nose. DP Benjamin Kline shoots a fight near the end with a series of tilted cameras. Everyone is charming and facile, and then a plot point jumps ahead. It's one of those poorly put together movies with some good moments.

One scene which director Will Jason puts in, which has minimal plot utility, but makes watching the movie at least briefly worthwhile, is a jam session at 15 to 20 minutes in. I recognized Joe Venuti on the fiddle; the other players are excellent, although I am waiting for my jazz maven from Toronto to let me know who they are.