Dance Hall | 1929 | Melodrama

Title: Dance Hall | 1929 | Melodrama Director: Melville Brown Studio: RKO Productions, Inc. Starring: Olive Borden, Arthur Lake, Ralph Emerson, Margaret Seddon, Joseph Cawthorn Based on: “Dance Hall” by Viña Delmar Release Date: December 14, 1929 ; December 27, 1929 Runtime: 65 Format: Black-and-white; sound: Photophone; also released in a silent version Country: United States Language: English Genres: Melodrama. --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Paradise Dance Hall introduction 00:11:00 Prize contest partnership 00:24:00 The aviator intervenes 00:37:30 Coast-to-coast attempt and crash 00:49:30 Revelation and confrontation 01:01:00 Reunion performance --- Summary: A boyish shipping clerk, Tommy Flynn, partners with taxi dancer Gracie Nolan to win local contests. Their rapport is tested when a charismatic aviator, Ted Smith, steps in, partners with Gracie, and captures her attention. After Ted’s high-profile flight ends in a crash and his indifference becomes clear, Gracie learns of Tommy’s loyalty and sacrifice. She returns to him, and the pair reunite as a successful dancing team. --- Background: Produced by RKO and adapted from Viña Delmar’s short story published earlier that year, the film began production in mid-October 1929. During shooting, a fire at Consolidated Film Industries destroyed two days of negatives, but editing was completed by late November. Released with Photophone sound and also in a silent version, Dance Hall was among RKO’s late-1929 releases during the rapid transition to talkies. --- Trivia: Publicized as introducing new dances dubbed the “Dumb Drag” and the “Blue Bottom.” Olive Borden’s appearance in the film marked a high-profile talkie-era comeback attempt; she also went blonde for added publicity. The New York premiere took place at the Globe Theatre on December 14, 1929. RKO released the picture in both sound and silent versions to accommodate theaters not yet wired for sound. Arthur Lake, who plays Tommy, later became widely known for portraying Dagwood Bumstead in Columbia’s long-running Blondie series. Contemporary accounts record a mixed-to-poor reception and weak box office, despite the topical mix of dance culture and aviation. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: December 14, 1929 ; December 27, 1929 . Original Studio / Distributor: RKO Productions, Inc. / RKO Distributing Corp. Copyright Status: Public Domain. Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: PublicDomain DanceHall DanceHall1929 OliveBorden ArthurLake RKO PreCode EarlyTalkies 1929 ClassicFilm Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dance_Hall_(1929).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Dance_Hall_%281929%29.webm