Spoilers. Observations. Opinions.Okay. Blah. I did ff through a lot of the dialogue and triangle banter. I hate black and white. That made this film somewhat of a downer. No real Busby Berkeley here, but I sort of liked the Berkeley-esque Harlequin-esque special effects. Gable was too mean most of the time. Was he a clone of Warner Baxter in 42nd Street? Let's put on a show. Yes. No. Where's da money? Oh, I know. Some rich guy's the answer. $$$$$$$$$$$. Guy Kibbee. Franchot Tone. Baxter was dying of some illness. Gable was dying of meanness and diarrhea of the mouth. The Stooges were adorable here, except for the slapping. I normally do not like them, and don't appreciate their brand of hilarity. Fred Astaire too wooden. Looked like a kid-adult Pinocchio. Nelson Eddy. Did we even see him? Wasn't any Jeanette MacDonald here. No plot for Eddy. He just told a lot of ancients that they should be 1933 "modern", but today in 2017 this film ITSELF is 84 years old and quite a bit outdated. Oh, the irony! Nelson, you and 1933 are so far back in the past that we here in the future are snickering at your pomposity. Tone looked divine. He could really wear that top hat and tails. So dashing and debonair. Or was that Astaire's forte?Crawford's Adrian dancing costumes were excellent. Did she have the huge flailing arms, awkward bent-over posture and gawky tap steps of Ruby Keeler in 42nd Street? Still, it was enjoyable watching her as an earnest hoofer instead of her meanie films of years later. Anyway, Adrian never failed, and his costuming still makes me love his designs. Dirndls, subserviency white aprons, lederhosen, alpine hats, stereotypical "bier". Wooden shoes clopping all over the cobblestones? Hitler just ate this all up. He must have loved Astaire looking like that goofy wooden Pinocchio. Uncle Adolph must have been proud. Heil Freddie. Besides, wasn't Astaire's original last name Austerlitz really German or Austrian? Did Astaire and his sister Adele change their last name because of the Germanic inference, just like the British royal family did in the era of World War One? Being German wasn't cool at that time because they were the enemy, while in this film of 1933 Astaire is clowning it up as if Germans are the greatest guys in all the world. The super Adolph was soon coming to town, but the Germans were in 1933 being portrayed as one big, friendly, goofy hail-fellow-well-met. Anything for a buck, Astaire, who will make a lot more bucks later with that divine Ginger Rogers. At least Ginger Rogers was elsewhere, having a good old time in 42nd Street. MGM, b/w musicals were not your forte. When you switched to color, you killed everybody else. The lion looks terrible in black and white. Poor Leo. I did like the old hag women being turned into pre-code Art Deco vamps. That was a set of quite good special effects. I am a degreed historian, futurist, actress, singer, dancer, fashion designer, stage makeup artist, film critic and movie reviewer.

This movie is wonderful. It features Joan Crawford singing and dancing, and she could sing and dance well. That alone makes this movie special. Clark Gable also is cast as a stage director who's all business, his gruffness of course a cover for a guy who really cares about people. The movie has a definite anti-rich people slant, with Franchot Tone playing a playboy who uses money to act out his selfish whims, which only hurt others. Theatrical people are portrayed in a most positive way - as hardworking, dedicated, and talented. The musical numbers are snappy and entertaining, especially the finale. The movie features Fred Astaire in his first major role and Moe, Larry and Curly - The Three Stooges whose characters figure directly in the story. But what makes this movie succeed is the presence of Joan Crawford. She dominates the movie and demonstrates why she is one of the premier actresses in the history of cinema.

Giving her all to this big budget musical, Joan Crawford goes from the 42nd Street burlesque houses to the star of a lavish musical revue (that couldn't fit on any Broadway stage) and proves herself to be quite the dancer if not one of the better singers of the early movie musicals. She looks great in her evening gowns but in rehearsal clothes appears to be rather odd looking with a rather wide head that made her seem older than she was. Put her in frills and sequins, however, she's the glamorous Joan that made her one of the biggest stars of the 1930's, and certainly MGM's most financially successful.The men here are second string in supporting Joan with Franchot Tone a Park Avenue man about town who happens to spot Joan in the chorus of the burlesque show and takes her out, glamours her up and then tries to keep her from the big musical revue's producer, the rugged Clark Gable. She is unaware that Tone has manipulated her success by putting money in the show and withdrawing it when her initially cool working relationship with Gable seemed to be turning into romance. But Gable, like Warner Baxter in the same year's "42nd Street", is determined to make sure that the show goes on.1933 saw the return of the movie musical in a major way, and MGM produced several that rivaled the Busby Berkley dance extravaganzas being made over at Warner Brothers. Joan, however, isn't Ruby Keeler, the innocent chorus girl who gets a lucky break; It's obvious from the get-go that she's tough, sharing wisecracks with burlesque star Winnie Lightner and even getting some laughs with her brief encounter with none other than the Three Stooges. Like Marian Davies in MGM's "Going Hollywood", she is meant to be more window dressing than Jeanette MacDonald, and looks fabulous in her Adrian gowns. When all of a sudden she begins to dance with Fred Astaire in an outrageously lavish production number, she proves herself to be practically his equal, giving her the distinction of being his first screen dancing partner.Nelson Eddy leads the big production number of "Rhythm of the Day", giving "Dancing Lady" the distinction of having the two leading men who would become part of famous twosomes in musicals for the rest of the decade. "Rhythm of the Day" is almost laughably pretentious, but not as outrageous as "Heigh Ho the Gang's All Here" which has Fred and Joan dancing on a whirling gadget that flies through the sky and lands in the middle of a big festival with chorus boys and girls clad in liederhosen. "Let's Go Bavarian!" is actually ironic for a 1933 release with its Germanic themes considering that this was the same year that Hitler began his rise to power and ultimate reign of terror.May Robson, already having played Joan's mother in "Letty Lynton", is Tone's hard of hearing grandmother, with Grant Mitchell as a theater owner and in an unbilled role, the future Eve Arden as a chorus girl rejectee who had tried to feign a Southern accent. Of course, Arden would go on to support Joan in a larger way years later in "Mildred Pierce", so there's an irony in seeing her here. The blowzy Winnie Lightner, after a brief leading lady stint at Warners, gets in some good gags and an amusing musical number.While certainly not among the best of the 1930's big budget musicals, "Dancing Lady" is still fun, frivolous and frilly. Gable seems a bit out of sorts putting on a show, and his role is rather secondary. Tone's character lacks motivation, but somebody's got to be the heavy, even if the script gives no real indication as to why. This is Joan's picture all the way.

In New York, the playboy Tod Newton (Franchot Tone) goes with his friend to the International Burlesque to have fun with the striptease of the dancers. During the performance, there is a police raid and the girls are arrested and brought to court. Tod feels attracted by the dancer Janie Barlow (Joan Crawford) that is sentenced to thirty days in jail or the payment of a thirty-dollar bail. Tod bails her out and Janie tells that she is an aspirant dancer that prioritizes her career and she does not accept to be his lover.Janie Barlow decides to seek a position uptown in Broadway musical but the director Patch Gallagher (Clark Gable) refuses to talk and give a chance to her. However Tod Newton uses his influence and secretly sponsors the show and Janie is hired. Patch believes that Janie is using Tod to reach her objectives but sooner he finds that she is a talented dancer indeed. Tod proposes to marry Janie but she wants to become a Broadway star. However, she accepts Tod's proposal: if the show is a success, she will follow the artistic career; however, if the musical fails, she will marry him. But Tod is a millionaire and wants to marry Janie and the bet is not fair."Dancing Lady" is a delightful film about a dilemma, where Joan Crawford is amazing, dancing inclusive with Fred Astaire in one of his first works. Her chemistry with Clark Gable is something very special, and the funny moments are in charge of the Three Stooges in the role of stagehands. There is also a cameo of Nelson Eddy in his first credited work. The "villain" Franchot Tone is also very pleasant and has a good performance in the role of a coxcomb. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Amor de Dançarina" ("Love of Dancer")