Ten Cents a Dance *** (1931, Barbara Stanwyck, Monroe Owsley, Ricardo Cortez) – Classic Movie Review 4978

The actor Lionel Barrymore directs Barbara Stanwyck in his 1931 drama as Barbara O’Neill, a taxi dancer hostess in the Palais de Dance (‘All you need is a ticket and some courage,’ she tells a potential customer) quits dancing and gets married to no-good clerk Eddie Miller (Monroe Owsley), who steals to pay his debts.

Barbara is visited again by handsome, rich admirer Bradley Carlton (Ricardo Cortez) and borrows from him to help her husband, who accuses her of compromising herself by being unfaithful to get it. Eddie sees that as an excuse to embezzle money from Bradley.’ You’re not a man. You’re not even a good sample,’ Barbara says.

Stanwyck’s drive and forceful personality as an actress really puts vigour and vibrant life into this creaky, moralistic old melodrama which could have been written even further back than 1931 – when Victoria was Queen. Cortez is ideally cast and good, though Owsley less good, but he is battling his unsympathetic role.

Jo Swerling and Dorothy Howell’s screenplay is inspired by the great Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart torch song of the title, which she sings impressively over the opening title credits. Though badly dated, the screenplay manages quite a few laughs and considerable wit too.

Barrymore apparently regularly fell asleep while directing as a result of the drugs he was taking for his arthritis.

Also in the cast are Sally Blane, Blanche Frederici, Phyllis Crane, Olive Tell, Victor Potel, Al Hill, Jack Byron, Pat Harmon, Martha Sleeper, David Newell, Sidney Bracey, Harry Todd, Angie Herring, Peggy Doner, James Ford, Hal Price, Bess Flowers, Ernie Alexander, Abe Lyman and Lee Phelps.

See also Joan Crawford in The Taxi Dancer (1927).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 4978

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