Themes: Faltering Friendships, Love Triangles, Military Life
Main Cast: Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, Virginia Bruce, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers
Release Year: 1936
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
Plot
A never-completed stage musical was the source for the MGM superproduction Born to Dance. The plot is another three-sailors-on-leave affair, with Ted (James Stewart), Mush (Buddy Ebsen) and Gunny (Sid Silvers, who also co-wrote the script) romancing the eminently romanceable Nora (Eleanor Powell), Peppy (Frances Langford) and Jenny (Una Merkel). Nora aspires to become a dancing star, but her career nearly ends before it begins when she inadvertently comes between Broadway luminary Lucy James (Virginia Bruce) and her producer-lover McKay (Alan Dinehart). If anyone watching back in 1936 really cared about the plot, they probably weren't music lovers. The lovely Cole Porter score (his first written directly for the screen) includes "I've Got You Under My Skin", sung by Virginia Bruce to James Stewart, and "Easy to Love", warbled by Stewart to Eleanor Powell. Highlights include Reginald Gardiner's impersonation of a symphony-conducting traffic cop (a routine he'd previously performed on stage) and Eleanor Powell's climactic tap routine on board an art-deco battleship (a sequence later re-deployed for the climax of 1944's I Dood It). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
James Stewart's crooning of Cole Porter's "Easy to Love" in this musical extravaganza later found its way into the vastly successful MGM retrospective That's Entertainment as something of a curiosity, and back in 1936, the studio had in fact contemplated dubbing Stewart with singer Jack Owens. But although Stewart's vocal abilities are far from startling, his typically bashful rendition actually turns out to be one of the highlights of Born to Dance. Naturally, Eleanor Powell, whose equilibristic tapping remains a marvel to behold, is at the center of this pleasantly screwy if slightly overblown musical-comedy, and her colossal final number, to the rhythm of "Swingin' the Jinx Away," is still "a wow," to use a phrase closer to 1936. Cole Porter's score ranges from the classic "I've Got You Under My Skin" to the satirical (but eminently forgettable) "Love Me, Love My Pekingese," and if Born to Dance doesn't quite live up to the great MGM musical tradition plot-wise, it is still great entertainment. A little-known fact is that Eleanor Powell actually used a dance double, Marilyn Kinsley, in a few shots. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
The list of jazz improvisers who appear on the Players Association's second album, Born to Dance, is impressive; tenor saxman Michael Brecker, alto saxman David Sanborn, trumpeter Jon Faddis, and guitarist Steve Khan are among the participants. And percussionist James Mtume, who has jazz credentials but is best known for producing, writing, and performing R&B, is also on board. But despite boasting an impressive lineup, Born to Dance is only a slight improvement over the Players Association's self-titled debut album. This isn't a bad album; "How Do You Like It," "Everything's Gonna Be O.K.," "Make It Last All Night," and other tunes that were written or co-written by leader/drummer/arranger Chris Hills are catchy but unremarkable. The band was capable of a lot more, and it wouldn't live up to its potential until its third album, Turn the Music Up!. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
The Isley Brothers (Composer), Michael Brecker (Lyre), Michael Brecker (Saxophone), Michael Brecker (Sax (Tenor)), Jon Faddis (Trumpet), Steve Khan (Guitar), David Sanborn (Saxophone), David Sanborn (Sax (Alto)), Mike Mandel (Synthesizer), Plastic Bertrand (Main Performer), The Players Association (Main Performer), David Earle Johnson (Percussion), David Earle Johnson (Conga), David Earle Johnson (Timbales), Wayne Andre (Trombone), Laurel Dann (Composer), Leroy Green (Composer), Freddie Harris (Guitar), Chris Hills (Synthesizer), Chris Hills (Bass), Chris Hills (Guitar), Chris Hills (Strings), Chris Hills (Arranger), Chris Hills (Composer), Chris Hills (Drums), Chris Hills (Horn), Chris Hills (Keyboards), Chris Hills (Vocals), Chris Hills (Horn Arrangements), Ron Kersey (Composer), James Mtume (Conductor), Nicky Marrero (Conductor), Nicky Marrero (Conga), Lorraine Moore (Vocals), Leon Pendarvis (Keyboards), Jack Perricone (Strings), Jack Perricone (Horn), Punky Standell (Engineer), Danny Trifan (Bass), The Wet One (Engineer), Easy Ed Zant (Composer), Easy Ed Zant (Vocals), Captain Jeff Zaraya (Engineer), Wilbur Bascomb, Jr. (Bass), Danny Weiss (Producer)
The film stars dancer Eleanor Powell and was a follow-up to her successful debut in Broadway Melody of 1936. The plot of Born to Dance isn't much different from the earlier film, or many others of the era—boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, girl puts on a spectacular song-and-dance show.
Highlights of the film include a rare musical number by Stewart (which the actor later poked fun at in the That's Entertainment! retrospective), and a bombastic finale called "Swingin' the Jinx Away". Set amidst a pre-Second World Warnaval backdrop, the Depression-era "feel good" number (which runs nearly 10 minutes) makes topical references to the economy and political leaders (with a "shout out" to Cab Calloway thrown in for good measure) sung by Powell, adds in an eccentric dance routine by Ebsen, and ends in a flurry of tap dancing by Powell culminating in a patriotic salute, and finally a blast of cannon fire. This finale was also lifted in its entirety and re-used in another Powell film, I Dood It, co-starring Red Skelton. Although considered one of Powell's (and MGM's) most memorable musical numbers, and often featured in retrospectives such as That's Entertainment!, musical director Roger Edens was often quoted as being embarrassed by the segment.
