Born to Dance

US (1936): Musical/Dance

By 1935, musicals were once again in favor at every studio, and Metro was determined to have another stab at luring Eleanor Powell away from Broadway and back in front of the cameras. Thanks to a huge offer-- one that she simply couldn't refuse -- she finally relented, landing a contract at the studio that afforded her a bit more freedom than the usual contract players. The studio built a huge musical extravaganza around her to ensure her stardom and show off her amazing talents. With a new, original, hit-laden score by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, and a cast also featuring Jack Benny, Frances Langford, June Knight, and new matinee idol Robert Taylor, Broadway Melody Of 1936 was a box-office smash and cemented Eleanor Powell's position as a major motion-picture star.

Before the picture was even completed, the studio was planning their next venture for Powell, an original musical based on a story by B.G. DeSylva, Jack MacGowan, and Sid Silvers. M-G-M snared the composing services of Broadway legend Cole Porter to write an entirely original score for the picture, which was initially entitled Great Guns. Until this time, Porter has resisted the lure of Hollywood, which had attracted virtually every other famous stage composer. However, in 1935 Metro put some much-needed investment coin into Porter's struggling stage musical Jubilee, and his gratitude to the studio led to what would be the first of many assignments to create an original score for an M-G-M picture.

By the time production was ready to begin, the studio had renamed Great Guns. The new title was Born To Dance. The success of Broadway Melody Of 1936 led Metro to put Powell's name above that new title. The film's threadbare plot cast Powell in the familiar role of a would-be show-business hopeful who runs into a handsome, young sailor on leave, played by 28-year-old James Stewart. Stewart becomes the object of the amorous attention of a big Broadway star (Virginia Bruce). The predictable complications ensue. By the finale, Eleanor gets to star in the big Broadway show, and she is romantically united with Stewart. In short, audiences were left with a big smile on their faces by the time "the end" appeared on the screen.

Porter's score for the picture produced two monstrous hits, which had already become standards by the time the film was released: "Easy To Love" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." He also provided some nifty additional songs that were a lot more fun and free-wheeling than his typically more sophisticated works. Powell's introductory number, "Rap Tap On Wood," and the charming "Hey, Babe, Hey!" were particularly delightful, the latter also showcasing additional cast members Frances Langford, Una Merkel, Buddy Ebsen, and Sid Silvers.

In Broadway Melody Of 1936, Powell's big finale was a nearly nine-minute spectacle, "Broadway Rhythm." The studio topped that in Born To Dance with the gargantua "Swingin' The Jinx Away" finale, which ran 15 minutes and showcased every dance specialty that Powell could offer. The sequence became famous for its re-creation of a battleship, complete with firing cannons at the climax.

Released in November of 1936, Born To Dance was a massive money-maker and led to Porter and Powell reuniting a year later for Rosalie, and then again for Broadway Melody Of 1940, in which Powell teamed for the only time with Fred Astaire. (Turner Classic Movies)

 Use this link to view the original theatrical trailer for Born to Dance on TCM.com.

2 nominations