The Strand Theatre’s film series “100 Years of Movies” continues with a screening of Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) on Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m. The theme of March’s films in the series is “Women Filmmakers,” and this movie will be introduced by TCM (Turner Classic Movies) host Alicia Malone.
Based on a story by Vicki Baum (of Grand Hotel fame), Dance, Girl, Dance finds innocent young Judy (Maureen O'Hara) journeying to the Big Apple in hopes of gaining fame as a classical dancer. Instead she ends up as the "stooge" for raucous strip-tease artist Bubbles (Lucille Ball), and attempts to perform ballet before leering, unappreciative burlesque audiences.
Eventually, Judy and Bubbles both fall for playboy Jimmy Harris (Louis Hayward), a rivalry that culminates in a hair-pulling, eye-scratching cat fight.
Eventually, Harris's ex-wife (Virginia Field) reels him back in, and Judy is hired by ballet producer and entrepreneur Steve Adams (Ralph Bellamy). In recent years, Dance, Girl, Dance has been canonized as a feminist manifesto, due to the fact that Dorothy Arzner was the director and because of Maureen O'Hara's climactic burlesque-house speech, in which she lambastes the male spectators for their puerile chauvinism.
“100 Years of Movies” is part of the Strand Theatre’s yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2023.
Films from every decade the theater has been in operation will be screened, presented with monthly themes. The films were selected to represent the filmmaking style and perspectives of their time; in addition to well-known works, the titles will include lesser-known, high quality releases that have been overlooked as well as films from underrepresented directors. The films were curated by Alicia Malone, a host on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and Strand House Manager Liz McLeod. Each film will be introduced by Malone or McLeod, or a special guest presenter.
Tickets are $8/General Admission, $7/Strand Members, and will be available at the box office 30 minutes prior to show time. For more information, visit www.rocklandstrand.com or call (207) 594-0070 EX 3. The Strand Theatre is located at 345 Main St., Rockland.
