Stars: Four out of five stars

"Dance Fools Dance" is one of my favorite early Crawford films. As a pre-code film of 1931 directed by Harry Beaumont, it is gently and deliciously risqué, and Crawford (in her early 20's here) is particularly adorable, vivacious and sexy with her gently waved hair, spit-curl, and big, long-lashed eyes. As Bonnie Jordan, she's a spoiled rich girl who becomes a cub reporter after the stock market crash leaves her family penniless (yes, the girl down on her luck who makes good, her staple role at this stage in her career). Her assignment is to infiltrate the gang who murdered fellow reporter and friend, Scranton (Cliff Edwards), by posing as a dancer in the nightclub of gang leader Jake Luavo (Clark Gable). "Use any weapon you've got," her editor tells her. We all know what that means!

Gosh, if not the flirtatious and exhilarating tap dance number Crawford does as the new act, the sight of her walking confidently across the room towards Gable in a gold lame gown is worth the price of admission alone. When she meets the King, the sexual sparks fly like no one's business, their real attraction palpable. Gable is appropriately rugged and ruthless and gives a very effective, hard-edged performance. Unbeknownst to our heroine, it is her own brother Rodney (William Bakewell) who unwittingly got caught up with the Mob and was forced to perform the contract hit on the reporter he'd earlier confided in (touching since brother and sister are both likeable good kids). Crawford plays the spunky, independent woman she is so good at, mirroring her own ambitions and tenacity.

The pre-code moments are delicious such as when the beautiful Bonnie is blow drying her hair after jumping from the deck of a yacht in her underwear (modest underwear, folks) and her boyfriend Bob (Lester Vail) enters the room. They are both in their pajamas, Bonnie in a glamorous satin jumpsuit. Before a seductive kiss, she assures him that she isn't old-fashioned and believes in trying out love on approval.

There are several interesting aspects of this film. For one, it's based on real events of the day, so it's a good window into the period. There aren't simplistic happy endings; the gangsters, however charming they may appear, are presented ultimately as sociopaths. For another, there's the absolutely combustible and electric chemistry of Gable and Crawford in their first pairing. Crawford is a free-spirited, yet practical heroine with courage and moxie -- that 30's staple, the girl reporter. It's clear why she was a reigning star of MGM and why she and Gable were paired together in 7 more films.  – D. Nowak