User Reviews

This is good for one viewing but it's really a case of oh, what might have been, for in itself the premise - a portmanteau take on what, in 1950, was a real rival to the Regals and Odeons, namely the 'palais' to be found on every High Street throughout the land; live music from around fifteen musicians playing the hits of the day, all complete with one, preferably two vocalists - was sound and good for more mileage than is extracted here. The first hurdle we have to overcome is that four attractive girls each around 19 or 20 would opt for semi-skilled work operating machinery in a factory, rather than working in a shop or an office. Ten years previously no problem, with able-bodied men in the services women were drafted into factories, but these girls would have left school around 1946 and by 1950 when the film was set all the men that WERE coming back would have come back and expected to find their factory jobs waiting. Apart from that, of course, none of the four is convincing as a working-class girl. That aside we have the usual women's magazine stories of the four in, out, and looking for love. Few English films at this time would have been complete without a wooden leading man and Donald Houston duly obliges and in most of their scenes together Natasha Parry could just as well have sat him on her knee and murmured gottle of geer. The two real bands, led respectively by Geraldo and Ted Heath lend authenticity to the social history aspect but once is enough.

Admittedly, Crichton's direction is occasionally fluid, but his contribution to the screenplay itself is nowhere in evidence. It comes across as a muddled, triangular romantic melodrama in which uninteresting players such as Natasha Parry, Donald Houston and most particularly Bonar Colleano hog the camera, while people like the super-lovely Diana Dors are wasted in some feeble supporting role.

Fortunately, Douglas Slocombe's photography is effective, but the film's best feature is Seth Holt's masterful film editing which almost single-handedly manages to whip up a bit of audience interest in the proceedings.

True, there are also some nice musical interludes by Geraldo and his Orchestra, plus Ted Heath and his Music.

And I really enjoyed Hy Hazell's song, "You're Only Dreaming" (music by Ernest Irving and Joyce Cochrane, lyrics by Christopher Hassall).

Okay, although in no way a 'classic', this film is very watchable and did hold me satisfied, without having become restless and bored.

It seems to successfully integrate much of the contemporary social culture, with the focal point being the Palais dance hall. I suppose it could be considered a precursor to the rise of the later 'rom-com' genre but without the 'com'.

As a dancer myself, it was very interesting to see the styling of the dance scenario of the 1950 turn of the decade... and the embrace-dancing that was the norm in those days, even including some jitterbug/Lindy-hop which was still around at that point.

The human nature of attitudes, however, hasn't changed at all. Love, jealousy, emotional game-playing, unrequited love, cheating, etc etc etc., seems perennial.

It's interesting also, though, to see the 'older' generation portrayed as - almost - 'fuddy-duddies' when in fact Georgie's (Georgie played by a young Petula Clark) parents, for example would - in the film - probably be in their 50s (possibly even late 40s). Today, that age is by no means considered "old".

Nice to see the up and coming Kay Kendall in a cameo role, and faces such as Diana Dors, Petula Clark, Bonar Colleano, Dandy Nichols and Sidney Tafler, amongst others.

For what it is, the film is reasonably well written and the storyline simple enough and easy to follow, with an excellent running musical backdrop by the Geraldo orchestra.

Yes Ealing Drama.

I get fed up when people think Ealing only did comedies or think only the comedies matter.

I enjoyed this,a story based on 4 women who work in a factory and live for dancing.

I liked the look of the film and felt it was well acted.

Diana Dors does not stand out in this for me.

I am a lover of old British films and the world they show so I liked this.

It is very gritty but it does not make the women's lives look that great either.

Some on here question that women would choose to work in a factory rather than a shop or an office but factory work might have been better paid and would require less education.

The film mentions rationing once.

People who are not history fans are surprised Britain still had rationing in 1950.

I find it interesting that the women stop work when they get married in this film,that was how it was then.

10 years later women would stop work when their children were young and often go back to work when the kids started school.

So not a great film compared with Pool Of London for example but worth watching on the old film channel we all love.

The Dance Hall and the Milk Bar.Two staples in the life of young people in the 40s and 50s.Pubs were where dad came back from Sunday dinner time before falling asleep in the easy chair reading "The News of the World and listening to Billy Cotton,leaving you to take the dog for a walk.The big band era was in its death throes,finally and belatedly expiring about time Bill Hayley's first records found their way over here. Ted Heath and Geraldo were the big names in the late 40s,capturing the best musicians as they were demobbed and paying them big money. The Locarno,The Lyceum,The Palais......girls and boys usually went separately,drank,if at all,sparingly,and danced every dance as if it were their last. They were almost entirely the province of the working - class.Pale, toughened by six years of war and deprivation, determined to have the good time denied them by a mad dictator,they had one night a week away from restrictive parents when they could be amongst their peers.Naturally enough they made the most of it.Equally naturally their behaviour became the subject of disapproving articles in the newspapers such as "The News of the World" read avidly by boozy dads before falling asleep in the easy chair after Sunday dinner....and so it went on. The film "Dance Hall" would have offered worried 40s parents scant comfort,showing some of the girls as being no better than they should have been as my grandmother would have said. In a world populated by spivs,"cosh boys" and Yanks a girl would be well - advised to keep her hand on her ha'penny. Beautifully photographed by Douglas Slocombe,"Dance Hall" is an important social document,a portrait of an age of - if not perhaps innocence - then at least optimism.It features a fine performance by the ill - fated Bonar Coleano who was to die in a car accident a few years later having established himself as English Cinema's favourite Yank.It is sad to think that the pitiful dreams of those hopeful and vital young people were broken on the wheel of hard grind. "Dance Hall" is a poignant reminder of the brief time when the world seemed to have been their oyster.

Four girls visit the local "palais" or dance hall, and find romance. Even though some of the working class characters are surprisingly well spoken, the story is quite gritty for the time. One of the girls has an affair with a local lothario before she marries the Right Man who later yells at her "He didn't have to marry you, did he!" Meaning that she slept with the other man without thought of marriage - supposedly unheard of in 1950. Everyone is excellent: the young bride, Eve; her friend Mary who yearns for Eve's husband; Petula Clark as the teenage dance wannabe; Diana Dors who's always swearing off men is lovely (though her voice is dubbed). Bonar Colleano gives his no-good character depth (I thought I was clever, not caring for anybody - then I realised nobody cared for me). What a good actor he was. This film is more than just a bit of fluff.