Dancing in the Dark

20th Century-Fox. Director Irving Reis; Producer George Jessel; Screenplay Mary C. McCall Jr, Jay Dratler; Camera Harry Jackson; Editor Louis Loeffler; Music Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz

William Powell
Mark Stevens
Betsy Drake
Adolphe Menjou
Randy Stuart

Twist to the backstage yarn places it in Hollywood at the 20th-Fox studio and the settings advantageously capture a showbiz flavor that lends credibility. Old formula of the story could have been trite in less expert hands.

Plot line has William Powell, a hasbeen, steered into a job at 20th-Fox as talent scout after he has refused help from the Motion Picture Relief Fund. Studio is hot after a Broadway singing star and Powell's friendship with her father is the peg for his job. He goes to New York with studio press rep Mark Stevens to sign her up, but double-crosses the lot by signing unknown Betsy Drake.

Powell's work is a great personal triumph. Drake's performance has warmth and charm and Stevens does well. Adolphe Menjou takes off headman Zanuck to a fare-thee-well.

(Color) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1949. Running time: 92 MIN.

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