Born to Dance (1936)

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Passed
1h 46min
Comedy, Musical
27 Nov 1936 (USA)
Movie

6.7 (1,935)

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On leave, a sailor falls in love with a young lady aspiring to become a Broadway dancer, but their relationship is jeopardized by an established Broadway star, who is also enamored by him.

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Stars:

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.
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Photos and Videos

Sailor Ted meets at the Lonely Hearts Club of his friend Gunny's wife, Jenny, a girl, Nora Paige, and falls in love. Nora wants to become a dancer on Broadway. Ted rescues the Pekinese of Lucy James, a Broadway star during a public relations campaign on his submarine. Lucy falls in love with Ted, and Ted is ordered by his Captain to meet her in a night club, in spite of the fact that he has a date with Nora. Nora, who lives with Jenny and her and Gunny's daughter, doesn't want to hear anything from Ted, after she spotted a picture of Ted and Lucy in the morning paper. Lucy convinces her manager Dinehart to stop the press campaign and tells him that she would leave the production, if another photo or article of her and Ted is published. Nora has become her understudy, and she begins to think her behaviour to Ted over. Suddenly she is fired after Dinehart told her to dance a number Lucy James called undanceable. But when Ted is told the whole story, he knows what to do.

Still of James Stewart (I) and Eleanor Powell (I) in Born to Dance (1936)

Still of Una Merkel and Juanita Quigley in Born to Dance (1936)

Still of James Stewart (I), Eleanor Powell (I), Peter Gowland and Vivian Faulkner in Born to Dance (1936)

Still of Eleanor Powell (I), Jacqueline Daix, Midgie Dare, Doris Davenport, Mary Dees, Gay DeLys, Sugar Geise, Peter Gowland, Shep Houghton, Alice Jans, Edna Mae Jones, Jean Joyce, Pearlie Norton, Geraldine Robertson, Ginger Wyatt, Vivian Faulkner, Wilma Holly, Georgia Spence, Helen MacDonald (II), Jean Vernon, Georgia Lee (IV) and Phyllis Moore (II) in Born to Dance (1936)

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61 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	Eleanor Powell	...	Nora Paige
	James Stewart	...	Ted Barker
	Virginia Bruce	...	Lucy James
	Una Merkel	...	Jenny Saks
	Sid Silvers	...	'Gunny' Saks
	Frances Langford	...	'Peppy' Turner
	Raymond Walburn	...	Capt. Dingby
	Alan Dinehart	...	McKay
	Buddy Ebsen	...	'Mush' Tracy
	Juanita Quigley	...	Sally Saks
	Georges	...	Georges
	Jalna	...	Jalna
	Reginald Gardiner	...	Policeman
	Barnett Parker	...	Floorwalker
	J. Marshall Smith	...	Member of The Foursome
	L. Dwight Snyder	...	Member of The Foursome
	Jay Johnson	...	Member of The Foursome (as Ray Johnson)
	Del Porter	...	Member of The Foursome
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Jean Ashton	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Monica Bannister	...	Waitress at Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Bonnie Bannon	...	Waitress at Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Barbara Bedford	...	Hector's Secretary (uncredited)
	Charles Bennett	...	Quartet Member (uncredited)
	Joseph Bjorndahl	...	Solo Bit in 'Entrance of Lucy James' Number (uncredited)
	Myrla Bratton	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Anita Brown	...	Anita - Lucy's Maid (uncredited)
	Edna Callahan	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Charles Coleman	...	Club Continental Waiter (uncredited)
	Zebedy Colt	...	Boy Piano Player (uncredited)
	Diane Cook	...	Girl at Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Jacqueline Daix	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Midgie Dare	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Doris Davenport	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Mary Dees	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Gay DeLys	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Vivian Faulkner	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Ernie Feutz	...	Quartet Member (uncredited)
	James Flavin	...	Ship's Officer (uncredited)
	Otto Fries	...	Quartet Member (uncredited)
	Sig Frohlich	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Sugar Geise	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Wesley Giraud	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
	Peter Gowland	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Mary Gwynne	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Beatrice Hagen	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Jonathan Hale	...	Hector - Columnist (uncredited)
	Sherry Hall	...	Cameraman (uncredited)
	Wilma Holly	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Maynard Holmes	...	Lonely Hearts Patron Drinking Soda (uncredited)
	David S. Horsley	...	Sailor (uncredited)
	Shep Houghton	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Alice Jans	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Edna Mae Jones	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Jean Joyce	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Leona Keene	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
	Naomi Keene	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
	John Kelly	...	Recruiting Officer (uncredited)
	George King	...	Assistant Stage Manager (uncredited)
	Georgia Lee	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Ralph Leon	...	Solo Bit in 'Entrance of Lucy James' Number (uncredited)
	Lorna Low	...	Guest at the Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Helen MacDonald	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Wally Maher	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Joe Mandel	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
	William Mandel	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
	Douglas McPhail	...	Solo Bit in 'Entrance of Lucy James' Number (uncredited)
	Phyllis Moore	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Norman Nielson	...	Solo Bit in 'Entrance of Lucy James' Number (uncredited)
	Pearlie Norton	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Dennis O'Keefe	...	Spectator at Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Franklin Parker	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Wanda Perry	...	Guest at Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Gus Reed	...	Quartet Member (uncredited)
	Mildred Rehn	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Geraldine Robertson	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Maryette Sheenan	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Georgia Spence	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
	Harry Strang	...	Sailor (uncredited)
	Irene Thompson	...	Guest at the Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Charles Trowbridge	...	Model Home Spokesman (uncredited)
	Helen Troy	...	McKay's Telephone Operator (uncredited)
	John Tyrrell	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Jean Vernon	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Allan Watson	...	Solo Bit in 'Entrance of Lucy James' Number (uncredited)
	Bobby Watson	...	Costume Designer and Assistant Stage Manager (uncredited)
	June Wilkins	...	Girl at Lonely Hearts Club (uncredited)
	Ginger Wyatt	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Katherine Yorke	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Directed by

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Roy Del Ruth

Written by

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Jack McGowan	...	(screen play) and
Sid Silvers	...	(screen play)

Jack McGowan	...	(from a story by) &
Sid Silvers	...	(from a story by) and
Buddy G. DeSylva	...	(from a story by) (as B.G. DeSylva)

Produced by

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Jack Cummings

...

producer

Cinematography by

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Ray June

...

(photographed by)

Editing by

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Blanche Sewell

...

film editor

Art Direction by

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Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by

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Adrian

...

(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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William J. Scully

...

assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Edwin B. Willis	...	associate art director
Joseph C. Wright	...	associate art director (as Joseph Wright)

Sound Department

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Douglas Shearer	...	recording director
William Steinkamp	...	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Eddie Croninworth	...	still photographer (uncredited)
George Hommel	...	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff

...

costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Leo Arnaud	...	choral arrangements
Roger Edens	...	musical arrangements
Alfred Newman	...	musical director
Cole Porter	...	words and music by
Edward B. Powell	...	orchestrator (as Edward Powell)
Merrill Pye	...	musical presentation
Delos Jewkes	...	singing voice: "Rolling Home" number (uncredited)
Marjorie Lane	...	singing voice: Miss Powell (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Dave Gould	...	dance ensembles
Harvey S. Haislip	...	marine advisor (as Harvey S. Haislip Commander U.S.N. Ret.)
Marilyn Kinsley	...	stand-in: Miss Powell (uncredited)
Tom Sale	...	stand-in: James Stewart (uncredited)

Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (United States) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Film AB Le Mat-Metro-Goldwyn (1936) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (France) (theatrical)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (United States) (VHS)
Warner Home Video (2008) (United States) (DVD)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (Belgium) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (France) (theatrical)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Turner Entertainment (VHS package design)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	Sailor Ted meets at the Lonely Hearts Club of his friend Gunny's wife, Jenny, a girl, Nora Paige, and falls in love. Nora wants to become a dancer on Broadway. Ted rescues the Pekinese of Lucy James, a Broadway star during a public relations campaign on his submarine. Lucy falls in love with Ted, and Ted is ordered by his Captain to meet her in a night club, in spite of the fact that he has a date with Nora. Nora, who lives with Jenny and her and Gunny's daughter, doesn't want to hear anything from Ted, after she spotted a picture of Ted and Lucy in the morning paper. Lucy convinces her manager Dinehart to stop the press campaign and tells him that she would leave the production, if another photo or article of her and Ted is published. Nora has become her understudy, and she begins to think her behaviour to Ted over. Suddenly she is fired after Dinehart told her to dance a number Lucy James called undanceable. But when Ted is told the whole story, he knows what to do. Written by Stephan Eichenberg Plot Summary Plot Synopsis
Plot Keywords	song aspiring-dancer female-tap-dancer tap-dancer based-on-story See All (51) »
Taglines	MGM's successor to "THE GREAT ZIEGFELD" See more »
Genres	Comedy Musical Romance
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Finland:S France:Tous publics United Kingdom:U United States:Passed (National Board of Review) United States:Approved United States:TV-G (TV rating)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	L'amiral mène la danse (France) Zum Tanzen geboren (Germany) Nacida para la danza (Spain) De admiraal leidt den dans (Belgium, Flemish title) Nacidos para bailar (Venezuela) See more »
Runtime	106 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Filming Locations	Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Cole Porter picked James Stewart for the male lead and later said he sang "Easy to Love" as well as any professional singer. A dubbing track was prepared with baritone Jack Owens, but it was decided that Stewart's tenor voice was perfect for the song. In That's Entertainment! (1974), Stewart said, "The song had become a huge hit, even my singing wouldn't hurt it." See more »
Goofs	The opening scene is set aboard a submarine entering New York Harbor while submerged at periscope depth. Her skipper would have brought her in while surfaced - the risk of collision in a busy port is substantial. See more »
Movie Connections	Edited into Grand Central Murder (1942). See more »
Soundtracks	Rolling Home See more »
Crazy Credits	Opening credits are shown over a female figure tap-dancing on stage. See more »
Quotes	McKay's Telephone Operator: [on phone with her friend] Oh say guess who I seen at Club Continental last night? Lucy James with that sailor she met through a Pekingese. Believe me he's a sea-goin' thrill if I ever seen one. What's he like? Well, tall - sort of the answer to a maiden's prayer on stilts. Honest he must be six feet four and that's just two inches shorter than a totem pole. Oh but he's got a smile like concentrated vodka. Vodka! Oh it's a Japanese drink made out of panther blood I think. See more »

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