September has already started but, while everyone associates the commencement of autumn and rain, it is remarkably the month of the release of “Our Dancing Daughters“, silent film debuted on 1st September 1928 (exactly 88 years ago), that skyrocketed American actress Joan Crawford from being a chorine to the Hollywood stardom.
Set in Art Deco atmospheres, this film depicts the morals and the habits of young people of the time, with a simple plot about love and girls’ independence.
The three main female characters, Diana, Ann and Bea are very different from each other: the protagonist, represented by Crawford, is the perfect embodiment of the flapper image, lively and flirtatious, though she is the most serious and virtuous; the second, portrayed by doll-facedAnita Page, is amoral and always looking for rich boys to marry, whilst the third, impersonated by Dorothy Sebastian, finds love but is haunted by her past.
Johnny Mack Brown is the most important male character in the story, as he marries Ann at first, but realizes his love for Diana “the Dangerous”.
She was described by F. S. Fitzgerald as “the best example of the flapper. Young things with a talent for living.”
Although the plot may seem quite simple and some scenes a bit prudish, this movie stands the test of time well, as it is a real gem from the “Pre-code” era and refers to important subjects like sexual needs, youth habits, marriage and women’s independence and behaviour.
It is a delight to see a young Joan Crawford, dancing her feet off in a terpsichorean Charleston, before becoming the glacial diva in the 1930s, so this film is thoroughly recommended to anyone.
Plus, spectators can see her dancing while pulling on her undies!
