''Dancing Man'' is a 1934 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by

Albert Ray Albert Ray (August 28, 1897 – February 5, 1944) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1920 and 1939. He also appeared in 18 films between 1915 and 1922. He was born in New Roche ...

and starring Reginald Denny,

Judith Allen Judith Allen (born Marie Elliott, February 8, 1911 – October 5, 1996) was an American actress. Early years Allen was born Marie Elliot in New York City, and she grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts. She attended Leland Powers School in Bos ...

and

Edmund Breese Edmund Breese (June 18, 1871 – April 6, 1936) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Breese was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Renshaw Breese and Josephine Busby. The Opera House in Eureka Springs ...

.Langman & Finn, p. 61 Allen was loaned out from

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

where she was under contract.

Synopsis

Paul Drexel makes his living as a

taxi dancer A taxi dancer is a paid dance partner in a partner dance. Taxi dancers are hired to dance with their customers on a dance-by-dance basis. When taxi dancing first appeared in taxi-dance halls during the early 20th century in the United States, mal ...

escorting wealthy woman to

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and citi ...

s. He meets and falls in love with Diane Trevor, but then to her horror she discovers that he one of his previous clients was her

stepmother A stepmother, stepmum or stepmom is a non-biological female parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepmother-in-law is a stepmother of one's spouse. Children from her spouse's previous unions are known as her stepchildren. Culture Ste ...

, Tamara. When Tamara is found murdered, all suspicions seem to point towards Drexel.

Cast

* Reginald Denny as Paul Drexel *

as Diane Trevor *

as J.C. Trevor *

Natalie Moorhead Natalie Moorhead (born Nathalian Morehead, July 27, 1901 – October 6, 1992) was an American film and stage actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for distinctive platinum blond hair. Early years Moorehead grew up in Pittsburgh. ...

as Tamara Trevor * Edwin Maxwell as Morton Randall *

Douglas Cosgrove Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

as Donovan * Robert Ellis as Cavendish *

Charlotte Merriam Charlotte Merriam (April 5, 1903 – July 10, 1972) was an American motion picture actress. Career Bessie Charlotte Merriam was the daughter of army colonel Henry Clay Merriam (1879-1955) and born in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Her film car ...

as Celestine Castle *

Huntley Gordon Huntley Ashworth Gordon (October 8, 1879 – December 7, 1956) was a Canadian actor who began his career in the Silent Film era. Profile Gordon was born in Montreal, Quebec, educated in both Canada and England. He had various jobs including w ...

as Mason *

Maude Truax Maude may refer to: Places *Maude, New South Wales, a village on the lower Murrumbidgee River in Australia *Maude, South Australia, a locality in South Australia *Maude, Victoria, a town in Australia *Cape Maude, a high ice-covered cape forming ...

as Mrs. St. John * Donald Stuart as Eddie Stryker

References

Bibliography

* Langman, Larry & Finn, Daniel. ''A Guide to American Crime Films of the Thirties''. Greenwood Press, 1995. * Pitts, Michael R. ''Poverty Row Studios, 1929–1940''. McFarland & Company, 2005.

External links

* 1934 films 1934 crime films 1934 mystery films American mystery films American crime films Films directed by Albert Ray American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{mystery-film-stub