Friday, August 18, 2017

Movie review - "Rumba" (1935) ** (warning: spoilers)

George Raft and Carole Lombard are teamed again following Bolero but it isn't as good. There's many of the same elements - Raft wants to set up a nightclub, he has a wisecracking sidekick, there's a feisty woman who also wants him, he and Lombard dance together, its set in an exotic corner of the world (in this case Cuba), it ends with a dance between Lombard and Raft where Raft is under a death sentence.

But the story makes some errors, I feel - Lombard isn't a dancer, just a rich heiress who likes dancing - she's got no real drive or ambition herself. The threat here is made up - it's a great idea that Raft used to be in cahoots with gangsters who want to shoot him but at the end they go "oh it was all a publicity stunt" so there's no threat.

This film was post Production Code so its not as sexy or adult. Raft lives at the end, which is dull. There's a lot less going on - Bolero had war, and love triangles, and rags to riches. This has a crappy meet cute involving forged lottery tickets, a upstars-downstairs romance and lacks dramatic fire.

There is some nice dancing and Raft and Lombard have good chemistry - she has a warm and genuine-ness that helped overcome his stiffness. The sets and costumes will have interest.

No comments: