Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) review

When an Akron nightclub gets shut down by the fuzz - it doubled as a speak-easy - dancer Judy O'Brien (Maureen O'Hara), along with frenemy Bubbles (Lucille Ball), return to NYC where Judy goes back to her old instructor Madame Lydia (Maria Ouspenskaya) to find work and winds up a "stooge" in Bubbles' unbelievably successful burlesque show.  Many have remarked how interesting the dancing is - and watching Ms. Ball "strip" is something in itself - and I'd argue it's the best part since it's the most focused: in fact, when it moves away those numbers it has a screwy plot to contend with, which includes someone getting hit by a car, a producer (Ralph Bellamy) actually stalking Judy and a wealthy eccentric (Louis Hayward, whose character is a little schizo) still in love with the wife (Virginia Field) he's inexplicably divorcing.  It gives you some pieces to pick together to try to make you think it's competent - the stuffed bull named Ferdinand, plenty of "gazing" (but more like weird staring), the speech O'Hara's delivers to the horny (and quite vocal) men - but there's a difference between intent and execution.  Relax, Ladies, Relax.