Wed 26 May 2010
A Movie Review by Walter Albert: RUMBA (1935)
Posted by Steve under Films: Comedy/Musicals , Reviews[3] Comments
RUMBA. Paramount, 1935. George Raft, Carole Lombard, Lynne Overmann, Margo, Iris Adrian, Gail Patrick.
Photography: Ted Teztlaff; art direction: Hans Dreier and Robert Usher. Dances and ensembles staged by LeRoy Prinz; specialty dance created and staged by Veloz and Yolanda. Director: Marion Gering. Shown at Cinecon 45, Hollywood CA, September 2009.
Maybe I was just worn down by four days of movie watching, but this second pairing of Raft and Lombard (after their success in Bolero, 1934) didn’t consistently hold my interest.
Lombard is a socialite, Raft a dancer, both of them with the same winning lottery ticket, but Raft’s is shown to be a counterfeit and he is forced to return the money. When Lombard sees him dance and recognizes his talent, she tries to give him back the money but he refuses to take it.
The film continues along this path of characters at odds, from different social classes and different temperaments, the. reserved Lombard, the hot-tempered Raft, but fated to be drawn to each other. The complex mix is eventually resolved by a dance that climaxes the film and cements their relationship.
The film’s strong suits are a pulsating, insidiously seductive Latin beat, and a striking performance by Margo as the Latino dancer who is Lombard’s rival for Raft as a dance partner and as a lover. (Seen with George Raft in the photo above and to the left.)
May 26th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
There is a really offbeat Raft musical directed by Fritz Lang and with a screenplay in part by Leslie Charteris and Virgina Van Upp and music by Kurt Weill (“Mac the Knife”). That’s the one I’d like to see, though this one sounds almost as odd.
At least a reminder that Raft was first and foremost a hoofer — Al Capone just happened to like the way he played gangsters, and so did the public.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Sorry, the title is YOU AND ME. Sort of left that out didn’t I?
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Love seeing Raft looking like Valentino in this film. Raft wasnt’t the best dancer, but Rudy Valentino had the moves and grace, and was much taller and thinner. Raft did get parts at first because he looked a lot like R. V. after R.V died at age 31. Lombard is great in this film…sexy and “natural” in her acting style. This film, Rumba, was made to capitalize on the success of Bolero.. but Bolero had the better story. And no one dies in Rumba. Wish they’d spent more money on the script. Margo married Eddie Albert and their son, Edward Albert, looks so much like her. The music in Rumba is indeed captivating and those dancer extras are amazing.