The Unfinished Dance

Released Sep 19, 1947

1 hr. 41 min.

Musical

List

67%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

29%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

At New York City's Metropolitan Opera Company, ballet student Meg Merlin (Margaret O'Brien) longs to follow in the footsteps of star dancer Ariane Bouchet (Cyd Charisse). When the company hires the renowned ballerina Anna La Darina (Karin Booth) to play the lead in "Swan Lake," the fiercely jealous Meg rigs a trap door to sabotage the dancer's solo performance. But a fellow dancer suspects Meg is responsible for the misdeed and threatens to expose her.

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Audience Member

The greatest 01 hour: and 41 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Dark, melodramatic MGM musical drama with Margaret O'Brien as a creepy little girl and Cyd Charisse (gorgeous in Technicolor) dancing several ballet excerpts including David Rose's "Holiday for Strings." Film debut of Danny Thomas.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

ok chick flick or as they were referred to at the time-weepie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

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Henry Koster

Director

Margaret O'Brien

"Meg" Merlin

Cyd Charisse

Mlle. Ariane Bouchet

Karin Booth

La Darina

Elinor Donahue

Josie

Danny Thomas

Mr. Paneros

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

The Unfinished Dance is a big splash of show-off theatre, in which the story is as slickly decorative as are the elaborately staged ballets.

Mar 12, 2020

Full Review

Nicole Armour

Film Comment Magazine

[Margaret] O'Brien imbues [her character] with the rawness and roughness of a child in need of direction, but her fortitude is never in doubt.

May 12, 2014

Full Review

Moira Walsh

America Magazine

Here is material for a penetrating drama, but the plot is suffused with false glamor, sticky sentiment and Pollyannaish sweetness and light.

Jul 15, 2021

Full Review

Jack Moffitt

Esquire Magazine

[There's] one character whom no man will want to miss. His name is Danny Thomas and he's good. He's a comedian with sympathy and heart interest.

Mar 11, 2020

Full Review

Josephine O'Neill

Daily Telegraph (Australia)

Saccharine.

Apr 2, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The Hollywood version reduces the great French film to standard fare.

Rated: B-

Aug 30, 2016

Full Review

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Synopsis

At New York City's Metropolitan Opera Company, ballet student Meg Merlin (Margaret O'Brien) longs to follow in the footsteps of star dancer Ariane Bouchet (Cyd Charisse). When the company hires the renowned ballerina Anna La Darina (Karin Booth) to play the lead in "Swan Lake," the fiercely jealous Meg rigs a trap door to sabotage the dancer's solo performance. But a fellow dancer suspects Meg is responsible for the misdeed and threatens to expose her.

Director: Henry Koster
Screenwriter: Myles Connolly
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 1947, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2012

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