In the Spotlight (1935) review: Rubber legs and cheap ship sets

If you have twenty minutes to spare today and love watching people with rubber legs dance on a fake boat, In the Spotlight is totally worth your time. But if you hate high-pitched 1930s talking and plotlines that feel like they were written on a napkin during lunch, just skip this one.

I found this short while digging through old Vitaphone musical reels. It stars Hal LeRoy, who plays a shy deckhand who can somehow dance like his bones are made of jelly.

Dorothy Lee is the girl who notices him. She has this incredibly squeaky voice that is either adorable or completely grating depending on how much coffee you have had. ☕

The whole thing takes place on a ship deck that looks about as seaworthy as a cardboard box. You can actually see the background canvas wrinkling in one of the shots.

But honestly, who cares about the set? The moment Hal starts dancing, the movie just takes off.

He does this weird thing where his knees knock together and he slides across the floor. It is way more energetic than the stiff acting in The Personality Kid.

There is also a singer named Robert Simmons who shows up to sing a love song. His hair is parted so perfectly it looks painted on his head.

He stares directly into the camera with this intense, unblinking gaze. It actually got a bit creepy after about ten seconds, like he was looking into my soul.

I kept waiting for some drama, like maybe a storm or a jewel heist. But no, this isn't Footsteps in the Night.

It is literally just an excuse to get a bunch of people in sailor suits to tap dance. And you know what? That is perfectly fine with me.

There is this one extra in the back of the group numbers who is consistently half a beat behind everyone else. I ended up just watching him for three minutes straight.

He looks so happy to be there, even if he has no real idea what the choreography is.

If you want a masterpiece, go watch Wings of the Morning. But if you want some goofy, fast-paced fun, this little short does the trick.

It is clumsy and cheap, but it has a weird charm. Sometimes that is all you really need on a Tuesday night.