Another interesting piece! I never knew about taxi dancers until recently watching the (quite good) 2005 film The White Countess, where Natasha Richardson plays a taxi dancer contra Ralph Fiennes. The "hostess bars" in modern-day Japan seem quite similar really, but with less dancing and more karaoke and drinking. This seems to exist to some degree in the USA, but only for the ultra rich (VIP lounges). I wonder if something analogous will ever exist here for the middle class again.
Where I grew up, common wisdom was that you should never make love standing up . . . "someone might accuse you of dancing." Yeah, it was a "church thang."
I recently saw a movie in which Lucille Ball is a taxi dancer. Then she turns detective after one of the other taxi dancers is murdered. The taxi dancing scene is short, but enough to give you an idea of how it worked. "Lured" (1947) - Lucille in fine form, an over-the-top Boris Karloff, some splendid gowns, and - spoiler alert - the murderer is caught because of his penchant for reading French poetry, that most suspicious of activities :)
Thank you for mentioning this film, Maria. "Lured" (1947) appears to have been inspired by a Cornell Woolrich short story called "Dime a Dance" (aka "The Dancing Detective") (Black Mask, February, 1938). The story was adapted for an episode of the radio drama series "Suspense", and this adaptation is also titled "Dime a Dance" and it also stars Lucille Ball. There is a prior film adaptation called "Pièges/Personal Column" (1939). The most recent filmed version that I can think of is an episode of the series “Fallen Angels”, it’s also titled “A Dime a Dance” (1995) and stars dirty dancer Jennifer Grey. In 2012, I was in Thimphu, Bhutan, and I went out one night to a karaoke nightspot. At this establishment, you could also pay a dancer to dance for you on a stage. The dances were performed to popular Bhutanese songs and rather innocent, and the women wore the traditional “kira”, an ankle-length dress. But, I did get the impression that, at least for the time, this was considered a bit risqué. Now it appears to be quite accepted as these dances are widely viewable on YouTube and TikTok. I do not know whether Cornell Woolrich’s story has been adapted by a Bhutanese filmmaker, but I would love to see such a film.
You made my day - I love old time radio, and luckily there's so much of it available online these days, that it didn't take much time or effort to find this episode of "Suspense". Thanks for pointing me to it!
Both dance marathons and taxi dance halls remained as part of the collective cultural mind in the late 60s. 1969 saw the release of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (marathon dancing) and the film version of "Sweet Charity" (taxi dancing,) for example. Neither of these films were trying to glamorise these dance crazes, however.
Thanks Ted. As regards dance marathons, see the movie "They Shoot Horses Don't They" (with Jane Fonda) and don't forget "Private Dancer" written I believe by Mark Knopfler and rendered perfectly by Tina Turner
I was watching an old Hollywood gangster film a few months ago and I think one of the scenes was set in a taxi dance hall. And I'm not sure why but I think I prefer a Pope who doesn't Tango! Perhaps I am kidding myself but it must have been wonderful to go to those old dance halls, or in earlier times to see a vaudeville show. Is there anything comparable today? I think not.
This immediately put me in mind of Henry Miller’s “Sexus,” where he met Maura at one of these taxi dance halls. I always thought that seemed such an inventive and anachronistic setting, but now I understand. Excellent essay!
outstanding writing
Another interesting piece! I never knew about taxi dancers until recently watching the (quite good) 2005 film The White Countess, where Natasha Richardson plays a taxi dancer contra Ralph Fiennes. The "hostess bars" in modern-day Japan seem quite similar really, but with less dancing and more karaoke and drinking. This seems to exist to some degree in the USA, but only for the ultra rich (VIP lounges). I wonder if something analogous will ever exist here for the middle class again.
Great and interesting piece. Love the bear dance, pretty much how I dance now!!
I found a taxi-dance hall in the Philippines years ago... I think in Cebu. I was solicited by a taxi-dancer named Elmer.
Where I grew up, common wisdom was that you should never make love standing up . . . "someone might accuse you of dancing." Yeah, it was a "church thang."
I recently saw a movie in which Lucille Ball is a taxi dancer. Then she turns detective after one of the other taxi dancers is murdered. The taxi dancing scene is short, but enough to give you an idea of how it worked. "Lured" (1947) - Lucille in fine form, an over-the-top Boris Karloff, some splendid gowns, and - spoiler alert - the murderer is caught because of his penchant for reading French poetry, that most suspicious of activities :)
Thank you for mentioning this film, Maria. "Lured" (1947) appears to have been inspired by a Cornell Woolrich short story called "Dime a Dance" (aka "The Dancing Detective") (Black Mask, February, 1938). The story was adapted for an episode of the radio drama series "Suspense", and this adaptation is also titled "Dime a Dance" and it also stars Lucille Ball. There is a prior film adaptation called "Pièges/Personal Column" (1939). The most recent filmed version that I can think of is an episode of the series “Fallen Angels”, it’s also titled “A Dime a Dance” (1995) and stars dirty dancer Jennifer Grey. In 2012, I was in Thimphu, Bhutan, and I went out one night to a karaoke nightspot. At this establishment, you could also pay a dancer to dance for you on a stage. The dances were performed to popular Bhutanese songs and rather innocent, and the women wore the traditional “kira”, an ankle-length dress. But, I did get the impression that, at least for the time, this was considered a bit risqué. Now it appears to be quite accepted as these dances are widely viewable on YouTube and TikTok. I do not know whether Cornell Woolrich’s story has been adapted by a Bhutanese filmmaker, but I would love to see such a film.
You made my day - I love old time radio, and luckily there's so much of it available online these days, that it didn't take much time or effort to find this episode of "Suspense". Thanks for pointing me to it!
Both dance marathons and taxi dance halls remained as part of the collective cultural mind in the late 60s. 1969 saw the release of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (marathon dancing) and the film version of "Sweet Charity" (taxi dancing,) for example. Neither of these films were trying to glamorise these dance crazes, however.
Wouldn't strip clubs be the contemporary version of taxi dance halls? If so, that would make Ruth Etting the proto Cardio B.
We have a pretty good analog to this today, it’s called Only Fans.
Great article Ted. I am sure that you know that tango originated in the whore houses of Argentina. I hope the Pope is not reading this.
Thanks Ted. As regards dance marathons, see the movie "They Shoot Horses Don't They" (with Jane Fonda) and don't forget "Private Dancer" written I believe by Mark Knopfler and rendered perfectly by Tina Turner
I was watching an old Hollywood gangster film a few months ago and I think one of the scenes was set in a taxi dance hall. And I'm not sure why but I think I prefer a Pope who doesn't Tango! Perhaps I am kidding myself but it must have been wonderful to go to those old dance halls, or in earlier times to see a vaudeville show. Is there anything comparable today? I think not.
Aja… when all my dime dancing is through.. I run to you
This immediately put me in mind of Henry Miller’s “Sexus,” where he met Maura at one of these taxi dance halls. I always thought that seemed such an inventive and anachronistic setting, but now I understand. Excellent essay!
Interesting, especially as we are sort of coming out of the isolation of Covid.
Timing is good in that I am revisiting Ishmael Reed’s “Mumbo Jumbo” which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with an audio book version.
The Beato interview has me revisiting your “Subversive History of Music” which I think puts a lot of this in context.
Also surprised learning yesterday that SOS Antony Blinken has a not so hidden musical life (including gigging recently with Jeff “Skunk” Baxter)