In this pre-Code dramatic musical, Hal Skelly plays a burlesque entertainer who eventually makes it big on Broadway but can’t handle success. The Dance of Life is adapted from the stage hit Burlesque, which also starred Skelly.

The movie was originally shot in two-strip Technicolor, but only black and white TV prints such as this one survive. The Internet Archive Top 100 is packed with movies like this one, which provides a glimpse into a bygone era as it tells a fascinating story.