"I'm outta my mind to fall in love with a guy like you" ~ Lily "Venus" Brown
In 1941 Carole starred in the musical romance Dance Hall. She had the leading role of Lily "Venus" Brown, a beautiful lounge singer who helps a songwriter and falls
in love with her boss. At the time she was under contract at 20th Century Fox. The cast includes Cesar Romero (as Lily's love interest) June Storey, William Henry, and Charles Halton. This was the first of four films she made with Cesar Romero who would become one of her closest friends. Dance Hall was based on the 1932 novel The Giant Swing by W. R. Burnett. It was directed by Irving Pichel. Filming took place at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles during April and May of 1941.
Carole and Cesar Romero
There were several nights when they had to work until five in the morning. Cesar later said that they had a lot of fun and that Carole never complained. Her costumes were designed by Herschel. Fox gave her top billing and spent a lot of money promoting the film. She sings several songs including "There's Something In The Air" and "There's A Lull In My Life". Carole was thrilled she got the chance to sing and said she got "a kick" out of the role. Dance Hall was released on July 18, 1941. The movie got mixed reviews and was not a box-office hit. One reviewer said it gave Carole "the opportunity to show her vocal talents as well as her not inconsiderable charm." In 2013 one of the dresses she wore in the film was sold at Julien's Auctions.
The gold lame dress Carole wore in the film
Dance Hall is available to watch at the Internet Archive