Movie where the main actress doubles as real dancer and as a dancing machine

Question

I watched this old movie about a decade ago (early 2000), but have so far been unable to find it via Google or the IMDB.

By old, I mean it seemed like something from the 1940s or 1950s. I am not sure anymore, if it was black & white. I am sure, though, that it was not a silent movie.

The plot involved a woman, who is a dancer, her father, who is some kind of artificer/tinkerer, and the (possibly to be) husband of the woman.

The father crafted a machine/robot in the likeness of his daughter (played by the same actress as the daughter), which was able to perform a dance. I think this was for some important event to showcase his prowess or something in that vein. The woman or possibly her husband accidentally damaged the machine, so it could no longer perform its dance. They do not tell the father for whatever reason. On the day of the event, the daughter masquerades as the robot and performs the dance in its stead.

Aside from these few plot-scraps, I remember that there were three different dance-styles: the living daughter, the machine daughter and especially the living daughter masquerading as the machine, all very well done by the actress.

Any ideas?

James McLeod · Answer

Do you recall if it was silent or a talky? If it was silent, it might have been Fritz Lang's Metropolis, from 1927. Some of your recollections tally, some don't.

Here's the dance scene from Metropolis, as danced by the robot Futura masquerading as Maria. I don't recall the human Maria taking Futura's place, but it has been a very long time since I saw this film. Regardless, the clip of the dance scene should be enough to rule out Metropolis if it isn't the film you're thinking of.

Shadopholous · Answer

From your description the obvious answer (seeing as you have said it was a talky thus ruling out Metropolis) would probably be "The Perfect Woman"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041744/

Although I've only seen scraps of it, so I'm not sure about all the dancing bits.

There's not much info on the IMDB summary page. About this much:

In need of cash, Roger Cavendish and his valet take a job escorting
  the perfect woman for a night on the town. She is in fact the robotic
  creation of Professor Belman, but it turns out rather to be the
  Professor's niece Penelope doing a pretty good imitation of the
  perfect Olga who winds up with them in the bridal suite at the Hotel
  Splendide.

My old copy of The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction (1st edition, and long ago misplaced) had a little article on it which is why it rang a bell with me.

King of NES · Answer

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, has a scene were the lady in the film acts like a music box, while the tinkerer(father) acts like a dummy that also sings. I doubt this is what you're looking for, but it has similar elements, and was from the 40s/50s?

Answered by King of NES on July 15, 2021

FuzzyBoots · Answer

Recognizing that you have stated that you do not believe this to be a silent film, 1919 The Doll matches up with the plotline.

Because the Baron of Chanterelle wants to preserve his family line, he forces his timid nephew, Lancelot, to choose one of the village maidens, to wed. Lancelot flees to a monastery to escape the forty, eager maidens. When the gluttonous monks discover that the Baron is offering a large sum for the marriage, they suggest Lancelot marry a mechanical doll instead. The doll maker has just finished making a replica of his daughter Ossi, but his assistant accidentally breaks it and convinces the real girl to mimic the doll. Lancelot buys her, thinking she is a doll, and takes her back to the monastery, where they are wed.

You can see the scene of the dolls being presented by dancing around the 25 minute mark.

Movie where the main actress doubles as real dancer and as a dancing machine

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