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From my favorite movies..

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I wish that IMDb.com would have added the soundtrack listing because the songs and melodies were so beautiful.I enjoyed the film immensely for the nostalgia, for a moment to see Maureen Stapleton & Charles Durning once more, for the lovely, wistful songs and much more.Like many audiences, I would have appreciated the ending to be more upbeat. Maureen was only 48 yrs old at the time she performed in this film and I assumed she was playing a 50 to 55 year old lady, therefore, it was not necessary to end the relationship in such a sorrowful way because this is not a normal age for a person to pass away, although it certainly does happen.I think it would have been more realistic to show that middle and old age is not just for dying. There is still a lot to learn and time to grow. It's been said, "It's never too late to change your life (or fall in love)".The choice for them to end the movie as they did was not a major flaw, however.It was still a terrific movie and one I had not seen before. Hope they show it on TV again in the near future.

This low-key, unassuming movie is clearly a true gem from the mid-1970s! It is remarkable such a movie could be produced at a time when rock music prevailed. Indeed, the scene when Maureen Stapleton's character is criticised by her daughter for her appearance (coloured hair, makeup) points up to the unreasonable expectations of age.And indeed, we see the effort Ms. Stapleton's character makes in being her own woman. It mirrors what teens were going through then and now.This movie would hit home for me in another way, in that I am reminded of older relatives who would tune in to see "The Lawrence Welk Show." The dance hall scenes look much like the show, though this setting is in New York City. The big band music works very well here, and is well done.And the singing! Ms. Stapleton does a decent job, and Charles Durning is fantastic! You might indeed wonder if Lawrence Welk himself might have wanted Mr. Durning as one of his singers! No matter what, this is one of the best movies to come out in 1975!

Love in the autumn years is examined in this tender, yet matter-of-fact, TV-movie that is presented as a quasi-musical. Stapleton plays a widow, used to catering to her husband's needs instead of her own, who begins to blossom under the mirror ball of a local dance hall, The Stardust. Reluctant at first to take part in the festivities, she is approached by sweet-natured mailman Durning and coerced into dancing. Soon, she has revitalized her life and herself, sometimes to the consternation of her sister Rae and her two grown children Sanders and Brandon. She and Durning strike up a late in life relationship that includes an unforeseen challenge or two. Stapleton, an actress who can say more than a lot of other ones with merely a glance or a faraway stare, does an excellent job throughout. The nature of the teleplay forces her to speak-sing a couple of numbers and this takes some getting used to, but once that conceit is adjusted to, it becomes less jarring. Durning, who is excellent as well in an atypical role for him, also has to do an internalized number and, like Stapleton, overcomes the obvious lack of a truly strong musical theatre voice. They make a charming and believable pair worth rooting for. Brandon, in a smallish role as Stapleton's long-haired, caring son, establishes a nice rapport with her. Sanders and Rae are on hand to offer some mild antagonism. The ballroom offers a wide array of amusing types, mostly past-their-prime folks who take pleasure in gussying up and tripping the light fantastic with one another. The dancing sequences (which aren't particularly elaborate, but are appropriate) were staged by no less than Marge Champion! In late 1978, this material was reworked a little (most of the songs replaced and new ones added, including the stunning "Fifty Percent") into the one-act Broadway musical "Ballroom", which starred Dorothy Loudon and Vincent Gardenia and was helmed by Michael Bennett. Compared to the smashing success of Bennett's prior "A Chorus Line", the show was deemed a disappointment and closed after 116 performances.

The reasons I bought this DVD are because I'd rembered this film as being great fun (having seen it 15+ yrs ago on TV), Maureen Stapleton is a top drawer actress and I'm nearly as sentimental as the film.But there is so much more. It's done quite creatively. The five or so bits where the two main characters sing their thoughts to themselves worked. Normally that would be difficult to pull off & Hollywood would flub it up. Part of the reason why I enjoyed it (or found it acceptable, which I normally wouldn't) is because it's quite apparent that they're from a generation raised to be selective about the thoughts they share, in stark contrast to today's society. It's also shot in a rather different manner, or have I forgotten how films of the 70s were photographed?Queen of the Stardust Ballroom raises the moral bar by ignoring unwarranted judgements and dealing with more important matters.And Maureen Stapleton... she's one class act and a brilliant actress.