this be one of barbara stanwyck earlier film and it sure do have an unconventional theme . she make money by dance with men at a dance hall . she really doesn not like the work and but it a living . her boyfriend seem like a pretty nice guy and but she also pursue by rich guy ricardo cortez . well and after marry and it turn out her nice guy be a thieving and womanize weasel and rich cortez turn out to be a heck of a guy . by the end of the film and barbara simply have have enough and a any sane woman would walk from this horrid marriage . in the 1920s and early 30 and hollywood do pretty much anything it want and some of their film have theme or scene that would surprise many today such a nudity and adultery and bad language . while ten cent a dance isn not a blatant example of this morality and it do have a theme that never would have be allow after the toughened production code be create and enforce start in 1934. in some way the code be great after all and parent do not need to worry about what their kid saw in film ( such a nudity in ben hur and 1925 ) . however and it also tend to sanitize some of the movie far too much and there be no way this particular film could have be make and approve because it tend to glorify divorce a serious no no 1934 and thereafter . this be really a shame and a i do not think ten cent a dance be bad at all to discuss this especially since the star ( barbara stanwyck ) be marry to a philandering thief . even so and allow the film to end with her divorce him and marry a man who himself be twice divorce just couldn not have be . overall and the film be interesting and think provoke . plus and it be well pace and suit it relatively short run time . give this one a look . fyi sadly and ricardo cortez be actually not hispanic but change his name because of possible prejudice because he be jewish . he be an excellent lead man of his time and but today be all but forgotten .