Varsity Show (1937)

Sorry, this movie sucks

One of my all time favorites.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

. . . sing America's school kids exactly 22 minutes, 21 seconds into VARSITY SHOW, as Warner Bros. anticipates Betsy DeVos' amazing feat in surpassing even Kellyanne Conway for the title of "The Most Deplorable Woman in America" 80 years before the fact. "How do you handle a problem like DeVorhea?" these Warner warning singers might as well paraphrase the Mother Superior from THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Warner Bros. suggests that squatting in mass sit-ins will be the best way. When the kids take over the Fat Cat's "Stuyvesant Theatre" toward the end of VARSITY SHOW, no one can dislodge them. The regular NYPD cops fail. The Riot Squad fails. Even the rifle-toting New York National Guard fails. These scores of men ALL remember their High School Civics Classes (which Betsy DeVour, of course, would eliminate and outlaw) which taught them that their Oath to Uphold America's Constitution AGAINST DOMESTIC ENEMIES such as Pathologically Lying Fake News-Inventing Job-Killing Election-Rigging Depression-Causing Murderous Greedhead Republicans Trumps any of these Red Commie KGB Usurpers' allegedly legal orders. It's okay to Begin the Resistance with Nonviolent Sit-ins, Warner advises us here, but at the FIRST DROP of Blue Collar or Student Blood it's a case of All Hands on Deck to TAKE BACK America by Any Means Necessary!

The screenplay is rather like a poor man's precursor to MGM's "Babes on Broadway", that would be released a few years later. That's not to say this film is bad. Universal also filmed their version of a school group trying to take their annual musical play to Broadway, in "Mr. Big", starring Don O'Connor. It's about time to put on the annual varsity Show at Winfield College. But stodgy old Professor Biddle, as the producer, resists suggestions that the show be modernized. At the suggestion of the 2 janitors, the student leaders go to NYC to see alumnus Chuck Daly(Dick Powell), who has been producing Broadway shows. At first, he's not interested, as he has an offer from Hollywood. Eventually, he gives in, hoping that his Hollywood offer will still be intact a few weeks later. However, the faculty refuse to let him take over from Prof. Biddle as the producer/director. Now, his Hollywood offer has been withdrawn, and he's broke, so he and his manager, Mr. Williams(Ted Healy), head back to their home base in NYC, telling the kids they're going to Hollywood. The kids eventually figure out this deception, so pack up and head for NYC, where they take over a theater apparently owned or rented by Mr. Williams. They refuse to leave until their show is seen, but Mr. Williams insists they need to fork over $4500. before. He calls the police to force them out, but the police are transfixed by the first part of their show and settle down in seats to watch the rest. More police are called, with the same result. Finally, the national guard is called. As they storm in, Fred Waring has his orchestra play "Pack Up Your Troubles......", which helps calm them down, as they too become interested in the progressing play. The show continues to completion, with a major musical production at the end, ending with an embrace between Daly(Powell), and co-ed Babs( Rosemary Lane).The screenplay is energized throughout with the natural enthusiasm of a mass of college-aged(actually mostly older)adults.... Ted Healy(Mr. Williams), provides some laughs periodically, especially relating to the defense of his theater against the horde of thespians who have taken it over....Walter Catlett is also amusing as the stodgy Pro. Biddle. He reminds me of a cross between Ed Wynn and silent film comedy star Harold Lloyd. ...Mabel Todd, in her first Hollywood film, plays a goofy dumb blond, who takes a liking to Mr. Williams. She would return to play a similar character in "Hollywood Hotel" and "Gold Diggers of 1937", also released in 1937. Some find her attempts at humor more irritating than funny. She had a relatively brief Hollywood career, never rising above a supporting player.Most of the new songs were composed by the team of Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer. They were well dispersed throughout the screen play. None would now be considered "keepers", although most were pleasantly serviceable. Half a dozen songs are listed at this site that apparently were included in a 120 min, version, rather than the 80 min. version I saw. Probably, it was decided 120 min. was too long. We have the African American team of Ford Lee and John Sublett in a piano and tap dance performance, the first to "You've Got Something There", later to "Love is On the Air Tonight" Singers included sisters Priscilla and Rosemary Lane, who performed separately, in this, their Hollywood debut. Rosemary would again serve as the leading lady in the subsequent "Hollywood Hotel", and "Gold Diggers of 1937", also released in 1937. The visually rather spectacular finale musical production includes a variety of songs, both reprisals of new songs, and traditional college football fight songs. The marching around, while making various patterns, is classic Busby Berkeley choreography. Quite lengthy, but not quite in the same league as some of Busby's most interesting dance productions. The dancers began as a triangle, moving forward. They would end the show as a triangle moving backwards, away from the audience.Presently available as part of the Busby Berkeley Collection.

Mindless fluff, but a lot of fun all the way through. Busby Berkeley sure knew a thing or two about troop formations. This 1930s Warner Bros. musical/comedy features a fresh cast, including Priscilla Lane, Sterling Holloway, Johnnie "Scat" Davis, Mabel Todd, and Rosemary Lane as college kids. Dick Powell is an alumnus enlisted to help stage the school show, with Ted Healy along for the ride. Lots of 1930s-era college silliness, with freshman caps, fraternity pins, sorority houses, school pride and all that. Berkeley choreographs the rah-rah finale, while the "plot" is never entirely resolved. Priscilla Lane is very cute as an enthusiastic coed and older sister Rosemary Lane is very pretty as the romantic lead.

This is not "Gold diggers of 1933" or "Footlight Parade," but it is a competent and fun musical. While not an "A" picture, it is a solid "B." There may not be anything great here, but everything is loud, energetic and good. There are many small delights for people willing to lookThis was directed by William Keighley between two excellent Errol Flynn movies that he directed: "The Prince and the Pauper" and "Adventures of Robin Hood". He also did directed two fine James Cagney movies, "G Men" and "Each Dawn I Die". He also did the classic comedy, "The Man Who Came to Dinner" The movie has a bunch of fine second bananas, Walter Catlett, Sterling Holloway and Ted Healey. Catlett had bit parts in many classic comedies, for example, "Bringing up Baby" and "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" He was a much in demand actor doing 50 films between 1940 and 1944, getting 6th-10th billing in almost all of them. Adorable Sterling Holloway adds his nice spaecy bits. Even Ted Healey, who is associated with the Three Stooges comes off well. He played the leader of the Three Stooges, a part that the Moe Fine took over when they split up. In the movie, he is referred to as a stooge and he plays the part convincingly.This is the first movie for Priscilla and Rosemary Lane. There older sister, Lola, had been a star for eight years by this. All three sisters would continue to make movies for about ten more years. While I'm unfamiliar with Rosemary Lane's films, Priscilla was in at least three classics, "Arsenic and Old Lace" "The Roaring Twenties" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Saboteur. Both sisters are delightful here.George Washington Lee and William Sublett as Buck and Bubbles do a couple of wonderful dance routines.The finale is by Busby Berkeley. While people are right to point out that this football number is not one of his best, even average Busby Berkeley is better than most musical numbers by anybody else.Overall, the movie doesn't dazzle, but it zips along, brightens the day and puts a smile on your face. I would love to see the missing 40 minutes.