CHARLES WALTERS
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBB.5.
USA, 1947. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Screenplay by Betty Comden, Adolph Green, based on the play by Lew Brown, Laurence Schwab, Frank Mandel, Buddy G. DeSylva, Ray Henderson. Cinematography by Charles Edgar Schoenbaum. Produced by Arthur Freed. Music by Conrad Salinger. Production Design by Edward C. Carfagno, Cedric Gibbons. Costume Design by Helen Rose, Valles. Film Editing by Albert Akst. Academy Awards 1947.
Campus comedies and musicals were a staple of the thirties and forties, and this meaningless little charmer is one of the best loved and remembered of them. It stars Peter Lawford as a college football star who can’t decide between a conniving social climber (Patricia Marshall) and a sweet and truehearted lass (June Allyson). You can pretty much figure it out from there, but along the way to the well-known finale, you’ll have fun watching the colourful costumes and listening to the tuneful collection of songs. Two numbers, “Pass That Peace Pipe” and the title song, also feature fantastic, though unbelievable choreography: fantastic because of how excellent in execution (particularly in the performance by Broadway star Joan McCracken) but unbelievable because, well, who would buy that this many college students would all know the same steps to a forty minute dance number in such perfect unison?
