A Lesson in Love

Lesson In Love, A (1931)

*** (out of 4)

Flapper legend Helen Kane is the star of this Paramount short that contains enough sexuality that would make the Hayes Office explode in a few more years. In the film Kane plays a college student who is in class as her teacher tries to explain what love is and where it comes from. Kane doesn't want to hear any of his sappy reasons and instead up fighting with the man. However, she's crazy about him and gets one more chance to show him what real love is. There's very little plot here but that doesn't matter because Kane is so wonderful here that it will make you really depressed that more films with her wasn't made. The "Boop Boop Ba Doop" woman certainly had the biggest influence on Betty Boop who would also sing Kane's "I Wanna Be Loved by You" several times. This film contains some wonderful pre-code sexual talk as there's no doubt everyone will know what Kane means when she talks about her kind of "love". It's also pretty funny to see a film where the student and teacher are lusting after one another so this is a great candidate to show people who feel older movies didn't do anything naughty. The songs in the film aren't very good but that (and the title) shouldn't keep fans away as there's still plenty of stuff here to enjoy.

This Paramount musical short stars Helen Kane, the famous Boop Boop Ba Doop girl who enjoyed a brief movie stardom at the beginning of the sound era. Her time of stardom from the Twenties was drawing to a close when Helen Goes To College was made.

While she doesn't sing her signature song I Wanna Be Loved By You in this film, her musical number I Love Myself Cause You Love Me will give you an accurate picture of her style and appeal which sad to say for Ms. Kane didn't last longer than the Roaring Twenties.

Helen of course is a college student who is taking psychology and her professor thinks she's a dumb Dora. Of course later on at the dance he sees a whole different side to her entirely. Let's say the student teacher divide gets bridged.

The professor may be able to clinically talk about sex, but Helen gives him an opportunity for some research.

This little ten-minute comedy short with a song is priceless if only for the rare chance to see Helen Kane, one of the iconic pop singers of the late 1920's and early 1930's. Miss Kane was the Clara Bow of vinyl, her sassy, sexy, and adorable records included such legendary songs as "I Want to Be Loved By You" and "He's So Unusual", covered a half century later by Cyndi Lauper. She was 78rpm sensation in the last days of the flapper era and Paramount put her under contract in 1929 and featured her in seven feature films 1929-1930, sadly her contract with the studio ended with this short subject in 1931. The studio soon borrowed her personality, look and even her "boop-boop-a-doop" for a new cartoon character who was to become a sensation herself.

LESSON IN LOVE stars Helen as "Helen Lane", a rather pea-brained college student with a big crush on her psychology professor. Her utter ignorance wears him out ("You should have taken arsenic rather than psychology!" he snaps, to which she responds "Who teaches that?") and they snap at each other leading Helen to storm out and quit the class. Later at the school dance however Helen can't get over her feelings for Professor Hotchiss (or "Professor Hot Kiss" as Helen bumbles.)

Helen has only one song in this short "I Love Myself Cuz You Love Me". This thin little story is slight but highly appealing with some good comic lines from both Helen and the unknown actor playing the youngish professor (he's not credited, nor are the two other cast members who have lines.) Helen's a bit plump in this film but she's utterly adorable and one regrets she was so locked into the flapper era in the public's mind that her vogue passed all too quickly.

I don't know a lot about Helen Kane. However, I can see why she didn't become more famous. That's because Kane's routine was VERY broad and subtle is wasn't! Imagine Betty Boop and Gracie Allen....this is Kane's performance in this short comedy.

"A Lesson in Love" is set on some college campus. Kane is taking a psychology class so she can be near her teacher. She thinks he's dreamy and it's VERY obvious she's infatuated with him. However, she drives her teacher crazy, as she's dumber than toast and disrupts his class. Later, however, they meet by chance and PERHAPS Helen does have a chance with this cutie.

As I said, Kane's performance is brash and not even close to believable. Not only is she WAY too stupid to get into ANY college but the whole thing comes on strong. But, oddly, there's a bit of charm to all this--goofy, silly charm. Worth seeing....once.