A Yank at Oxford

Hollywood's MGM, wanting to capitalize on the United Kingdom law that required its theaters to show at least 20 percent of its films be made in the commonwealth, created an English subsidiary company called MGM-British Studios. Its first movie released under the new branch was February 1938's "A Yank in Oxford." MGM longed to establish a presence in England ever since the 'Cinematograph Films Act of 1927' was passed by the Parliament, which was designed to project the UK movie industry from being overrun by Hollywood films. One product of the law produced a large number of cheaply made English B-movies, called 'Quota Quickies.' MGM felt it could improve upon the quality of the British pictures, using a mix of the county's talented actors with a few Hollywood stars. MGM production head Louis B. Mayer wanted to give one of his newfound actors, Robert Taylor, a more masculine edge to counter his 'pretty boy' image males viewers found a bit feminine. "A Yank at Oxford's" screenplay, with a contribution from writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, focused on college athlete Lee Sheridan (Taylor), a track and field specialist. His athleticism attracts the attention of one of the colleges making up 'the University of Oxford' network of schools, the fictitious Cardinal College. He meets student Molly Beaumont (Maureen O'Sullivan) as well as a philandering wife of a book store owner, Elsa Craddock (Vivien Leigh).

Taylor's macho image was forever imprinted because of "A Yank in Oxford," an objective Mayer had intended. Said Taylor biographer Lawrence Quirk, "He rows, he races, he wears brief track suits which demonstrate to everyone's final satisfaction that he has a good mat of hair on his chest, and he even gets into fist fights during the course of the film." It helped Taylor excelled in track when he attended Doane College years earlier. Before the camera the actor ran the foot races and the rowed in the skulls without needing any body double. Taylor later played in a number of World War Two combat films as well as in rough-and-tumble Westerns.

English producer Michael Balcon, responsible for elevating Alfred Hitchcock into his director chair, was head of the new MGM-British Studios. He was directing "A Yank in Oxford" when Louis Mayer, attentive towards his new overseas studio's first film, visited the set several times early in the production. Balcon and Meyers soon clashed over his methods, and shortly was replaced by MGM stalwart Jack Conway.

Balcom remained as producer for MGM-British Studios until heading to Ealing Studios. He saw the potential star power in English actress Vivien Leigh, and recommended to Mayer her for the role of the promiscuous Elsa. Leigh had a great acting experience with Robert Taylor in making "A Yank at Oxford," who related that fact to producer David O. Selznick. This was the movie, along with a series of positive screen tests, that convinced Selznick Leigh would be perfect for his Civil War epic. Film reviewer Laura Grieve noticed, "There are glimpses of Scarlett O'Hara in Leigh's bookstore vixen, yet her performance does not hint at the power and depth she would bring to her role in 'Gone With The Wind' the following year."

While making "A Yank at Oxford," Leigh sustained an infection on her foot and took some time off to treat the injury. One of her toes became so inflamed a hole was punched out of her shoe to relieve the pressure. The actress went through several personal pairs of her own during filming, and later claimed MGM refused to pay for them. MGM refuted her contention, saying it did. Leigh's manager, producer Alexander Korda, warned her to back off or he wouldn't not renew her contract. She did.

MGM's tactical plan to invest in England paid off. "A Yank in Oxford" was a success in both the United States and the UK. MGM made a Mickey Rooney sequel in 1942's "A Yank at Eaton" while Rob Lowe had his first lead role in another remake, 1984's "Oxford Blues." MGM-British Studios produced a couple of classics, 1938's "The Citadel" and 1939's "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," before suspending its filming during World War Two. The studio resumed operations after the war until closing for good in 1970, partly because of Stanley Kubrick's richly ambitious 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey.

In the glory days of Hollywood, young stars in amid the studio system were given several chances to display their talent. Here is one for the budding young star later known as Robert Taylor. In this movie of which there are several versions is entitled " A Yank at Oxford " it is Taylor who plays Lee Sheridan, an U.S. athlete who wins a athletic scholarship to prestigious Oxford University in England. Lionel Barrymore plays Dan Sheridan his proud father, while beautiful Maureen O'Sullivan is Molly Beaumont his college sweetheart. Vivien Leigh, Edmund Gwenn, Griffith Jones as Paul Beaumont all gather to recreate life at the Oxford during the depression. Wedged between light humor and serious attention, the movie sails easily along and Taylor is able to deliver one of his many renditions of an up and coming actor. A good B/W film and notable offering. **

A YANK AT OXFORD is notable for several reasons. This was MGM's first British production with Mayer in charge (co-produced by Michael Balcon who quit after a fight with Mayer). Despite Mayer's reservations, Balcon hired Vivien Leigh for one of the leads, and this was a key film in getting her noticed by Selznick for the Scarlett casting battle. Star Robert Taylor thought highly of Leigh, and they were reteamed several years later. A-level film boasted a big cast and used quite a few British actors. Besides Taylor (who did his own stunts) and Leigh, film also boasted Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Edmund Gwenn, and Griffith Jones (fairly big star in UK). Also C.V. France, Robert Coote, Claude Gillingwater, Tully Marshall, Edward Rigby, and Richard Todd as an extra. Stock footage of Oxford but film was mostly shot as Denham Studios. No idea where the boating scenes were filmed. I didn't recognize anything.

What struck me about the film was that MGM had dusted off the old William Haines formula of braggart goes off to (fill in the blank) where he acts like an a-hole until he gets his comeuppance and rallies the team for a big win and becomes a true hero, In this case, film follows the general plot of Haines' BROWN OF HARVARD minus the homoerotic subtext (sort of) right down to the crewing scenes.

Breezy performance by Robert Taylor in one of his best films.

After his early days at MGM when Robert Taylor was marketed as a modern romance magazine cover, it was perceived by Louis B. Mayer that Taylor needed an adjustment of image to expand his casting potential. It was perceived by Taylor as well who was not happy with some of the snide powder puff comments he was getting in some quarters.

Accordingly A Yank At Oxford was an original screenplay written specifically for him in mind. As Taylor in real life was an athletic sort, the casting was no stretch that way.

In his part as an American on scholarship to Oxford Taylor was going into Tyrone Power's territory of the hero/heel. Taylor was more often a nice guy 100% in this stage of his career. But he does very well with the part.

Arriving at Cardinal College in Oxford, Taylor doesn't do much for Anglo-American relations with his braggadocious ways. He makes particular enemies with three classmates, Griffith Jones, Robert Coote, and Peter Croft. But he also backs his brag up and when he meets Maureen O'Sullivan who is Jones's sister who planes out the rougher side of Taylor.

The film was produced by MGM and shot over in the United Kingdom with the real Oxford locations used. Take a look at the writing credits of this film. I'm quite flabbergasted that so many talented hands went into the screenplay. Usually that means a muddled mess, but it all works here.

Several of the players had only worked in British cinema before and A Yank At Oxford was America's first look at a lot of them. Most importantly Vivien Leigh. She had a really interesting part as the wife of a bookstore owner. Her husband is a good deal older than her and she amuses herself with her pick of the young Oxford students. She sets her cap at one point for both Taylor and Jones and it's on her flirtatious ways that the plot hinges. Her naughty flirt in this film may very well have made one David O. Selznick cast her as the ultimate young flirt in Gone With The Wind.

A Yank At Oxford was remade almost 50 years later as Oxford Blues with Rob Lowe in the lead. As an actor in his Brat Pack days, Lowe was cast in a lot of parts that would have gone to a Robert Taylor or Tyrone Power. Still A Yank At Oxford became one of Robert Taylor's most popular roles with the general public and with his enduring legion of fans.

When all-star athlete Robert Taylor gets accepted to go to Oxford, his entire small American town is extremely proud of him. His newspaper owner father Lionel Barrymore prints glorious articles, and he gets a great sendoff when he sails off the continent. In England, he gets an entirely different welcome. His classmates tease and haze him, he makes a bad impression with the dean, Edmund Gwenn, and he gets entangled in a love affair with a married woman.

Vivien Leigh didn't seem to get the memo that she was in a different movie from Gone With the Wind. She played every line and expression as if she were Scarlett O'Hara, and her character wasn't much different, either. In this movie, she plays an unsatisfied wife who makes a sport out of seducing young college boys. She flirts constantly, and the only saving grace is that she's not the leading lady in this movie. Maureen O'Sullivan, who would have been equally as good - if not better - as Scarlett O'Hara, is Robert Taylor's real love interest.

I've never really been a Robert Taylor fan, but this was a fun movie of his to watch. He shows off his athletic prowess in running, rowing, and cycling. What an athlete! If you've got a crush on him, you've got to check him - I mean, this movie, out.