Freshman Love

Back in 1936, a musical comedy had certain things. Freshman Love had a scene with professional dancers doing ballroom to a song, and the camera paused on each face as the dancer smiled. It's corny stuff, to be sure, but it is part of the era and part of the reason we like watching these older films.

The nerdy academics vs. dimwitted athletics in only a minor theme, and it fits another plot device: the star athlete -- a boat rower -- is forced to join the high-academic school under a pseudonym because his wealthy father doesn't like schools that have high academic standards for its athletes.

The plot is simple. The coach at the nerdy academic school has to get a decent rowing team or he'll lose his job. The school President's daughter is a college-aged doll, and the coach uses her image, writing letters pretending to be from her, to star rowers to attract them to his school. She doesn't know this, although she does go on personal interviews to attract at least one athlete.

There are a few musical numbers, two or three, and they're nice period material. Music also plays a role in motivating the rowing team. (One of the tunes, the one from the "study hall," I'm still humming.) If you like comedies from this period, you'll have fun with this one. It has some interesting twists and a lot of humorous lines, incidents, and acting.

I recently reviewed this film. It is similar to many college films of the era that carry the theme: Dimwitted athletics vs nerdy academics. The twist is that this is Billings U., with a rowing team that lacks any punch. Enter the President's daughter, Joan (played by silver-white haired Patricia Ellis), who takes on the job of recruiting two of the best rowers in the nation, who just happen to be JC transfers - how else can you explain that the entire class of freshmen look like their slightly over 40! There is, of course, the love triangle of Joan, Tony Foster (played by Walter Johnson) and Bob Smith nee Wilson, (played by Warren Hull). Comic relief is supplied by the inept coach, "Speed" Hammond, (played by Frank McHugh) and Squirmy (Mary Treen), his college secretary. Trouble brews when the boys can't cut it academically and of course the big game -er-race is on Saturday, and they all have to pass a special test. You guessed it, the girls all pitch in to tutor our errant boys who would rather sing and dance than hit the books. The day is saved when it's discovered that the "boys" respond better to music than to the call of the coxswain, who also happens to be the college band leader (George E. Stone) - and the refrains of a hot "Dixie" wins the tournament. There are some great scenes of L.A. Harbor, the Rose Gardens across from USC, and woody boats at Lake Arrowhead as well as some catchy musical numbers well sung by Patricia Ellis -what ever happened to...? Look for a bit part by a very, very young Lloyd Bridges. All in all, good nostalgic fun - 6 out of 10 stars!

Billings College's rowing coach Speed Hammond (Frank McHugh) is desperate for new rowers after losing badly. His job is in jeopardy. He enlists the help of the president's pretty daughter Joan Simpkins (Patricia Ellis). She recruits academically-challenged rower Bob Wilson (Warren Hull).

A sharp eye may be able to spot a very young Lloyd Bridges in his first film. It's a very slight comedy. I don't really like Joan or Bob or them together. They should be able to work but their meet-cute is less than cute. She almost kills him running him over with a speed boat and he almost abandons her despite she's pretending to drown. They need to be a good rom-com pairing for this to work and I don't care about them. I don't care about the romance and the comedy isn't funny. Honestly, Squirmy and glasses are a much cuter couple.

Frank McHugh is the coach of Billings University's crew team. However, they lose again and again--mostly because the college president has the nerve to expect his athletes to be scholars and actually have brains. But, with the president's nice looking daughter, McHugh is able to trick several hot crew prospects into joining the team and making them contenders.

This is a relatively low budget film for Warner Brothers, as the film starred the perennial supporting actor McHugh. Otherwise, most of the rest of the cast is relatively unknown, though you might recognize a few stock players such as George E. Stone (as "Biddle"--he was also "Runt" in the Boston Blackie films), Joe Sawyer, Warren Hull and Henry O'Neill--all secondary actors under contract with the studio. Now despite the low budget and the occasional lulls (especially because there are too many musical numbers), the film itself is rather fun and likable. Not especially deep or memorable, but a decent little time passer.

PS--Look close and you'll see a very young Lloyd Bridges in a short little cameo.