High School

Whether or not the film was actually filmed at Jefferson does not matter. Those of us who went to Jeff always enjoy the notoriety this movie brings. Definitely a "B" movie, it is still worth watching.

It is a predictable movie and is steeped in the innocence off the era. The voting into the Lassos is questionable and definitely too much like sorority pledging to be from a high school.

This is the only movie I remember seeing Jane Withers in. She was a commercial actor in my day. She did a good job playing the likely role of a ranch girl coming to San Antonio to go to school. There are still ranches within the city limits of the city.

This is one of my favorite movies. Being a native San Antonian and a Jefferson grad. I love Jane Withers! Jane is a gifted actress I remember her role in Shirley Temples "Bright Eyes" and the epic "Giant". As mentioned by other comments, the movie was filmed at Thomas Jefferson High School. Mrs. Oliphant our English teacher, and Bess Richards the Lasso Sponsor recalled many times that the classroom blinds had to be drawn while filming was going on outside, and occasionally a student would draw them open and the director had to call "cut" and re-shoot the scene. Jane's photo portrait is prominently displayed in the Lasso office. A further note, Thomas Jefferson High School was featured in Life Magazine as the nations first million dollar high school, the architecture is Romansque and features a dome reminiscent of the famous Monticello. The Lassos were also featured on the front page of Life Magazine.

In actuality, the school interiors and neighborhood scenes were filmed in the Fox back lot. The "stars" never stepped foot in SA during the filming. In 1992, I spoke with Jane Withers, and she verified the information. The scene with the Lassos is obviously a rear screen projection.

Jefferson High School itself has incorrect information in its files, as it states a sequel called "Texas Girl" was released a year later. In fact, both are the SAME film, released under different names, in various areas of the country. I researched this information in the Fox Film Archives.

About ten years ago, the movie was screened at Jefferson High. It is very much a "B" movie. The actual interiors of the school are amazing, unlike the lame sets utilized in the film. An even lamer "B" flick, "Johnny Be Good," was also filmed at the school in the late 80s. It has also been the location for numerous TV commercials.

Shirley Temple may have been queen of the child actresses in the late 1930s, but Jane Withers starred in more pictures at 20th Century-Fox in the period and may have been more profitable for the company -- B pictures cost a lot less to make. When she made HIGH SCHOOL, she had reached the ripe old age of 14, and so there were some uneasy signs of romance in the air.

Jane has been raised on her father's ranch and, despite his hiring tutors to teach her to be a lady, she isn't interested, so he ships her off to San Antonio, where his brother, Lloyd Corrigan, is the principal of the Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. Jane alienates everyone with her brashness and independence, except for Joe Brown Jr. He's rather taken with the forthright young woman. However, when she unwittingly gets him thrown off the football team, she gets snubbed.... until a subplot about a stolen car ring raises its head.

Miss Temple may have held patents on cuteness and pouting, but Miss Withers'' brashness and occasional deviltry has its own fans -- including me! -- and charms, and Fox' B production was probably the strongest in Hollywood in this period. It's a solid, pleasing effort.

While preparing this review, I checked the reviews of this movie on the IMDb. They were all written by San Antonians (I hope I have used the correct term), and were anxious to correct errors about San Antonio in the era. None of them pointed out that the character played by Maurice Cass is touted as a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson, named Franklin Jefferson; yet none of Jefferson's legitimate sons survived to have children of their own. I suppose that when assessing a work of fiction, we each have different standards of what errors are important.

When the story begins, you learn that Jane (Jane Withers) has been living on her father's ranch in the middle of nowhere. However, as she's a teen, she needs to be around kids and get some civilizing....as she's driven away tutor after tutor. So, her father sends her off to a boarding school in San Antonio. The school is run by Jane's uncle...and the film is about her difficulties and successes in adjusting to this life.

This is an unusual film when seen today. First, in some ways young Jane is a bit like Yosemite Sam....Samantha! She's a rootin', tootin', ropin' fool...a most unusual sort of stereotype. Second, the school...well...I wonder if ANY school has ever been like this one! Weird marching, costumes and a weird semi-school like atmosphere that seems totally bizarre today. You just have to see it to believe it. Subtle?! No way....not in the least!! But on the positive side, this film is unusual because the kids in the film look like teenagers. Most films of the era featured 'teens' who were 24-32 (thereabouts) and I laugh when I see these pictures. But Jane is 14 and the others I checked on were all teens as well...which I appreciated.

So is this any good? Well, it depends on who is watching. If you are cynical and can't stand the thought of a kids' movie...keep looking. On the other hand, it is an agreeable time passer and Jane is nice in the lead. Undemanding and reasonably fun.