Campus Rhythm

Lively, attractive cast lift this ultra-cheapo to pretty good entertainment. Professional songbird Dorothy (Storm) tires of her radio program, taking off to college to enjoy the social life, instead. There she meets an engaging cast of characters, including the slightly befuddled Scoop (Downs), rubber-face Babs (Pearson), handsome Buzz (Lowery), and what-voice-comes-next Harold (Candido). While waiting in the wings is the catty Cynthia (Drake). Together, they're a sprightly mix.

I'd forgotten what an engaging performer Gale Storm is, so it was nostalgic to renew the acquaintance. And where did novelty act Candido come from. His voice range is truly astonishing. No, there's nothing special about this Monogram production. Looks like they spent about 50-bucks on the sets, while the few exteriors appear to have been shot on studio grounds. Still, I would say they got more than their money's worth.

Gale Storm became famous in two hit television series of the 1950's, "My Little Margie," and "the Gale Storm Show" Except for Lucille Ball, she probably did more 1/2 hour episodes (294 total) on national television than anybody other actress. Before hitting it big on television in the Summer of 1952, she had been a star in some thirty movies starting at age 18 in 1940. She seems to have been under contract to Monogram, one of the poorest film studios in the early 40's, but did work her way up to doing some movies for majors like Columbia and Universal in the late 40's.

In the mid 50's, during the time of her television triumphs, she also had a half dozen or so hit records.

I was born in the 50's and I was one of her television fans, although I got to watch her series mainly in reruns in the mornings in the early 1960's.

This was the first movie I have seen her in and she is just as delightful as she is in her television series. The only difference is that she is ten years younger. Surprisingly, she plays a singer in this movie. It is strange that she didn't have a record contract until the 1950's, her voice is sweet and natural. With all the talent scouts in Hollywood, you would have thought that one would recognize her singing talents.

Being a Monogram picture, its technical quality is not much above a 1950's television sit-com. However, it is pleasant enough and does provide lots of amusing moments.

The plot is Gale Storm as a radio singer signed to Crunchy-Wunchy breakfast cereal. She wants to break away and go to college. One has to imagine that she really wanted to break her contract with Monogram Pictures. She escapes to a college, but Crunchy-Wunchy starts a national campaign to find her.

Storm was born about two months before Judy Garland in 1922. I couldn't help thinking of her as a low-rent Judy Garland here. They're both cute, talented and energetic.

Ge Ge Person and Candy Candido provide some nice comic relief.

I always had a fondness for Gale Storm since I enjoyed her in the "My Little Margie" TV series in the early 1950's. I had never seen her movies till I just saw a few on TCM cable TV. Pretty, perky Gale is the only really good thing in this movie.

This movie is a great example of "suspension of disbelief." Gale's character is the top singer on U.S. radio, who flees radio and her contract to attend college under an alias (she wants to enjoy the life of an average college girl). Even though she is a RADIO star, it seems unbelievable that no one on campus would recognize/suspect who she is especially after it is announced that she is hiding in some unknown college under an alias!

I wish to draw attention to one clever scene in this routine movie: how she foils her uncle's attempt to expose her and bring her back to radio. Humorous Uncle Willie (played to good effect by Douglas Leavitt ) follows a lead that she is at a certain college. He sneaks into the girl's gym to find her, but accidentally tears his pant-leg. Gale then comes across him and has him go into the empty girl's dressing room. She says she will return with a needle and thread to sew the pants, which he is to toss out the door when she returns. However, she tells on him to the gym instructor. He tosses out the pants and is about to be booked by the cops, but Gale pleads for him by making a deal with the cops that if he promises to leave town and never return, he won't be charged as a pervert to spare his family scandal.

Gale Storm who was Monogram's musical star in the Forties stars for them in Campus Rhythm about a female vocalist who has her own radio program for Crunchy Wunchy Flakes. Gale has a longing to go to college, something like Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana who wanted to have a normal high school experience. What she does is exchange identities with another girl and enrolls.

Where she's being vigorously courted by Robert Lowery who leads a college swing band and is the big man on campus and also by Johnny Downs who runs the student newspaper.

Between Gale's romantic life and the desire of Crunchy Wunchy cereal to get back their Crunchy Wunchy Girl you've got the sum and substance of Campus Rhythm.

Nothing terribly special about Campus Rhythm. Those who remember and watched The Gale Storm Show of the Fifties might be interested in the film.

Some folks are fussing about the plot. Sure, it's thin, but it is fun and the picture is a delight thanks to a fine cast headed by the effervescent, Miss Storm. One critic referred to her as a faux Shirley Temple. Nonsense. She was an adorable,talented, easy on the eyes individual and, in this picture, she is a lot of fun. Johnny Downs, a busy and talented man and, my favorite non-star star, Robert Lowery, is always enjoyable to watch. One thing on which we all agree is that Candy Candido is a helluva lot of fun. All in all, "Campus Rhythm" is totally enjoyable. Small budget, small studio, big enjoyment. P.S. They kept talking about a Rawley College. As a North Carolinian I was proud and happy thinking it was Raleigh. Oh,well!