Naval Academy

After The Devil Is a Sissy, it was no wonder Freddie Bartholomew got stuck making prep and military school movies as he continued to grow up. You can catch him in The Spirit of Culver, Tom Brown's Schooldays, A Yank at Eton, Naval Academy, or Cadets on Parade. In several flicks, he was paired up with Jimmy Lydon, Columbia Pictures' answer to Mickey Rooney. Jimmy usually played a tough, street-wise kid with a heart of gold, as he did in Naval Academy.

A new recruit, Jimmy finds himself bunkmates with Billy Cook, a spoiled rich kid who knows nothing of the Navy, and Freddie Bartholomew, the total opposite. I love Freddie's character in this movie! He knows the answer to every military question, sufficiently stumping the upperclassmen when they try to haze him. He loves everything Navy and is determined to be the best cadet in the class. The only trouble is he's failing chemistry class. It doesn't seem like a big deal at the time, but it leads to other plot points that form the rest of the film. This isn't the best movie out there, but if you want to see a grown-up Freddie Bartholomew, or if you're a fan of Jimmy Lydon you'll probably find it entertaining.