Parade du football

The big draw here is a 14-year old Judy Garland, lighting up the screen whenever she appears. Too bad she doesn't have a starring role and better songs. Also, there's a 20-year old Betty Grable as one of the eye-candy co-eds. The story's nothing special. It's a big football game between little Texas State and big-time Ivy League Yale. Texas has a new coach (Haley) and his behind-the-scenes brains, (wife Kelly). Texas has no chance until wife Kelly spots cornpone farm boy Irwin who has a slingshot arm. With a little finagling they get him enrolled and made team quarterback. Now the little team from the West stands a chance, that is, if wife Kelly gets to make the big decisions.

Irwin has the good-ole-boy drawl down pat, which is pretty funny. On the other hand, Kelly's pretty shrill as the loud mouth missus, undercutting her comedic impact, at least in my book. The college dance scenes, however, sparkle, especially the big one before the game. However, I could do without the Yacht Club Boys whoever they are-- Garland should have gotten their singing spots. And get a load out of that fierce rabbit Elisha Cook playing an aggressive campus communist, of all things. Even then, he appeared as a hapless fall guy. At the same time, somebody spent a bucket load turning the LA Coliseum into a snow bowl for the big game. It's very realistic, but after 40-years, I'm still waiting for real snow on my LA home.

Other than Garland and Grable and a few sparkling moments, there's not much to recommend, unless you're into old time football.

Pigskin Parade is a light-hearted football-themed musical (how many of those are there?) and is most notable for being the feature debut for a young Judy Garland. MGM loaned her out to Fox (the only time she made a film at another studio for the next 14 years) because they didn't know what to do with the little girl with the grown-up voice. Guess they solved that problem, huh?

Not too much of the film is noteworthy aside from Judy's performances and it's interesting to note that she co-starred with Jack Haley, the father of the Tin-Man who she would star with, 4 years later, in the Wizard Of Oz.

By all means not a great film, with a silly premise not made any less so. However it is easy to like and does liven up the spirits as long as not too much is expected.

'Pigskin Parade' is mainly notable for being the film debut of 14-year old Judy Garland, but it is worth watching for more than just historical interest. Garland's performance is certainly one of 'Pigskin Parade's' standout features, she is a real charmer here and not only does she look like she is having a lot of fun but she gets ample opportunity to show off her unmistakable vocal pipes and sounds fabulous for so young.

Tony Martin is also very early in his career, and does make an impression singing the film's best song "You're Slightly Terrific". Betty Grable is similarly charmingly perky, while Stuart Erwin, though am personally not sure about the Oscar-nomination especially with greats like Walter Brennan and Basil Rathbone also in the running in the category that year, is fun and endearing. A pre-'The Wizard of Oz' Jack Haley does just fine, while Patsy Kelly comes very close to stealing the show as a less than subtle character. Love her chemistry with Haley, which can be uproarious to watch. Nice to see Elisha Cook Jnr.

Visually, while not exactly lavish 'Pigskin Parade' is attractive enough, everything is shot well and it was made with care. The bright and breezy direction from David Butler helps. The songs are hardly award-worthy and they vary in the memorability and relevance factor but they are very energetic and pleasant, while they are not necessarily "great" songs count me in as somebody who enjoyed listening to them. "You're Slightly Terrific" and Garland's numbers come off best, and they're staged in a way that isn't big and bold but never static or indifferent either, due to that the cast seem to be enjoying themselves too much.

Scripting has its snappy and funny moments, the film never drags and has a breeziness throughout.

Not that 'Pigskin Parade' is perfect this said. The story is thin, does get contrived in places and is as old as the hills. Some of the script is corny and overly-silly, with some of the comedy over-played on odd occasions. Could have done with less of the Yacht Club Boys, they serve little purpose other than their songs and their performing style is neither interesting or fun and grates somewhat, trying to see them pass for college kids even for comedy strains credibility beyond belief.

Overall, not great but good undemanding fun. 7/10 Bethany Cox

"Pigskin Parade" only has one thing wrong with it. It's kind of lousy. But as far as musicals go, it's a *good* kind of lousy.

I've seen Hollywood musicals that bored the hell out of me. I've seen musicals where the songs were lifeless and dull, and the musical numbers put you to sleep. I've seen musicals where the acting in between the musical numbers was sheer cinematic torture. I've seen musicals where the performers seemed to be sleepwalking through the movie, and where the characters they were playing were so brain-dead and annoying that you just wanted to whack 'em upside the head with a tube sock full of wood screws! "Pigskin Parade" is silly and corny, but it is never boring. The musical numbers are not great, but they are always fun to watch. The characters are stereotypes, but the cast plays them with such enthusiasm that you can't help liking them.

The plot: Bessie and Winston "Slug" Winters (Patsy Kelly and Jack "Tin Man" Haley) arrive at Texas State University to coach the football team. Although they spend most of the movie arguing with each other in Ralph-and-Alice-Kramden mode, they make an effective coaching team. Their big success comes when they discover Amos Dodd (Stuart Erwin), a country bumpkin farmer who can hurl a melon with missile-like accuracy. They immediately sign him up as the new quarterback for the football team.

Texas State is mistakenly invited to play in a charity football game against Yale. (They wanted the University of Texas, but sent the invitation for the game to the wrong university.) Will the Texas State team win the game? Will Amos Dodd score a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of play? What do you think? This is one of those "college musicals" where all the college students look as if they are about thirty years old. Most of the songs are sung by a nutty quartet of "sophomores," played by the Yacht Club Boys. They look old enough to be visiting their kids at the college on Parents Day. (One of them even admits that he has been in college for seven years -- beating John Belushi to the movie line by 42 years.) The musical numbers are not great, but they are a lot of fun to watch. There is one called "You're Slightly Terrific," which pretty much describes the entire soundtrack. The songs are "slightly terrific," but not overly so.

The songs written and sung by the Yacht Club Boys have a great satirical edge to them. They sing "We'd Rather Be In College," in which they admit that, with the Depression raging, they are better off in college than they would be in the current job market; "Down With Everything," a *wonderful*, vigorous musical number that satirizes college revolutionaries, sung to a would-be college Trotsky. And "We Brought The Texas Sunshine With Us," which the Yacht Club Boys sing in the middle of a snowstorm at the Yale football game.

And then there is Judy Garland in her feature film debut, playing Amos Dodd's country-bumpkin sister. The first time we see her in the movie, she is barely recognizable, wearing overalls and sporting pigtails, and using a phony Texas accent. ("Hey, yuh wanna buy a melon?") Within a few scenes, however, she has been transformed (offscreen) into a college girl/young starlet. In her first few scenes, she tells everybody, "I can sing. Wannuh hear me?" It takes a few scenes before someone lets her sing -- and *dammit,* can she ever sing! Her first big-screen musical number is the tail-end of the song, "The Balboa!"--a rather rocky (har!) college dance number, sung at the TSU Homecoming Dance. ("The Balboa" was no "Carioca" or "Continental," although it tried to be.) From there, she sings "The Texas Tornado" and "It's Love I'm After." And if you saw this movie in 1936, you just *had* to know that Judy was going to be a major star! To quote the great Roger Ebert, "I cannot recommend the movie, but ... why the hell can't I? Just because it's godawful? What kind of reason is that for staying away from a movie? Godawful and boring, *that* would be a reason." Well, I *could* recommend "Pigskin Parade." It's not exactly "godawful," but it *is* lousy. But despite the lousiness, you will have a good time watching it. You won't love it the way you love "Wizard of Oz" or "Singing in the Rain." But you will like it -- as long as you accept the lousiness of the movie and go with it.

For those who pooh-poohed this film, remember Stu Erwin received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for this film. Patsy Kelly is always a wonderful comedienne. This is a film to lift the spirits. Made at a time when Americans needed to have their spirits boosted. The premise is admittedly bogus, but the result is a great laugh riot. Years ago I recorded it from an AMC broadcast and played it for my parents (both depression era children - neither recalled it) they couldn't stop laughing. I'm certain it received the same reaction when it first appeared in 1935. It is an example to humor with out bawdy references. I wish it were on DVD, I'd buy in an instant. This helped buoy spirits in an era before Adolph Hitler raised the US economy out of the Depression.