Les cadets de Virginie

EDDIE ALBERT plays a hapless Virginia Military Institute cadet who gets into all kinds of scrapes because of his brash friend, WAYNE MORRIS, an actor Warner Bros. was grooming for stardom. Albert is so professional that he's a pleasure to watch as he goes from one zany situation after another accompanied by Morris and Reagan.

Way down in the cast credits are JANE WYMAN and RONALD REAGAN, still up-and-coming future stars developing a light touch for comedy. PRISCILLA LANE and JANE BRYAN play the other two gals who get entangled in all the farcical situations involving the cadets.

It's typical broad comedy material from a successful stage play with Albert repeating his Broadway stage role and showing what a fine comedian he could be, his genial personality supplying most of the laughs. WAYNE MORRIS is a bit strident as the top-billed lead, but PRISCILLA LANE does a nice job as his wholesome girl friend.

It's strictly fluff, '30s style, and passes the time without being anything you're likely to remember too fondly unless you love this type of screwball comedy directed by William Keighley.

Actress Jane Wyman, 21, was going through her second divorce when she met Ronald Reagan, 27, for the first time on the set making October 1938's "Brother Rat." Wyman, who kept her first husband's surname, later said she was "smitten" with Reagan as soon as she saw him. Less than two years later they were married, Reagan's first and Wyman's third.

Reportedly, the two became instantly attracted to each other during "Brother Rat's" pre-production publicity shots. In the movie, Wyman plays bookworm Claire Adams, who Virginia Military Institute cadet Dan Crawford (Reagan) is attracted. The pair are one of three love-pairings in the film, the others are lead actor Wayne Morris as Billy Randolph linked with Joyce Winfree (Priscilla Lane of the Lane sisters), and Bing Edwards (Eddie Albert in his film debut) with Kate Rice (Jane Bryan), the later who are secretly married. The Warner Brothers film is based on the wildly successful 1936 Broadway play of the same name which ran for 577 performances.

Eddie Albert had played the same character on Broadway and signed on as a contract actor for Warner Brothers. The Rock Island, Illinois,-born Edward Albert Heimberger dropped his last name once he became popular as a singer. As a New York City radio co-host in 1933, he also appeared in several plays. Albert was one of the earliest pioneering television actors while writing one of the first teleplays for the new experimental medium in 1936. He went on to have a lengthy film and television career, and is today known for his Oliver Wendell Douglas character in the 1965 TV series 'Green Acres.'

"Brother Rat" is a term VMI first-year cadets use to call their fellow classmates during their first six months at the Lexington, Virginia military college. They're required to be in a 'rat line,' an indoctrination the freshmen undergo designed to create a bond among classmates for life. VMI made Reagan an honorary "Brother Rat" after filming wrapped. The B-roll location shots in the opening credits were filmed on the grounds of the Virginia campus while additional footage was taken at the San Diego Military Academy.

"Brother Rat" was so successful Warner Brothers produced a sequel, 1940's 'Brother Rat and a Baby," where Reagan's character proposes to Wyman's. One account on the couple's private life had Wyman so frustrated at Ronnie's delaying tactics of putting off their wedding she overdosed on pills, sending her to the hospital while leaving behind a suicide note explaining her actions. Married on January 26, 1940, the pair was labeled the "the ideal Hollywood couple." They had a daughter Maureen a year later, and adopted a son Michael, born 1945. A still-born baby in 1947 caused a strain on their marriage, compounded by political differences: she was a Republican while he was a registered Democrat. Reagan's time immersing himself as the president of the Screen Actors Guild also made Jane feel neglected, and she divorced him in 1948. Reagan is the first President of the United States to have been divorced.

Meanwhile, Warner Brothers produced a sequel to 'Brother Rat' in its 1952 Technicolor remake, 'About Face,' with Joel Grey in his movie debut.

Military schools are not exactly known for madcap antics. Here there's a great deal of fun and delight in breaking the many rules in whirlwind fashion. I suspect those shenanigans came across much funnier in 1938 than they do now. The comedy antics revolve around Wayne Morris's cadet Randolph. The trouble is that Morris and/or director Keighley seem to think that there's something automatically funny about being loud and obnoxious, such that one particularly lengthy scene is almost exhausting in pretended hilarity. William Tracy's sadsack new cadet is funnier, but then Tracy is a comedian by nature.

Unfortunately, this is not a movie that takes advantage of Ronald Reagan's natural charm and easy smile. His cadet Crawford is something of a sober-sides and is clearly a secondary role to Morris. Actually, it's Jane Wyman who I think comes across best. Her Claire Adams may be a plain-jane bookworm, but when she takes off her glasses the screen really does light up— no wonder Reagan married her. On the other hand, Eddie Albert is really good at looking confused or perplexed. The trouble is that his dour cadet appears to be in a more serious movie than the one here. I expect one reason the film has lost impact is a shift in public mores over a 70-year period. I doubt that audiences find the various boy-girl situations as scandalously funny now as they did then. Anyway, regardless of comedic skills, the real-life Wayne Morris was a distinguished military man and authentic war hero, making his role here rather ironical. Too bad that today he's almost totally forgotten.

These Warner Brothers players are always fun to watch. Anyone who hasn't seen this sort-of-classic movie really should watch it.

In Ronald Reagan's first autobiography -- "Where's the Rest of Me?" -- he tells the story of a staff meeting or perhaps dinner gathering during World War II.

Lt. Reagan says to the commander, We've got something in common, sir: You attended Virginia Military Institute and I was in a movie about the school.

The commander, possibly a colonel, maybe a general, replied to the effect, That was one of the silliest damn things I ever saw.

It was. Pretty darn silly.

But fun in spots, and, as Reagan said, Eddie Albert was "discovered" and became a major star, although that doesn't explain "Green Acres."

All in all, with this collection of major stars -- although with some, stardom came later -- any movie fan, and especially any film historian, really ought to see this. At least once.

While this is far from a must-see film, it is a lot of fun. This is due to the intense energy in the movie and the cute chemistry between the cadets. Wayne Morris, Eddie Albert, Ronald Reagan, Priscilla Lane, Jane Wyman and the rest really try hard! While it is entertaining, I also must admit that this is a pretty insignificant film--fun to watch but not one to change your life. It's sort of like a really really good B-movie with a lot of up and coming actors. Plus, if you think about it, considering how young and inexperience these mostly future stars were, this is sort of like a YOUNG GUNS movie of the late 1930s. A cute time-passer.

UPDATE--I saw this film again recently and have a rather different reaction. Instead of enjoying it, I now saw the film as more ponderous and limp. In particular, Wayne Morris' character was so obnoxious and totally unlikable I wonder why I didn't hate the film the first time I saw it. Perhaps I am more of a grouch these days, but I really hated him and think his character was not a 'lovable rogue' but an irresponsible idiot!! And why would Reagan and Albert listen to such a sociopath?! And, more importantly, why would VMI allow such a jerk to graduate from the school? Heck, I'm a little surprised that VMI didn't sue because of this film!