They Learned About Women

great piece of historical entertainment! Embodying the intersection of at least 3 critical eras of the show biz: Vaudeville, Baseball & Film (also sound movies & musicals).

Check out the Harlem Madness number for dynamite production of the period (1920s, really). Nothing since has even approached the electricity captured in that performance, but lots have tried with endless derivatives (ending but not limited to Moulin Rouge with Kidman & MacGregor).

Sure, the humor's creaky, the acting's stilted, the direction is confusing (although by two of the stalwarts of the golden age of film).

But hey, Washington's inaugural (or Lincoln's Gettysburg) address would look pretty dated now, wouldn't they? I'd still give anything to see them wouldn't you?

This movie has a song by Schenck and Van that they do in the baseball team locker room. The vocal is by Gus Van (with vocal responses from locker room boys), and it rocks pretty good for 1930: "Ten Sweet Mamas" - check it out, the rest of their numbers are more typical vaudeville stuff, but this one is worth listening to.

Early sound musical THEY LEARNED ABOUT WOMEN (1930) M.G.M. combines BaseBall with the dying performance art of Vaudeville. Throw in some rather poor musical numbers and a romance spoiled by a Gold-Digger and that about sums up the plot. For some this film will be offensive in it's dated ethnic comedy. They should realize that is not the problem, it is just bad even by early sound standards.

The cast features real Vaudeville performers (Gus) VAN & (Joe) SCHENCK and M.G.M. Star BESSIE LOVE. LOVEs' career was winding down and did not translate well too the sound era. VAN & SCHENCK must be one (1) of the reasons of what killed Vaudeville. This film shows why the Hollywood Musical lost popularity until revived by WARNER BROTHERS and BUSBY BERKERLY in 1933.

Fast forward now nineteen (19) years and M.G.M. releases TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949). Nothing gets thrown away in Hollywood so this concept was dusted off, rewritten and given TechniColor and the M.G.M. star power of GENE KELLY, ESTHER WILLIAMS, FRANK SINATRA & BETTY GARRETT. BUSBY BERKERLY directed and this film has at least enjoyable 'Song & Dance' routines. Our rating IMDB******(6).

A interesting note, long term Character Actor, TOM DUGAN appeared in both films. In T.L.A.W. (1930) he played TIM 'Timmy' O'CONNOR, in T.M.O.T.T.B.G. (1949) it was 'Slappy' BURKE.

in this ok 1930 film that stars Joe Schenck and Gus Van as baseball players who hit the vaudeville stage off season. While Schenck and Van were real vaudeville stars, their film careers never took off, and this film showcases their strengths as performers as well as their weaknesses. Their ethnic accent-oriented songs will strike many today as being VERY un-PC just as their songs now seem blah. Into this mix, however, comes the wonderful Bessie Love as their love interest. The always perky Love has only a few moments to shine in this film, but she makes it all worthwhile once hoisted atop a pinao, ukelele in hand, and sings "I've Got a Man of My Own." Love was at the height of her film career in the late 20s and early 30s, before she bailed from Hollywood and headed to London. Love's number in this film, her appearance in Hollywood Revue of 1929, and her Oscar-nominated starring turn in The Broadway Melody all show why she was popular with filmgoers. Worth a look. Co-stars Mary Doran, Benny Rubin, and Tom Dugan.

I only just found out about this obscure movie after looking at the filmography of Nina Mae McKinney on this site and then looking at the Google Videos list to find out where I could see it online. I'll just now say that Ms. McKinney does a great dance to the "Harlem Madness" number surrounded by lots of men and other women-presumably all of her race and not just people in burnt cork-as well as one girl-possibly a teen-whose name is presumably lost in the wind. The rest of the movie-about a couple of baseball player friends who moonlights in vaudeville during the off-season with one of them involved with a girl who goes to the other one after her previous one finds another and breaks up with her-is quite involving. So in summary, They Learned About Women was a fine drama with good music and some good comedy, as well!