College Humor

COLLEGE HUMOR (Paramount, 1933), directed by Wesley Ruggles, is one of many college campus musicals made during the Depression 1930s, highlighted with music and a football game finale.

Following his success in THE BIG BROADCAST (1932), Bing Crosby shows promise in his initial top-billed feature role, which is actually a second lead part as Frederick Danvers, a professor at Midwest University. In support are some over-aged college students, including Richard Arlen as Ralph, a football star whose career declines due to drunken disorderly conduct and jealous rages; Jack Oakie, the real star of the movie, as his football playing pal, Barney; Joseph Sawyer (billed Sauers) as a tough named "Tex", who excels in beating up on Oakie in one scene during a college initiation; with blonde and perky Mary Carlisle as Arlen's girlfriend who has a crush on her crooning professor; and Mary Kornman as Oakie's girlfriend, Amber. With the trials and tribulations amongst the students, the lighter moments go to the comedy team of George Burns and Gracie Allen, appearing in a few scenes as college caterers. They even take a moment out to sing an Irish song, "Colleen of Korlarny." Gracie manages to sing well, even in character. With music and lyrics by Arthur Johnson and Sam Coslow, the catchy tunes include "Play Ball" (sung by off screen singers during opening credits/re-prised in opening story by Crosby); "The Old Ox-Road" (sung by Jack Oakie/ students/ Crosby); "Learn to Croon" (sung by Crosby/ students); "Moon Struck" (sung by Crosby as he plays piano); along with reprises of "Learn to Croon" and "Play Ball" before the closing cast credits.

What makes COLLEGE HUMOR interesting in itself is seeing a young Crosby in an offbeat yet small role, while Jack Oakie was actually the central character. Crosby would return to college again in later years, most notably as a student in the then popular SHE LOVES ME NOT (1934). Unseen regularly since broadcast on public television in the 1980s, it had its very rare cable television showing on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: November 15, 2018).

*Warning: The 2005 video cassette copy distributed by Hollywood's Attic is not complete. Eliminated from the original 80 minute print are the introduction of leading players during the opening credits to the underscoring of "Learn to Croon" followed by Bing Crosby's opening number of "Play Ball." with James Burke, James Donlan and James Conlin (**1/2 Footballs)

The film is called College Humor, but there are very few truly humorous incidents. Some of the situations are downright poignant, especially those involving the two older football stars. The Burns and Allen appearance, predictably, is probably the lightest moment in what resembles melodrama with music. The frequent repetition of two songs suggests that many components of the film were just thrown together. All this being said, I have come back to the film four or five times and am engaged by it. The Old Ox Road sequence is terrific. (Crosby once commented that it was his personal favorite among his recordings.) Perhaps what draws one in is the attractiveness of the performers. In a "college musical" can one expect much more?

If you can believe Jack Oakie, Richard Arlen and Joe Sawyer (billed as Joseph Sauer) as college kids then what a vivid imagination you have!!!! Joe Sawyer looked in training for his tough guy roles and Arlen looked as though he'd be more at home on skid row than a college campus. At least Jack Oakie was still in his "trim" period but all of them looked older than they actually were (I thought). I know Jack Oakie was in a couple of college films - "Touchdown" and "Sweetie" where he played a vaudeville hoofer who followed Nancy Carroll to college - but I don't know whether he actually played many "college kids". Eddie Nugent, surprisingly, had a "blink and you'll miss him" part as Whistler.

At least the girls were pretty and youthful, including a very cute Mary Kornman who played Amber. She had been leading lady in the original series of "Our Gang" and then the spin-off series from the early 30s "The Boyfriends". She had also co-starred with Bing Crosby in a couple of his shorts.

Bing Crosby (looking young and beautiful) plays the drama and music professor, Fred Danvers. The film doesn't really hold up that well and could have done with more of Bing and his singing. "Down the Old Ox Road" could have been done more like "Flirtation Walk". It is such a catchy song when Bing sings it but before that Richard Arlen has a go - and he can't sing!!!. Then Jack Oakie and Mary Kornman walk and sing - it is very disjointed. "Learn to Croon" again is a very catchy song that Bing sings to his students - "if you're looking for a sunny honeymoon, learn to croon!!". He also sings a few bars of some of his big hits - "Please", "Just an Echo in the Valley", "I Surrender Dear"

• as if audiences needed reminding that he was Bing Crosby!!! He also sang it again at a party. "Moonstruck" was a love song sung to Mary Carlisle, with Bing at the piano.

This was Mary's first film with Bing and she was beautiful and compli- mented him very well. She plays Barbara Shirrel, Barney's (Jack Oakie) sister, who is supposed to be Mondrake's (Richard Arlen) girl but has secretly fallen for Mr. Danvers. Arlen's character is not appealing - he is grumpy, a heavy drinker and just does not look like a college type. Another reviewer questioned Joe Sawyer's character leaving college - then turning up a year later with a wife and 2 kids!!!! - I think it was just the shoddy story line. In the scene where Mondrake goes with Barney to meet his date Barbara, Ginger comes down the stairs and they go out!!

Lona Andre was given a picture credit but she was completely under-used

• she had about 2 lines in the film. Likewise George Burns and Gracie Allen only had a scene - they looked like they were included as an after thought!!!!

6 out of 10.

It's always been a source of amazement to me how Jack Oakie was able to keep playing dumb jock college students throughout the 30s. Yet he got away with it as he does here and when all's said and done, he's a pretty funny fellow.

In this one he has a coed sister played by Mary Carlisle who football jock and Oakie's fraternity pal Richard Arlen thinks he's got a claim on. But no, Carlisle has her eyes on music professor Bing Crosby.

This was Bing's second feature film and the first he'd make with Mary Carlisle. She and Bing were a perfect fit in those films.

This is also the second feature film that Crosby would make with Burns& Allen. They are personal favorites of mine and I only wish we saw more of them as a pair of caterers at a fraternity party.

Bing recorded three of the songs from College Humor, the biggest hit being Learn to Croon which immortalized his Buh-Buh-Buh-Boo for the ages. It's a nice number done as Bing teaches a music class as we learn that all the past music immortals would eventually been buh-buh-buh-booing it with Der Bingle.

He sings a nice ballad to Mary Carlisle entitled Moonstruck and no it has nothing whatsoever to do with Cher's film two generations later.

For once Paramount gave Crosby a Busby Berkeley like production number in Down the Old Ox Road which apparently was the slang term back in the thirties for the local college passion pit. The number travels all over the campus showing the students singing about the glories of Ox Road with Bing in the finale.

I think this is one of the early movies that Crosby did that doesn't hold up as well as the others. But I think none of those college films from the 30s do, with rare exceptions. In this one I don't think anyone was getting an education. Especially Jack Oakie, just see what he does with his college degree at the end.

College life has undergone so much change in the over 70 years since this film was made. I can't identify with any of it from the 60s so God only knows what college kids would think of it today. Still it's a fine old chestnut and anything with Der Bingle and George and Gracie you can't go wrong with.

I haven't seen this movie, but I just read an (unconfirmed) story about it today:

The football game scenes of "College Humor" were filmed in Riddick Stadium on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC! The stadium has since been torn down, and the only remaining remnant of the site is the old field house (re-purposed several times since the 1950s when games moved to a new stadium), which is now used as a construction office. The building is due to be torn down and replaced by a parking garage in 2009.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/blogpost/1802170/

Not sure if anyone can confirm this or not.

According to the story, the field house was so small that there was not enough room for the whole team to sit down for meetings!