Hold That Co-ed

A wooly-headed governor lifts his sad-sack state school's football team into the front rank in order to boost his sagging senatorial campaign.

The movie bears more than a passing resemblance to 1936's Pigskin Parade, a much better movie. How you respond to this particular parody likely depends on Barrymore's wacko performance. I'm a minority, but I found his relentless eye-rolling spastic moves off-putting rather than funny. I thought great actors calibrated their performances. Here, his turn as the governor is anything but calibrated. It's like he doesn't want to steal every scene; instead, he wants to stomp on it. Too bad, because the antics detract from Joan Davis's genuinely humorous brand of comedy and Murphy's likable if sober-sided coach. In fact, I thought the highpoint of the cinematic stew-pot was Murphy's charming little soft-shoe shuffle near the beginning. Anyway, in my book, the film's for hardcore Barrymore fans only.

John Barrymore, George Murphy and Joan Davis star in "Hold that Coed," a 1938 film about politics and football. Murphy plays a football star turned coach of a state university, which has no funding and no equipment for its football players. Governor Gabby Harrigan (John Barrymore) is running for a Senate seat and has slashed the school's funding even further. The students, led by the coach, head for his office to protest. Harrigan refuses to see them; a horrendous fight breaks out when the police arrive. The governor's secretary (Marjorie Blake) and his advisors warn him that his decision to cut funding and refusal to meet the students is going to cost him votes. He decides to do a switch - to pour money into the school and build a huge stadium which will also serve as a place to champion his election to the Senate.

Of course, the school has to play only the biggest college teams. Just one problem - this team is a big loser. So a female (Davis) who is an amazing kicker is drafted, and two professional wrestlers who quit school are given government positions and put on the team.

"Hold that Coed" is a funny satire with the kind of wild performance by John Barrymore that one expects by 1938 when he was well in his cups. Like his fellow politico, Ronald Reagan, George Murphy was an attractive, light leading man, but he could also sing and dance. Though the music in this movie isn't much, it's pleasant, as is Murphy, who never tried to move out of his range or go over the top. Joan Davis is funny as the tomboyish kicker - before she kicks, she does mincing type movements. Someone complained about the finale, which includes problems with strong winds; I didn't mind it.

The film, of course, belongs to Barrymore. You can never take your eyes off of him, and even when he hams it up, he's great. I never thought he was a hammy actor unless it was called for - and as the governor, he could be nothing else. Certainly his performances in "Bill of Divorcement," "The Great Man Votes" and dozens of his other films prove his brilliance as an actor.

Recommended; very enjoyable.

While running for governor, the politician is helping a poor college by planning to secure a victory for his football team. Although it would be a parody of Huey Long and his machine.

Hold That Co-ed (1938)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Political and sports satire about a Governor (John Barrymore) running for a seat on the Senate who comes up with a scheme to get more votes. He decides to pump money into a low class college and turn their football program into one of the best in the nation. This film is rather hit and miss but Barrymore is right on the target with his maniac-style performance. He's certainly over the top but he doesn't go too far out there and he manages to bring several laughs to the rather standard screenplay. A special note must also go towards his wickedly funny looking hair cut. The supporting cast includes George Murphy, Joan Davis, Jack Haley and Donald Meek. The satire works just fine but there are a couple really horrid moments in the film including a couple musical sequences, which just stop the film dead in its tracks. One of these sequences is perhaps the worst musical number I've seen in any film. Another problem is the final football game, which uses wind as a major factor but this comes off very unhappy and ends the film on a rather sour note. George Marshall directs.

I am not sure I'd call "Hold That Co-Ed" a good film...but it's a very enjoyable one! It stars John Barrymore and George Murphy and IMDB is right...the Governor seems to be a parody of Huey Long and his own unique style of government!

An All-American college football player (Murphy) is hired to be the football coach for State University. But when he arrives at the place, the campus turns out to be underfunded and he's told they're going to cancel football! But the team is given a reprieve when a self-serving politician, Governor Harrigan (Barrymore) realizes that it will cost him votes if they discontinue football...so instead he fully funds the school and is their champion. The film is about the team and its quest to not only be a respectable winning team BUT help Harrigan in his run for the US Senate!

The film is dopey...in a good way. Barrymore is hilarious as the crazed Governor and the film, while far from intellectual, made me laugh quite a few times. Overall, a lot of fun...even though like nearly ALL college comedies of the era, no one ever seems to go to class!