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.
