Musical Monday: Let’s Go Collegiate (1941)

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

let's go collegiateThis week’s musical:
Let’s Go Collegiate (1941) – Musical #748

Studio:
Monogram Pictures

Director:
Jean Yarbrough

Starring:
Frankie Darro, Marcia Mae Jones, Jackie Moran, Keye Luke, Gale Storm, Frank Sully, Mantan Moreland, Billy Griffith, Barton Yarborough, Frank Faylen, Marguerite Whitten, Paul Maxey, Tristram Coffin

Plot:
The Rawley University rowing team is eagerly awaiting a star stroke for the crew, Bob Terry. But when Terry is drafted into the Army, the team’s coxswain, Frankie (Darro) and his teammates Tad (Moran) and Buck (Luke), think fast for a replacement. Instead of coming clean to their classmates and girlfriends, Bess (Jones) and Midge (Storm), they decide to hire someone to play the role of Bob Terry. Frankie and Tad see Hercules Bevans (Sully) loading a truck and think he will be perfect for the job as Bob Terry. However, their plan does not run smoothly, as Hercules is rough around the edges, needs to be tutored in his classes and rowing, and their girlfriends fall for him.

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Watching 1939: The Spirit of Culver (1939)

In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult. 

1939 film: 
The Spirit of Culver (1939)

Release date: 
March 8, 1939

Cast: 
Jackie Cooper, Freddie Bartholomew, Andy Devine, Henry Hull, Tim Holt, Jackie Moran, Gene Reynolds, Kathryn Kane, Walter Tetley, Pierre Watkin, John Hamilton, Irving Bacon (uncredited), Lon McCallister (uncredited), Charles Smith (uncredited)

Studio: 
Universal Pictures

Director: 
Joseph Santley

Plot:
Tom Allen (Cooper) is an orphan who’s father was killed in World War I and his mother died shortly after. Now living on the streets, Tom meets Tubby (Devine) who works at an American Legion soup kitchen for teens. Tubby gives Tom a job and learns that Tom’s father was a war hero and was awarded the Medal of Honor. Because of this, Tom is given a scholarship to attend Culber Military Academy. Starting off with a chip on his shoulder, Tom isn’t well-liked by the students. But his roommate Bob Randolph (Bartholomew) works past his differences with Tom to help him fit in and warm up to the other students.

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