Good News [DVD] [1947] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I absolutely love this film. Made in 1947, it's set in the 1920s in an American college called Tate - a sunny, fun-loving place. The story revolves around the romantic affairs of students, June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Joan McCracken, Patricia Marshall, and others including a young Mel Torme. Studious Connie (Allyson) is in love with football star Tommy (Lawford) but he only has eyes for glamorous new girl Pat (Marshall). No need to tell you how it turns out - this is a musical after all - but there is a lot of fun along the way with some great scenes including Tommy's French lesson, Connie and Cora's trick on Pat, and Babe (McCracken) trying to ditch her jock boyfriend for shy Ray McDonald. The musical numbers are also terrific. I couldn't pick a favourite but I love Peter Lawford's "Be a Ladies Man" (his singing is not always 100% in tune and his dancing won't give Fred Astaire any sleepless nights but he really is impressive in this film - and you don't mind that he's an upper-class English all-American boy!), "Lucky in Love", "Pass That Peace Pipe" (Oscar nominated for Best Song - Joan McCracken is a brilliant ball of energy throughout the film and especially here) and "The Varsity Drag" grand finale. If the era of flappers and sheiks was anything like the magical world of this film, you can see why there was already nostalgia for it by the 40s. I can honestly say this is one of the most delightful, optimistic and entertaining feel-good films I've ever seen. For sheer enjoyment it can't be beaten.

College coed falls for football star who has eyes for the school vamp. But football hero is failing French; if he flunks, he can't play in the big game. So coed decides to tutor him, and football hero discovers love while making a passing grade. All ends well, and he also makes the winning play.

Good News is a simple-minded MGM musical that is full of good cheer, enthusiasm and fine production numbers performed by professionals at the top of their game. Connie Lane (June Allyson) is cute, innocent and ultimately determined to win the heart of Tommy Marlowe (Peter Lawford). Before Allyson turned into the perfect wife during her Fifties movies, she got her start singing and dancing in the chorus of Broadway musicals. She knows what she's doing in her numbers. Lawford is no singer or dancer, but he's confident and always looks like he's having a good time.

The charm of the movie and the reason to watch it is the production numbers. Two of them, "Pass the Peace Pipe" and "The Varsity Drag" are great fun. "Peace Pipe" features dancer Joan McCracken as Babe Doolittle with support from partner Ray MacDonald as Bobby Turner. McCracken made her name in the original production of Oklahoma!. She's short with muscular legs and is great. Agnes DeMille says Richard Rodgers wanted her fired because she didn't look like his kind of a dancer, and DeMille threatened to quit unless she stayed. Glenn Erickson quotes James Agee as saying she looked like a libidinous peanut. She was married to Bob Fosse and died of cancer at 38. Ray MacDonald was a first rate dancer; you can see him in a handful of old films now and then on cable. His career never went anywhere and he died relatively young.

All in all, Good News is good news for the production numbers and McCracken and MacDonald. Not a bad way to let an hour or two slip by.

Graet oldmovie from back in the day. Picture and sound quality is magnifecently presented. Some nice "Extras" too, if ya likes that sort of thing