That's My Boy (1951)

The greatest player in Ridgefield College history uses his influence and reputation to get his only son, a sickly, uncoordinated nerd, on the college football team with comic results.

Director:

Hal Walker

Writer:

Cy Howard

Stars:

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Ruth Hussey

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dean Martin	...	Bill Baker
Jerry Lewis	...	'Junior' Jackson
Ruth Hussey	...	Ann Jackson
Eddie Mayehoff	...	Jarring Jack Jackson
Marion Marshall	...	Terry Howard
Polly Bergen	...	Betty 'Babs' Hunter
Hugh Sanders	...	Coach Wheeler
John McIntire	...	Dr. Benjamin Green
Francis Pierlot	...	Henry Baker
Lillian Randolph	...	May (Maid)
Selmer Jackson	...	Doc Hunter (as Selmar Jackson)
Tom Harmon	...	Himself - Sports Announcer
Gregg Palmer	...	Student (as Palmer Lee)
Hazel Boyne	...	Miss Johnson - Housemother (as Hazel 'Sonny' Boyne)

Storyline

Jarring Jack Jackson, the greatest football player in Ridgefield College history, is disappointed that his only son Junior is an uncoordinated, allergy-ridden bookworm. He uses his athletic reputation and standing as #1 alumni contributor to pressure the coach to take Junior on the team. In addition, he pays the tuition of Junior's financially needy classmate Bill Baker, a potential all-American, with the understanding that he will room with Junior and mentor him athletically and socially. Junior's initial efforts as quarterback prove disastrous and further complications arise when the room mates both fall in love with the same co-ed. Plot complications become critical as the climactic homecoming game approaches.

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Plot Keywords:

college | co ed | quarterback | coach | nerd | 

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Taglines:

MADCAPS OF THE CAMPUS! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 May 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bon sang ne peut mentir

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - 3911 S. Figueroa Street, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In November 1951 Jimmy Durante sued Wallis-Hazen, Inc. for $350,000 in damages. He claimed that the expression "That's my boy" had bee identified with him since 1943, when he was a regular on Garry Moore's radio show. The disposition of the lawsuit is not known.

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Quotes

Coach Wheeler: Must you wear glasses?
'Junior' Jackson: No, sir. Only when I want to see.

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Connections

Referenced in E! True Hollywood Story: Dean Martin (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Ridgeville Fight Song"
Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Sung by Eddie Mayehoff

User Reviews

That's My Boy is a nice showcase for Jerry Lewis with Dean Martin in for good support

This is another Martin & Lewis movie I watched on YouTube. In this one, Jerry plays the son of Eddie Mayehoff who is a former college football hero who's still reliving his glory days whenever he wakes up in the morning but his son isn't even close to being that good athletically. So this father asks fellow high school graduate-and football hero-Dean Martin to room with him so he can train him to play the game. I'll stop there and just say that with this one, the story takes more emphasis in order to naturally serve the comedy scenes when they gradually come with Lewis toning down his hyperactive shtick immensely making him a bit more sympathetic than before. Martin himself doesn't appear until maybe after 15 minutes and it takes a while before he teams with Lewis. But when the laughs come, they are truly earned by Lewis and occasionally Mayehoff whether together or separately. So on that note, That's My Boy is worth seeing. P.S. Not counting the My Friend Irma sequel, this movie marks the first time in M & L history that a leading lady from a previous one reappears with them in another one. And like her last stint in At War with the Army, Polly Bergen has another charming duet with Dean, this time on Ballin' the Jack. And it's nice to see a player from my favorite picture It's a Wonderful Life, Lillian Randolph, play another amusing servant character named May.