Good News (1930)

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Director:

Nick Grinde (as Nick Grindé)

Writers:

Laurence Schwab (based on a musical comedy by) (as Lawrence Schwab), Lew Brown (based on a musical comedy by)

Stars:

Mary Lawlor, Stanley Smith, Bessie Love

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mary Lawlor	...	Connie
Stanley Smith	...	Tom
Bessie Love	...	Babe
Cliff Edwards	...	Kearney
Gus Shy	...	Bobbie
Lola Lane	...	Pat
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Coach (as Thomas Jackson)
Delmer Daves	...	Beef
Billy Taft	...	Freshman
Frank McGlynn Sr.	...	Prof. Kenyon (as Frank McGlynn)
Penny Singleton	...	Flo (as Dorothy McNulty)
Helyn Virgil	...	Girl
Vera Marshe	...	Girl (as Vera Marsh)
Abe Lyman	...	Abe Lyman
Abe Lyman Orchestra	...	Abe Lyman Orchestra (as Abe Lyman and His Band)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

football | american football | football coach | courtship | astronomy | 

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Taglines:

It's here- the picture of youth you've been waiting for! (Print Ad- Turtle Mountain Star,((Rolla, N.D.)) 30 July 1931)

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hip Hip Happy

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White Color (Multicolor) (finale)

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The on-screen credit for Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed, Felix E. Feist, George Ward and Reggie Montgomery was for "interpolations", which meant song insertions at the time the movie was released. However, no song by Felix E. Feist was heard.

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Quotes

Beef: I'll knock you so flat, they could play you on a Victrola.

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Connections

Referenced in Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood (2000)

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Soundtracks

Tait Song
(1927) (uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
Sung by the students after Tom passes his exam

User Reviews

The supporting players and the musical numbers make this film

Unlike the 1947 version of this musical comedy, the two leads here are rather stiff, are not given too terribly much to do, and lack any perceivable chemistry. Top billed Mary Lawlor and Stanley Smith as Connie Lane and Tom Marlowe, respectively, play an unlikely collegiate couple. Tom is the star player on the football team at mythical Tait College. He has to pass a make-up exam in astronomy or he won't be able to play in Saturday's big game. Tom goes to his steady girlfriend, Pat, for help with studying. She says that astronomy is really the field of her friend Connie. Connie is a rather homely looking girl when the audience and Tom first see her, and Tom begrudgingly relents but is not looking forward to their study sessions. Connie's friends do a makeover on her before her first study date with Tom and - voilà - suddenly Tom is in love, even proposing almost from his first encounter. I know this is a musical comedy, but, really! Suppose the girl has annoying bad habits, insanity in her family, or layabout relatives or something. Someone should tell Tom that rushing is good in football, not in life. However, he learns this soon enough. You see, before Tom has had a chance to say anything to Pat about his newfound feelings for Connie, Pat announces their wedding plans. It seems Tom forgot that pesky marriage proposal he made to Pat, but Pat didn't.

That's the overriding story that gives us an excuse to see the really entertaining parts of the film which amount to a bunch of mini comedy sketches and musical numbers by the supporting players that I thoroughly enjoyed. Although I have to admit that Cliff Edwards appears to be the world's oldest underclassman, he is so entertaining with a remark here and a song there, in particular the catchy "I'm pessimistic", that I'll forget all of that. Penny Singleton - who isn't even billed in the top ten here - gives the blow-out musical performances of this film with "Varsity Drag" and her rendition of the title song "Good News". Bessie Love may be a musical talent in a musical film, but her contribution here is mainly as comedienne as the spritely mischievous coed Babe. The bad tempered and aptly named Beef thinks he has romantic claims on her but she has eyes for Bobbie, a less talented player on the team, and he has eyes for her. However, Bobbie would like to keep those eyes along with his teeth and nose, and if Beef finds out the chances of him keeping these things seem unlikely as Beef is very jealous of Babe.

Do note that the finale of this film is lost, but TCM has inserted publicity stills and title cards indicating what happens in this final scene.

Although made in 1930, this film is based on a 1927 hit play, thus it is very much steeped in the Jazz Age, with even a mentioning of raccoon coats in the prologue. If you like early talking films I do recommend this one.