Good News
Directed by Charles Walters
Written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green from a play by Buddy G. DeSylva et al
1947/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] The moon belongs to everyone/ The best things in life are free/ The stars belong to everyone/ They gleam there for you and for me – “The Best Things in Life Are Free”, lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva [/box]
This college musical has the highest IMDb user rating of any movie released in 1947. The reason why will forever be a mystery to me.
Tommy Marlow (Peter Lawford?!) is captain of Tait College’s football team and Big Man on Campus. Not knowing that he is also heir to a pickle fortune, new girl in town Pat McClellan, a self-styled diva, spurns him for a wealthy drip. Not used to being rejected, Tommy is naturally fixated on Pat. Meanwhile plucky sorority sister Connie Lane (June Allyson), who is working her way through school, is secretly in love with Tommy. Tommy wants to improve his French to impress Pat so Connie tutors him. Tommy slowly begins to see the light and asks Connie to the prom.
But the mischievous Babe alerts Pat to Tommy’s wealth and Tommy foolishly throws off Connie for Pat. You can bet Tommy and Connie will be dancing together in the closing number. With Mel Torme as one of the gang.
As far as I am concerned, the most interesting thing about this movie is Peter Lawford’s impeccable French accent. He certainly doesn’t convince as a football player! Otherwise, this just strikes me as completely sophomoric. I don’t even like the songs that much. There are a few OK dance numbers. I’ve seen this before and my reaction was exactly the same. But there is no accounting for tastes….
Good News received an Oscar Nomination for Best Music, Original Song for “Pass That Peace Pipe” by Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane, and Roger Edens.
Trailer – If this appeals, you might love this movie
You had to be there . . . .
I guess so. Sometimes I feel guilty for raining on fans’ parades when I just don’t get it.
It has its moments but I’m not really a big fan of this one. I love the scene where Joan McCracken has to hide in the back of the car (under a blanket, I think) and then five to ten college boys pile in on top of her for the drive to the soda shop. That makes me laugh. And then it segues into “Pass the Peace Pipe,” which gets a lot of points for being WEIRD!
I thought Joan McCracken was one of the best things about the movie. Shame she didn’t get to dance even more.