Customer Reviews

Good News [VHS]

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I discovered this toe-tapping musical by accident my freshmen year of college and I have never enjoyed another film quite so much! Made in the golden years of the MGM musical production frenzy, "Good News" is a shining star that, sadly, for years was forgotten.

"Good News" is the story of a senior at Tait college who works as the school librarian (June Allison). Having worked hard throughout her years at Tait, she has been largely ignored by the superficial fraternity boys. This changes when Tommy Marlow (Peter Lawford), captain of Tait's beloved football team, asks her for French lessons. The story is a little predictable, but if you watch a musical for a suspenseful plot, I think you are going to be continually disappointed.

The music numbers in this 1947 production are lively and brillantly written. You will find yourself humming such songs as "Lucky in Love" long after the show. Mel Torme plays a small role in the movie and treats us to a reprise of the ballad "The Best Things in Life are Free".

True to MGM's style the music is accentuated by stunning choreography. "Pass the Peace Pipe" and the "Varsity Drag", the show-stopping finale, are wonderful examples of this. Some may find, however, the pre-war treatment of Native American traditions in "Pass the Peacepipe" to be inappropriate in today's politically correct society. I personally found it to be a wonderful reminder of how far we have come in that arena.

What I love best about this musical is the strength given to June Allison's character in a time when women weren't given much credit for more than their pretty face and homemaking skills. In this movie, she is a smart, working woman, who, instead of wallowing in the fact she has no beau, betters herself. The sorority house relies on her for plumbing repair as well as smoothing over cat fights. Despite the wonderful music and dance numbers, this is what makes "Good News" really worth while. (How refreshing to see the smart girl get the boy! Especially the handsome Peter Lawford!)

What a treat this movie has been re-released!

This version of "Good News" (there was a 1930 adaptation) takes the wonderful musical score (plus some interpolated standards), and folds it into a terrifically innocent, fast, and joyful plot about 1920s college kids, the big football game, and the brainy student (June allyson) who tutors, then falls in love with, the gridiron hero (Peter Lawford). There were greater musicals produced by MGM in the '40s and '50s than this one, but even the best of those ("The Band Wagon", "Singin' in the Rain") are hard pressed to match the sheer energy and sparkle of this "minor" MGM tuner. Everything about "Good News" works effortlessly, and the fun is amped up considerably by the straight-ahead kinetics of the numbers. From the title song (done on the front steps of the fictional Tait College), through the jazzy specialty "pass That Peace Pipe", on to the genuinely exciting finale to "The Varisty Drag", the arrangements have snap and drive, and the choreography is equal to the scoring in impact.

On DVD, the Technicolor picture is vibrant, sharp, and steady. The monophonic sound is fairly strong considering the age of the film; overall the presentation is top notch. The extras include two staggeringly campy musical excerpts from the 1930 version, featuring a pre-"Blondie" Penny Singleton scrunching up her face and pounding out the lumbering dance steps to horse-y versions of the title song and "The Varsity Drag". Very funny and a great complement to the exuberance of the 1947 version.

GOOD NEWS has long been a favorite musical of mine: on the stage, on a recording, on VHS and now, delightfully, on a DVD with several Extra Features which are both surprising and very entertaining.

First the movie, itself: Betty Comden and Adolph Green are in top form here only about four years before their work on, arguably, the finest movie musical ever made SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. The dialogue here is funny, sharp, clever and altogether very happily silly. The song they added to the Broadway score, "The French Lesson" for stars Peter Lawford and June Allyson is one of the true highlights in this pretty to look at, MGM college caper. It's the all-too familiar story of the football hero who must pass a course (yes, it's French!)and to do so, he must be tutored by the co-ed he dumped for her much more glamourous rival. Guess what? He passes the course, Tate College wins the big football game, the rival gets the rich boyfriend she deserves and Lawford gets Allyson.

In the supporting cast beautiful Patricia Marshall is charmingly funny as the snooty sorority girl who has no trouble attracting men and Joan McCracken as the tomboyish 'Babe' who dances up a storm in one of the movie's best numbers, "Pass That Peacepipe" which is, probably, in today's climate, far from politically correct. Also in the cast is a dusky-voiced, very young singer you may have heard of named Mel Torme.

As for the DVD Extras, the most interesting is a song number for Allyson, Marshall and the sorority girls which was cut from the finished picture called "An Easier Way" which could be a variation on Comden and Green's "100 Easy Ways" from WONDERFUL TOWN. Even better are two song and dance numbers from the 1930 movie version of GOOD NEWS with a singer/dancer/comedienne named Penny Singleton who is absolutely priceless.

It goes without saying that the color, settings and costume designs for this movie are tops. After all, the movie was made by MGM. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

One of my all-time favorites! It's about college life during the roaring 20's. 23-skidoo! Wonderful songs, from the beautifully romantic to the showstopping big band blowout dance numbers. Lots of high energy! The cinematography is great ( technicolor ) from the big football game to glamorous close-ups of Ms. Allyson and Mr. Lawford. Background note: In the "French Lesson" song, Ms. Allyson teaches Mr. Lawford how to speak French, but in real life, it was Mr. Lawford who taught Ms. Allyson the French words she needed to sing for the movie. Fun, eh?. A great musical for all ages!

I love this movie so much I have forced everyone I know to watch it. All of them loved it too. My college roommates were all able to do the "Varsity Drag"(the show-stopping dancing finale) by the time they moved out! It's a musical set in the 1920's on a college campus. While it ends in your typical guy-gets-girl fashion, it takes you on a thrilling ride along the way. Tommy, the captian of the Tait football team needs help from the independent, talented, and of course beautiful student librarian, so that he can pass his French class and win the big game.

I am so in love with this movie. I know every word to the French Lesson song, I know every step to the Varsity Drag, I know every whistle in Lucky in Love, and just when my tape broke, it went out of print. Woe is me! Seriously though, this was a wonderful musical, it even surpassed Singin' In The Rain as my favorite. It is filled with dancing fun and lots of good times. It is extremely clever with scads of interrelated stories and plots. Whoever didn't love this just didn't watch it. A must see and worth any price.

If you love 40s musicals, you'll love this. Stars June Allyson (recently passed away, R.I.P) in one of the best performances. The part where she and the sorority house mother are misleading Pat (Patricia Marshall) about Tommy's (Peter Lawford) family loosing its money and his father no longer being the "pickle king" is a hoot. Miss Allyson's singing is in more of a Broadway than motion picture musical style. However, it fits her character, Connie, who is an All American Girl type, not a glamour gal. Peter Lawford also puts on a credible show in his singing and dancing. The supporting cast is excellent. Joan McCracken shows off her dancing prowess in the "Pass the Peace Pipe" number. An example of the MGM musical in its prime.

An energy filled musical about college life in the 1940's, filled with song, dance and much exhuberance.I wish that this was still available in video format.

The death of June Allyson this past week is reason enough to revisit one of her most important starring vehicles, this wholesome 1947 MGM college musical from the golly-gee-whiz school of entertainment. Based on a pre-Depression-era stage hit, it's all pretty ridiculous but very sincere with random moments of clever comedy thanks to the formidable team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green with their first screenplay effort. The thin plot involves exuberant co-eds at Tait College and two in particular, conscientious good girl Connie Lane and football hero Tommy Marlowe. The closest thing the film comes to drama is the risk Tommy faces in not being able to play in the big game if he cannot pass his French class, and you can guess who is the only who can tutor him. There is inevitably a snooty gold-digger out to steal Tommy from Connie under the assumption that he is an heir to a pickle fortune. And naturally, there are hijinks galore among the co-eds who have a more vested interest in the big game than their own studies.

The trivial nature of the film is offset primarily by two things. First, there is Allyson, who exudes cornbelt, girl-next-door appeal effortlessly. With her froggy voice and twinkly smile, she shines as Connie despite the fact that she is not inordinately talented as either singer or dancer. As Tommy, Lawford is actually a better dancer than you would expect, but his character is such a flighty dullard that he comes across as rather silly. The second notable factor is a wonderful bouncing ball of a dancer named Joan McCracken, a Broadway performer who plays Connie's comic sidekick Babe Doolittle. Shamefully an obscure footnote now, she is the dynamic center of the energetic if somewhat politically incorrect "Pass the Peace Pipe" production number, a dazzling example of finely coordinated MGM choreography at its best. Another example of that craftsmanship is the final "Varsity Drag" number where dozens of dancers impressively replicate the moves of Allyson and Lawford in synchronized lockstep. This will definitely not suit everyone's taste, even lovers of MGM musicals, but it is a worthy tribute to Allyson's appeal and the kind of musical that would never be made again without some hint of cynicism.

This is one of the best musicals I have seen. Peter Lawford as a rich football hero and June Allyson, a hard working librarian/sorority girl. With great songs by Joan McCracken and Mel Torme. This movie is a great romantic comedy. It is a must see.