''Brother Rat'' is a 1938 American
comedy drama film
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
about cadets at
Virginia Military Institute
la, Consilio et Animis (on seal)
, mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal)
, established =
, type = Public senior military college
, accreditation = SACS
, endowment = $696.8 mill ...
in
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...
, directed by
William Keighley
William Jackson Keighley (August 4, 1889 – June 24, 1984) was an American stage actor and Hollywood film director.
Career
After graduating from the Ludlum School of Dramatic Art, Keighley began acting at the age of 23. By the 1910s and 1920 ...
, and starring
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
,
Priscilla Lane
Priscilla Lane (born Priscilla Mullican, June 12, 1915 – April 4, 1995) was an American actress, and the youngest sibling in the Lane Sisters of singers and actresses. She is best remembered for her roles in the films ''The Roaring Twenties'' ...
,
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
(in his film debut),
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)["Actress, P ...](_blank)
, and
Wayne Morris
Wayne Morris (born Bert DeWayne Morris Jr. February 17, 1914 – September 14, 1959) was an American film and television actor, as well as a decorated World War II fighter ace. He appeared in many films, including ''Paths of Glory'' (1957), '' ...
.
The film is an adaptation of the successful Broadway play of the same name written by two former VMI cadets,
John Monks, Jr. and
Fred Finklehoffe, which ran for 577 performances between December 1936 and April 1938. Albert and supporting actor
William Tracy
William Tracy (December 1, 1917 – June 18, 1967) was an American character actor.
Early life and career
Tracy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He is perhaps best known for the role of Pepi Katona, the delivery boy, in ''The Shop ...
reprised their roles in the stage productions.
After the film's production, Reagan married Wyman in 1940. The title refers to the term used for cadets in their first year at the Institute. Scenes of the film were shot on site in Lexington on the institute's historic parade ground, and the baseball game scene was filmed at Alumni Memorial Field.
Plot
At the Virginia Military Institute, roommates Billy Randolph (
Wayne Morris
Wayne Morris (born Bert DeWayne Morris Jr. February 17, 1914 – September 14, 1959) was an American film and television actor, as well as a decorated World War II fighter ace. He appeared in many films, including ''Paths of Glory'' (1957), '' ...
), Dan Crawford (
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
) and Bing Edwards (
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
) are three good-natured troublemakers who are trying to clean up their act in the weeks leading up to graduation. Still, try as they might, they cannot seem to stop breaking the rules, which include sneaking girlfriends on campus, and pawning the college's valuable sword to get money to bet on a baseball game. When the secretly married Edwards learns his wife (
Jane Bryan
Jane Bryan (born Jane O'Brien, June 11, 1918 – April 8, 2009) was an American actress groomed by Warner Bros. to become one of its leading ladies but she chose to retire from acting in 1940 at age 22, after which she became a philanthropist and ...
) is pregnant, his preoccupation leads to events that really send everything out of order.
Cast
*
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
as Dan Crawford
*
Priscilla Lane
Priscilla Lane (born Priscilla Mullican, June 12, 1915 – April 4, 1995) was an American actress, and the youngest sibling in the Lane Sisters of singers and actresses. She is best remembered for her roles in the films ''The Roaring Twenties'' ...
as Joyce Winfree
*
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
as Bing Edwards
*
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)["Actress, P ...](_blank)
as Claire Adams
*
Wayne Morris
Wayne Morris (born Bert DeWayne Morris Jr. February 17, 1914 – September 14, 1959) was an American film and television actor, as well as a decorated World War II fighter ace. He appeared in many films, including ''Paths of Glory'' (1957), '' ...
as Billy Randolph
*
Johnnie Davis
John Gustave Davis (April 11, 1910 – October 28, 1983) was an American actor, singer and trumpeter.
Born in Brazil, Indiana, into a family of musicians, Davis developed an interest in music during his childhood. He learned to play the tr ...
as A. Furman Towsend, Jr.
*
Jane Bryan
Jane Bryan (born Jane O'Brien, June 11, 1918 – April 8, 2009) was an American actress groomed by Warner Bros. to become one of its leading ladies but she chose to retire from acting in 1940 at age 22, after which she became a philanthropist and ...
as Kate Rice
*
Henry O'Neill
Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961) was an American film actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles during the 1930s and 1940s.
Early years
He was born in Orange, New Jersey.
Career ...
as Colonel Ramm
*
Gordon Oliver
Gordon Oliver (April 27, 1910 – January 26, 1995) was an American actor and film producer. He appeared in more than 40 films and television shows between 1933 and 1972.
Biography
Oliver began working in films in 1936, eventually working ...
as Capt. 'Lacedrawers' Rogers
* Larry Williams as Harley Harrington
*
William Tracy
William Tracy (December 1, 1917 – June 18, 1967) was an American character actor.
Early life and career
Tracy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He is perhaps best known for the role of Pepi Katona, the delivery boy, in ''The Shop ...
as Misto Bottome
*
Jessie Busley
Jessie Busley (1869 – 1950) was an American actress and comedian who performed on stage, screen, and radio for over six decades.
Career
Jessie starred on stage in over 25 Charles Frohman productions in the first 15 years of her career. ...
as Mrs. Brooks
*
Olin Howland
Olin Ross Howland (February 10, 1886 – September 20, 1959) was an American film and theatre actor.
Life and career
Howland was born in Denver, Colorado, to Joby A. Howland, one of the youngest enlisted participants in the Civil War, an ...
as Slim
*
Louise Beavers
Louise Beavers (March 8, 1902 – October 26, 1962) was an American film and television actress. From the 1920s until 1960, she appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows. She was most often cast in the roles of a maid, servan ...
as Jenny
*
Isabel Withers
Isabel Withers (January 20, 1896 – September 3, 1968) was an American actress, who worked in theatre, film, and television.Allan Cavan
Allan Cavan (March 25, 1880 – January 19, 1941) was an American film actor. He appeared in 145 films between 1917 and 1941.
Cavan was the son of Mrs. Averila Cavan, and he had a brother, Carl. He began working on films with Sam Goldwyn S ...
as Superintendent (uncredited)
* Jerry Cecil as Cadet (uncredited)
*
Don DeFore
Donald John DeFore (August 25, 1913 – December 22, 1993) was an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcom ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' from 1952 to 1957 and the sitcom ''Hazel'' from 1961 to 1965, the former of w ...
as Baseball Catcher (uncredited)
* Jerry Fletcher as Cadet With a Sweet Briar Girl (uncredited)
*
Mildred Gover
Mildred Gover (1905–1947) was an American film actress.Pitts p.207
Selected filmography
* '' Alimony Madness'' (1933)
* '' Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' (1934)
* ''High School Girl'' (1934)
* '' Ring Around the Moon'' (1936)
* '' Penrod and ...
as Colonel Ramm's Maid (uncredited)
* Fred Hamilton as Newsreel Scott (uncredited)
*
Dutch Hendrian
Oscar George "Dutch" Hendrian (January 19, 1896 – December 13, 1953) was an American actor and former American football player in the National Football League.
Career Football
Hendrian first played college football at the University of P ...
as Baseball Coach (uncredited)
* Howard Leeds as Cadet (uncredited)
*
Wilfred Lucas
Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter.
Early life
Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,US ...
as Ballfield Doctor (uncredited)
* Hugh McArthur as Cadet (uncredited)
*
George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon (November 23, 1912 – February 11, 1989) was an American actor and writer. He was best known for his role as Joe McDoakes in the Warner Bros.' live-action ''Joe McDoakes'' short subjects from 1942 to 1956 and as the voice of Georg ...
as Orderly (uncredited)
*
William T. Orr
William T. Orr (born William Ferdinand Quinn Jr.; September 27, 1917December 25, 2002) was an American actor and television producer associated with various Western and detective programs of the 1950s-1970s. In most of his Warner Bros. series, ...
as Member of the Guard (uncredited)
*
Mark Roberts as Tripod Andrews (uncredited)
* Cliff Saum as Baseball Umpire (uncredited)
* Tom Seidel as Cadet (uncredited)
Reception
Frank S. Nugent of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called the film "an excellent transcription of the play, loyal to all its screenable material and matching the playwrights' lively humors in the added scenes." "None of the factors that made the play a success has been lost ... Albert gives a splendid performance," reported ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''. ''
Film Daily
''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...
'' wrote that Keighley gave the film "warm, sympathetic direction and has injected many human touches," and called Eddie Albert "a definite screen 'find'." ''
Harrison's Reports
''Harrison's Reports'' was a New York City-based motion picture trade journal published weekly from 1919 to 1962. The typical issue was four letter-size pages sent to subscribers under a second-class mail permit. Its founder, editor and publisher ...
'' declared it "A delightful comedy" with "excellent" performances.
John Mosher
John Mosher (1928–1998) was an American jazz bassist, classical bassist and composer who worked, recorded and toured with a wide range of primarily West Coast artists from the 1950s through the mid-1990s.
Early years
A native of Sioux City, I ...
of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' called it "a serviceable time-filler."
A sequel, ''
Brother Rat and a Baby
''Brother Rat and a Baby'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Ray Enright and written by John Cherry Monks, Jr. and Fred F. Finklehoffe. It is the sequel to the 1938 film ''Brother Rat''. The film stars Priscilla Lane, Wayne Morris (Ameri ...
'', with several of the same main actors, was released in 1940.
In 1952,
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
remade it as a Technicolor musical, ''
About Face'', with
Gordon MacRae
Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer and radio/television host who appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and ''Carousel'' (1956) and who pl ...
,
Eddie Bracken
Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' and ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' both from ...
and in his first film,
Joel Grey
Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ''Cabaret'' on Broadway as well as in the 1972 fil ...
.
See also
*
Ronald Reagan films
Ronald Reagan's first screen credit was the starring role in the 1937 movie '' Love Is on the Air'', and by the end of 1939 he had already appeared in 19 films. In 1938, he starred alongside Jane Wyman in ''Brother Rat''. Before ''Santa Fe Trail' ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Review of ''Brother Rat''at TVGuide.com
''Brother Rat and a Baby'' (sequel, 1940)at
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
{{VMI Keydets basketball navbox
1938 films
1930s English-language films
Films directed by William Keighley
Films scored by Heinz Roemheld
1938 comedy-drama films
Films set in Virginia
Films shot in Virginia
VMI Keydets
Warner Bros. films
American comedy-drama films
American black-and-white films
1930s American films