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''Let's Go Collegiate'' is a 1941 American
musical Musical is the adjective of music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term ori ...
film directed by
Jean Yarbrough Jean Yarbrough (August 22, 1901 – August 2, 1975) was an American film director. Biography Jean Yarbrough was born in Marianna, Arkansas on August 22, 1901. He attended the University of the South located in Sewanee, Tennessee. In 1922 ...
and produced by
Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios in ...
. It was released as ''Farewell to Fame'' in the United Kingdom.


Plot summary

Frankie ( Frankie Darro) is the
coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boa ...
on the rowing team at Rawley University. His friend Tad ( Jackie Moran) is a stroke on the crew, president of the Kappa Psi Delta fraternity, and leader of the campus swing band. Rawley's administrators are eagerly awaiting the arrival of renowned athletic star Bob Terry. Tad learns that Terry has been drafted to the army and will not be joining the crew, nor will he be attending the party welcoming him. Frankie and Tad don't have the hearts to tell their girlfriends Midge ( Gale Storm) and Bess ( Marcia Mae Jones), who have worked hard to prepare the party, and instead look for a replacement for Bob for the evening. They find truck driver Hercules "Herk" Bevans ( Frank Sully) loading a safe onto his truck singlehanded. After some convincing, Herk reluctantly accepts the offer to pose as Bob. Herk enjoys the party and flirts with both Bess and Midge, using guttersnipe slang in contrast to the actual students. He decides to stay on campus and join the team as "Bob Terry," despite his aversion to boats. Frankie cures Herk's nautical nausea with seasick pills. The fraternity gang of Frankie, Tad, Buck (
Keye Luke Keye Luke (, Cantonese: Luk Shek Kee; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American film and television actor, technical advisor and artist and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. He was known for playing Lee Chan, t ...
), and Jeff (
Mantan Moreland Mantan Moreland (September 3, 1902 – September 28, 1973) was an American actor and comedian most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in numerous films. His daughter Marcella Moreland appeared as a child actress in several films. E ...
) work frantically behind the scenes to keep the fake Terry on the team. They coach him not to make social errors with his uncultured speech, and they tutor him in his homework so thoroughly that they themselves risk failing their college courses. Bess breaks up with Tad and lets him know that she is going to marry "Bob Terry." Midge breaks up with Frankie as well, giving the same reason. On the day of the regatta, Bess and Midge learn of their mutual engagement to Herk. During the race, Frankie runs out of seasick pills and gives Herk moth balls instead. This energizes Herk tremendously and the crew wins. After the race, Herk is arrested for bank robbery. Frankie and Tad reunite with their girlfriends, and explain that "Bob Terry" has been drafted. As Herk is led away, an announcer explains that Terry will be spending the next few years "in federal service."


Cast

* Frankie Darro as Frankie Monahan * Marcia Mae Jones as Bess Martin * Jackie Moran as Tad *
Keye Luke Keye Luke (, Cantonese: Luk Shek Kee; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American film and television actor, technical advisor and artist and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. He was known for playing Lee Chan, t ...
as Buck Wing *
Mantan Moreland Mantan Moreland (September 3, 1902 – September 28, 1973) was an American actor and comedian most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in numerous films. His daughter Marcella Moreland appeared as a child actress in several films. E ...
as Jeff * Frank Sully as Hercules "Herk" Bevans * Gale Storm as Midge *Billy Griffith as Prof. Whitaker *
Barton Yarborough William Barton Yarborough (October 2, 1900 – December 19, 1951) was an American actor who worked extensively in radio drama, primarily on the NBC Radio Network. He is famous for his roles in the Carlton E. Morse productions '' I Love a M ...
as Coach Walsh *
Frank Faylen Frank Faylen (born Charles Francis Ruf, December 8, 1905 – August 2, 1985) was an American film and television actor. Largely a bit player and character actor, he occasionally played more fleshed-out supporting roles during his forty-two ...
as Speed *
Marguerite Whitten Marguerite Whitten (February 23, 1913 – December 25, 1990) was an American film actress appearing in 14 films between 1938 and 1943, often with actor Mantan Moreland. She was also billed as Margaret Whitten. Whitten was born on Februar ...
as Malvina * Paul Maxey as Bill Miller * Tristram Coffin as Slugger Wilson *Gene O'Donnell as Announcer *Jackie Moran's Band as Orchestra *Marvin Jones as Homer (uncredited)


Soundtrack

* Gale Storm - "Look What You've Done to Me" * Jackie Moran, Marcia Mae Jones, Mantan Moreland, and Marguerite Whitten - "Let's Do a Little Dreamin'" * Gale Storm - "Sweet Sixteen"


Reception

''Let's Go Collegiate'' received unusually good notices when first released. ''Motion Picture Herald'' raved, "This comedy with music, produced on a budget which wouldn't get the camera started on a so-called major lot, outstrips ost B picturesin point of freshness, spirit, liveliness, humor, and the essentials of entertainment generally... Millions have been spent on less worthwhile college plots with a fraction of the results obtained with this one."William R. Weaver in ''Motion Picture Herald'', Sept. 20, 1941, p. 274.


References


External links

* * * {{Jean Yarbrough 1941 films 1941 musical comedy films 1941 romantic comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Films set in universities and colleges Rowing films Monogram Pictures films 1940s romantic musical films Films directed by Jean Yarbrough 1940s American films