''They Learned About Women'' is a 1930 American
Pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...
sports drama
musical film directed by
Jack Conway and
Sam Wood
Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as '' A Night at the Opera'', '' A Day at the Races'', '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', '' ...
, and starring
Van and Schenck
Van and Schenck were popular American entertainers in the 1910s and 1920s: Gus Van (born August Von Glahn, August 12, 1886 – March 12, 1968), baritone, and Joe Schenck (pronounced "skenk"; born Joseph Thuma Schenck, (June 2, 1891– June ...
in their final film appearance together.
Although predominantly a
black and white film, the "Harlem Madness" number was filmed in
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
under the direction of
Sammy Lee.
The film is a "
talkie
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
", but MGM also issued it in a
silent version, with Alfred Block writing the titles. The film was remade in 1949 as ''
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...
''. During production, it was known by at least two other titles, "Take It Big," and "Playing the Field."
Plot
Major league baseball player Jack Glennon (Schenck) watches out for alcoholic teammate Jerry Burke (Van). Both men are interested in Mary (Love), but Jack marries the gold-digging Daisy (Doran), who lures him away from baseball to the vaudeville stage.
Later, Jerry and Mary become romantically involved, and Jack rejoins the baseball team after divorcing Daisy. Jerry notices that Jack is not playing well and is unhappy, and realizes that he must still be in love with Mary. He steps away from Mary, allowing her to be with Jack. Jack plays baseball well once again, and the team wins the World Series.
Cast
Reception
The film received lukewarm reviews.
Soundtrack
* "Ain't You, Baby?"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen
:Performed by Gus Van
* "Does My Baby Love?"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen
:Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
* "Harlem Madness"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen
:Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
:Reprised by Nina Mae McKinney and chorus (in Technicolor)
* "He's That Kind of a Pal"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen
:Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck (twice)
* "A Man of My Own"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen
:Performed by Bessie Love
* "Ten Sweet Mamas"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen
:Performed by Gus Van, Joe Schenck, and ball players
* "There Will Never Be Another Mary"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen
:Performed by Joe Schenck
* "Dougherty Is the Name"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen and Gus Van
:Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
* "I'm an Old-Fashioned Guy"
:Music by Milton Ager
:Lyrics by Jack Yellen and Gus Van
:Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
* "When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose"
:Music by Percy Wenrich (1924)
:Lyrics by Jack Mahoney
:Sung by the players in the hotel lobby
* "When You Were Sweet Sixteen"
:Written by James Thornton (1898)
:Sung partially by Tom Dugan and Benny Rubin
References
External links
*
*
*
*
They Learned About Women' at Sanderson Beck page
{{Sam Wood
1930 films
1930s musical drama films
1930s sports drama films
1930s color films
American baseball films
American black-and-white films
American musical drama films
Films directed by Jack Conway
Films directed by Sam Wood
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
1930 drama films
1930s English-language films
1930s American films
American sports drama films