Good News
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Movie Reviews of Good News
Movie Review: Sis boom bah
Summary: 4 Stars
This film is dear to many fans of old movie musicals because in so many ways it shows MGM's Arthur Freed Unit at its best. The producers, its director (Charles Walters, in his first film effort) and its screenwriters (Betty Comden and Adolph Green, also in their first major Hollywood project) put this silly, unpretentious adaptation of the 1927 DeSylva - Brown- Henderson stage musical of the same together and let themselves absolutely fun with it, which translates terrifically onto the screen. What makes the film so likable is how they seem to have gauged the songs and especially the dancing exactly right, so that the musical numbers are marvelous but they never call too much attention to themselves. The film's musical highlight--the novelty number "Pass that Peace Pipe," written especially for this adaptation by Comden and Green and Roger Edens, and led by the charismatic Joan McCracken--wows you with its choreographic inventiveness and energy, but then the film wisely moves on quickly.
Peter Lawford might not have been an ideal song and dance man for the leading role of the vain and popular football captain Tommy Marlowe, but he is more than pleasant enough and gets by on charm. June Allyson fares even better as his frustrated love interest Connie; this was the film that really cemented Allyson's stardom, and she's just about perfect in the role. It can be hard for younger audiences to understand Allyson's appeal--besides her whiskey voice, she always had terrible Forties sausage hairdos and the studio always purposefully dressed her frumpily to trade on her girl next door image as "The Perfect Wife" (the MGM promotional department's tagline for her). But she does contrast very well with the usual MGM glamour gals of the time (here represented by Patricia Marshall, in the film's only less than robust lead performance), and she does winningly convey intelligence, (a quality rarely valued in musicals, and spirit. Best of all, she's a terrific dancer, and when she really kicks loose in the closing "Varsity Drag" number she's great fun. Be on the lookout for Mel Tormé in a smaller role where he doesn't have to act hardly at all but does get some elbow ring for his gorgeous singing (he enjoys a long reprise of the film's big Broadway ballad "The Best Things in Life are Free). The cinematography on this print is sharp and gorgeous; the hairdos are more Forties than Twenties, but the sets look expensively suitable. The extras are terrific in the big numbers, and don't overwhelm with too much incessant smiling, the way they can sometimes in other Freed Unit musicals.
Movie Review: Worth Seeing for the Production Numbers and Joan McCracken
Summary: 4 Stars
College coed falls for football star who has eyes for the school vamp. But football hero is failing French; if he flunks, he can't play in the big game. So coed decides to tutor him, and football hero discovers love while making a passing grade. All ends well, and he also makes the winning play.
Good News is a simple-minded MGM musical that is full of good cheer, enthusiasm and fine production numbers performed by professionals at the top of their game. Connie Lane (June Allyson) is cute, innocent and ultimately determined to win the heart of Tommy Marlowe (Peter Lawford). Before Allyson turned into the perfect wife during her Fifties movies, she got her start singing and dancing in the chorus of Broadway musicals. She knows what she's doing in her numbers. Lawford is no singer or dancer, but he's confident and always looks like he's having a good time.
The charm of the movie and the reason to watch it is the production numbers. Two of them, "Pass the Peace Pipe" and "The Varsity Drag" are great fun. "Peace Pipe" features dancer Joan McCracken as Babe Doolittle with support from partner Ray MacDonald as Bobby Turner. McCracken made her name in the original production of Oklahoma!. She's short with muscular legs and is great. Agnes DeMille says Richard Rodgers wanted her fired because she didn't look like his kind of a dancer, and DeMille threatened to quit unless she stayed. Glenn Erickson quotes James Agee as saying she looked like a libidinous peanut. She was married to Bob Fosse and died of cancer at 38. Ray MacDonald was a first rate dancer; you can see him in a handful of old films now and then on cable. His career never went anywhere and he died relatively young.
One of the extras is "The Varsity Drag" number from the 1930 version of Good News. It's fun but you sure have to be interested in history. The choreography is set up to be filmed by a straight ahead camera, and is fairly clumsy. An unknown dancer is the lead. She's identified as a 21-year-old who later became Penny Singleton of the Blondie series. She's an eccentric, gymnastic, and tireless performer, and is kind of fun to watch.
All in all, Good News is good news for the production numbers and McCracken and MacDonald. Not a bad way to waste an hour or so.
Movie Review: The musical is great, the transfer needs a touch-up
Summary: 4 Stars
This DVD was first released in the year 2000, and the transfer is a bit fuzzy for my taste. I'm surprised that Warner Bros. hasn't touched it up and rereleased it by now, but then I have the same complaint with "The Music Man".
The musical itself is everything you expect from an MGM musical of the late 1940's - rather light on story and heavy on visual style and good music. I've had the advantage of seeing the original movie musical from 1930, at least what's left of it, which is actually the entire film minus the Technicolor finale. That original has the disadvantage of not having the technical advantages in sound recording and camera mobility. However, the original 1930 movie does have the character of Babe being played by the pixie-like Bessie Love of "Broadway Melody of 1929", and she is every inch the mischievious flapper that Joan McCracken just is not. In fact, the coeds in the 1947 film seem very much like they're from 1947, they're just dressed up in the fashions and driving the cars of the 1920's.
In this film, Connie (June Allyson) is tutoring Tommy (Peter Lawford) in French just as in the 1930 version. However, there are two big differences here. In the 1947 film, Lawford's motivation for studying French is to win the affection of a beautiful new student. Also, Tommy knows exactly who Connie is, and their attraction builds slowly. In the 1930 film, the first time Tommy sees Connie she isn't exactly wildly attractive, but she is the best student in the subject at the college. Also, Tommy is already enrolled in French, he is just in danger of failing it and not being able to play in the big game. Also notice in this later film the presence of a very young Mel Torme who seems to be standing in for Cliff Edwards from the 1930 version, complete with ukelele.
This DVD release has some great extras, including the "Varsity Drag" and "Good News" musical excerpts from the 1930 film. I suggest Warner Bros. upgrade this film using the current DVD technology. Also, 1930 version of "Good News" in its entirety would be great as an extra feature on a new release of the 1947 film.
Movie Review: June and Peter kick up their heels in this buoyant musical treat
Summary: 4 Stars
GOOD NEWS (1947), based on the tried and tested 1920s hit Broadway musical--and originally filmed in 1930--really has no business in working as well as it does. The plot is thinner than a wafer, the characters have little substance and the situations are cliche to say the least. But it works wonderfully! In the best tradition of the MGM musical, GOOD NEWS is a rollicking good time.
Tait College's star football player Tommy Marlowe (Peter Lawford) looks set to flunk the mid-terms--and miss the chance of leading his teammates to victory--unless his grades are pulled into shape. Assigned to help tutor him in French is no-nonsense sorority leader Connie Lane (June Allyson). Before you can say "opposites attract", these two battling co-eds find love whilst hitting the books; until snooty new girl Pat (Patricia Marshall) decides to sink her catty claws into Tommy!
Highlighted by the energetic dance numbers "Pass That Peace-Pipe" (originally intended for "Ziegfeld Follies") and "The Varsity Drag", GOOD NEWS is a great big bouncy ball of musical fun. June Allyson and Peter Lawford tackle the tour-de-force "French Lesson", Mel Torme croons "The Best Things in Life are Free", and June Allyson tugs at the heart with the lovely ballad "Just Imagine".
This movie also boasts two of the most talented dancers from the period, Joan McCracken and Ray McDonald, paired together in comedic secondary roles. Sadly both would die young without realising their full potential in movie musicals. Savour their adorable work in GOOD NEWS.
The DVD from Warners includes a song deleted from the final cut of the film ("An Easier Way"), plus the "Good News" and "Varsity Drag" numbers from the original 1930 movie--which has sadly yet to appear on DVD. Recommended.
Movie Review: Fast, breezy entertainment!
Summary: 4 Stars
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.