Local Boy Makes Good (1931)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Ray Enright (writer)
Raymond Griffith (writer)

Release Date:

27 October 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

John is a timid student who works at the University Book Store. He is studying to be a botanist and has a secret crush on the lovely Julia...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Joe E. Brown	...	John Augustus Miller
Dorothy Lee	...	Julia Winters
Ruth Hall	...	Marjorie Blake
Edward Woods	...	Spike Hoyt
Edward J. Nugent	...	Wally Pierce
Wade Boteler	...	Doc
John Harrington	...	Coach Jackson
William Burress	...	Col. Small

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

In September 1928, Warner Bros. Pictures purchased a majority interest in First National Pictures and from that point on, all "First National" productions were actually made under Warner Bros. control, even though the two companies continued to retain separate identities until the mid-1930's, after which time "A Warner Bros.-First National Picture" was often used.

Quotes:

Marjorie Blake: I think Julia's awfully interested in you.
John Augustus Miller: She's gonna turn my libido outward.
Marjorie Blake: What for?
John Augustus Miller: Just so she can look at it, I guess.

Movie Connections:

Remake of The Poor Nut (1927)

Not one of the best of the biggest comic of the early thirties best

Joe E. Brown was the biggest comic of the late twenties/thirties with Harold Lloyd on the wane and Chaplin in semi-retirement. This is far from one of his best, though it has a Lloyd's "Freshman" feel to it. It has a shy boy/geek tells girl back home, he's a jock. Girl is coming over and he has to prove he's a jock. I remember a few laughs, cheap laughs that is, of the Adam Sandler variety. The trademark yodel/yelp of the star which he did in all his movies is fun when it's done. It has the lack of movement of early talkies and surprisingly, very perfunctory direction by Mervyn Leroy. All in all, 6/10. But I think kids will love it.