Hold That Co-ed (1938)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Karl Tunberg (screenplay) &
Don Ettlinger (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 September 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

While running for governor a politician aids a needy college by plotting to assure victory for their football team...

Plot Keywords:

Governor | College | Football | Protest | Riot

Cast

John Barrymore	...	Governor Gabby Harrigan
George Murphy	...	Rusty Stevens
Marjorie Weaver	...	Marjorie Blake
Joan Davis	...	Lizzie Olsen
Jack Haley	...	Wilbur Peters
George Barbier	...	Major Hubert Breckenridge
Ruth Terry	...	Edie
Donald Meek	...	Dean Fletcher
Johnny Downs	...	Dink
Paul Hurst	...	Slapsy
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Mike Wurgeski (as Guinn Williams)
The Brewster Twins	...	College Students (as Brewster Twins)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Sylvester (as Bill Benedict)
Frank Sully	...	Steve Wurgeski
Charles C. Wilson	...	Coach Burke

Also Known As:

Hold That Girl (UK)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #4447) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Several people are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members, but they did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Russell Hicks (President), Ruth Warren (Mother), Forbes Murray (Otis), Harry Hayden (Spokesman) and Clem Bevans (Judkins). A modern source states that John Barrymore's wife, Elaine Barrie was to be in the film, but her scenes were cut.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Donald Meek is credited onscreen as "Dean Fletcher," but he is called Dean Thatcher throughout the film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sports on the Silver Screen (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Harrigan

A governor's idea of how to get votes is a unique one

John Barrymore, George Murphy and Joan Davis star in "Hold that Coed," a 1938 film about politics and football. Murphy plays a football star turned coach of a state university, which has no funding and no equipment for its football players. Governor Gabby Harrigan (John Barrymore) is running for a Senate seat and has slashed the school's funding even further. The students, led by the coach, head for his office to protest. Harrigan refuses to see them; a horrendous fight breaks out when the police arrive. The governor's secretary (Marjorie Blake) and his advisors warn him that his decision to cut funding and refusal to meet the students is going to cost him votes. He decides to do a switch - to pour money into the school and build a huge stadium which will also serve as a place to champion his election to the Senate.

Of course, the school has to play only the biggest college teams. Just one problem - this team is a big loser. So a female (Davis) who is an amazing kicker is drafted, and two professional wrestlers who quit school are given government positions and put on the team.

"Hold that Coed" is a funny satire with the kind of wild performance by John Barrymore that one expects by 1938 when he was well in his cups. Like his fellow politico, Ronald Reagan, George Murphy was an attractive, light leading man, but he could also sing and dance. Though the music in this movie isn't much, it's pleasant, as is Murphy, who never tried to move out of his range or go over the top. Joan Davis is funny as the tomboyish kicker - before she kicks, she does mincing type movements. Someone complained about the finale, which includes problems with strong winds; I didn't mind it.

The film, of course, belongs to Barrymore. You can never take your eyes off of him, and even when he hams it up, he's great. I never thought he was a hammy actor unless it was called for - and as the governor, he could be nothing else. Certainly his performances in "Bill of Divorcement," "The Great Man Votes" and dozens of his other films prove his brilliance as an actor.

Recommended; very enjoyable.