[.ca] Good News

From Amazon.com:
Tait College football captain Tommy Marlowe (Peter Lawford) is used to getting any girl he wants. When new coed Pat McClellan (Patricia Marshall) arrives on campus sporting racy fashions and pseudo-French phrases, he decides he wants her. But Pat only has eyes for men with millions, so Tommy enlists sweet Connie Lane (June Allyson), Pat's sorority sister who is working her way through Tait as an assistant librarian, to help him learn French. Tommy falls for down-to-Earth Connie, who falls for him right back, but his ego gets in the way when Pat does a turnabout and decides she does want him after all. Based on the Broadway play and 1930s musical, Good News is an enthusiastic, good-hearted romp through late-'20s college life. Broadway actress Joan McCracken as Connie's roommate Babe Doolittle exudes energy as she leads nearly all the musical numbers, particularly shining in "Good News" and "Pass the Peace Pipe." A young Mel Tormé sings a lovely reprise of "The Best Things in Life Are Free," and one of the signature songs, "The Varsity Drag," is led by Allyson and Lawford showcasing their dancing and singing talents (Lawford is a better hoofer than vocalist). Though the movie seems mainly constructed around the musical numbers, the writing is sharp and the cast members seems to be enjoying themselves. Director Charles Walters went on to direct Easter Parade and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green would make their mark with, among others, On the Town and Singin' in the Rain. --Dana Van Nest

Additional Features:
Special features on the DVD include biographies of Allyson and Lawford, the theatrical trailer, the deleted musical number "An Easier Way" sung by Allyson, and musical excerpts from the 1930 version of Good News, featuring a young Penny Singleton, who would later become famous for the title role in the Blondie movies.

My favorite musical!:
I love this musical, and definitely recommend it for any musical lovers!! "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Ladies' Man" are two of my favorite songs from this movie.

WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT:
This lavish 1947 remake of the 1930 M-G-M film - which was priorly a 1927 Broadway musical - is still great fun to watch! Peter Lawford plays Tommy, the football hero, and pert, little June Allyson of the croaky voice plays Connie who's working her way through Tait College as a librarian. Patricia Marshall plays the school sexpot who has her heart set on Lawford but Tommy can't make his grades, so he must be tutored by Guess Who? Most every song is winning, the choreography is stunning and the old Technicolor (by Charles Schoenbaum) is brilliant. New songs which were added to the original score were PASS THAT PEACE PIPE & THE FRENCH LESSONS. ENJOY!

Too Bad People Don't Do Any Research:
I just read the review called: Bad News, January 16, 2001 Reviewer: Jason Fury from Manhattan Any reference book will tell him that Joan McCracken's career was very promising, but was suddenly cut short by a very debilitating heart condition, which caused her to retire from her career, and die shortly after. It is always sited in almost every book I have read from the period as a tragic missed opportunity.

The best movie ever:
This movie is one of my personal favorits of all time. It has great acting, wonderful songs/music, and very entertaning dance numbers. The first time I ever saw this movie on TV I ran to the nearest place to rent it. And soon after I got one of my own so I could watch it again and again. I strongly suggest you do the same! You won't regret it.

Excellent, A Great Musical:
I recently discovered this movie and found out that it is one of the best musicals out there. It has easily become one of my favourites because of its youthful exuberance and great music. I have a number of movies with Peter Lawford in my collection, and in most such as Royal Wedding and Easter Parade, Peter is the backup or shares the romantic lead. Good News is different in that he has the main romantic lead and so we get to see him more often. Peter Lawford and June Allyson are a great pair and have such great romantic chemistry. This movie features the song "The Best Things in Life are Free" (you know the song that was used in phone commercials years ago? lol) and it is the love theme for the characters in the movie. June Allyson does a moving presentation of the song. Both Allyson and Lawford are just so cute in this movie. Peter Lawford portrays the football star, Tommy Marlowe, who learns French in order to impress the new student, and most recent love interest, Pat McCellan (Patricia Marshall), only to fall in love with his French tutor, Connie Lane (Allyson) along the way! Includes a couple of so-so appearances by Mel Torme. French is such an integral part of the story that the captions and English subtitles on the DVD actually include both languages. However the French subtitles are not as complete. It is unfortunate for French viewers that are hearing impaired, that the words that are spoken in French are not subtitled (only the English is translated). Anyway, it's a great film to cheer you up on a rainy afternoon!