James Thurber's comedic ode to academic freedom was first on Broadway in the 1940 season for 243 performances. The director of the film, Elliott Nugent, not only directed the play but starred in the play in the role Henry Fonda does on screen.
Now that is unusual, the creator of the role on stage directing the guy who is doing the part on screen. But Elliott Nugent was hardly movie box office and Henry Fonda and Olivia DeHavilland as his wife would definitely draw some customers in.
At this point in Fonda's career he was tied to a studio contract to 20th Century Fox that he signed in order to get the role of Tom Joad in The Grapes Of Wrath. He did what he considered a lot of inferior films for 20th Century Fox after that until he went into the Navy. Most of his good work was done when Darryl Zanuck loaned him out to other studios as he did here to Warner Brothers.'
Most people consider The Lady Eve Fonda's greatest comedic part, but The Male Animal runs a pretty close second. Fonda's mild mannered English professor Tommy Turner's got both academic and romantic problems. His academic ones stem from the fact that after some professors were fired for left wing tendencies, radical student Herbert Anderson writes an editorial in the school paper calling attention to the fact that Fonda will read as an example of eloquence from people who were not professional writers, a letter from jail from anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Incidentally his other two choices were Abraham Lincoln and William T. Sherman.
When that comes to the old mossback who's the chairman of the board of trustees, Eugene Palette, Fonda's in for it for sure. Palette's idea of what's important is football and for the big game that Midwest University is having with Michigan, Palette's brought back former football hero Jack Carson to spur on the current team where he starred a few years back.
In the Broadway cast Leon Ames played the football hero, but here the part is done by Jack Carson, in fact it's almost the perfect Jack Carson role. Carson did the blow-hard part so often on screen, he enlivened some mediocre films with it. But here is where he really developed his image. He's also the former romantic rival for Olivia DeHavilland back in the day and he's no support to anyone because football is his life also.
Fonda and Herbert Anderson do a riotous drunk act together culminated in a comic brawl with Carson who if it were for real probably could take Fonda apart. Anderson's a younger version of Fonda and he's got troubles of his own as he pines for Joan Leslie, DeHavilland's younger sister who also has the current football star Don DeFore after here. DeFore is the only cast member to repeat his role from Broadway.
The climax is serious with Fonda telling Palette, Carson, and anyone else who cares about just what a university's function is and what academic freedom means. He's not a guy who thinks of himself as a hero, wouldn't cast himself as one in any play he'd write or critique. But Fonda certainly steps up to the plate on this occasion.
Hattie McDaniel as the maid to Fonda and DeHavilland gets a few choice bon mots herself in and young Jean Ames as another sexy coed with an eye for both DeFore and Anderson was obviously being showcased by Jack Warner in this film. Wonder what happened to here.
The Male Animal is one timeless classic which brings up issues sadly still relevant today. It should be seen frequently, especially by those like Palette and Carson to remind them of what college is really supposed to be about.
Now that is unusual, the creator of the role on stage directing the guy who is doing the part on screen. But Elliott Nugent was hardly movie box office and Henry Fonda and Olivia DeHavilland as his wife would definitely draw some customers in.
At this point in Fonda's career he was tied to a studio contract to 20th Century Fox that he signed in order to get the role of Tom Joad in The Grapes Of Wrath. He did what he considered a lot of inferior films for 20th Century Fox after that until he went into the Navy. Most of his good work was done when Darryl Zanuck loaned him out to other studios as he did here to Warner Brothers.'
Most people consider The Lady Eve Fonda's greatest comedic part, but The Male Animal runs a pretty close second. Fonda's mild mannered English professor Tommy Turner's got both academic and romantic problems. His academic ones stem from the fact that after some professors were fired for left wing tendencies, radical student Herbert Anderson writes an editorial in the school paper calling attention to the fact that Fonda will read as an example of eloquence from people who were not professional writers, a letter from jail from anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Incidentally his other two choices were Abraham Lincoln and William T. Sherman.
When that comes to the old mossback who's the chairman of the board of trustees, Eugene Palette, Fonda's in for it for sure. Palette's idea of what's important is football and for the big game that Midwest University is having with Michigan, Palette's brought back former football hero Jack Carson to spur on the current team where he starred a few years back.
In the Broadway cast Leon Ames played the football hero, but here the part is done by Jack Carson, in fact it's almost the perfect Jack Carson role. Carson did the blow-hard part so often on screen, he enlivened some mediocre films with it. But here is where he really developed his image. He's also the former romantic rival for Olivia DeHavilland back in the day and he's no support to anyone because football is his life also.
Fonda and Herbert Anderson do a riotous drunk act together culminated in a comic brawl with Carson who if it were for real probably could take Fonda apart. Anderson's a younger version of Fonda and he's got troubles of his own as he pines for Joan Leslie, DeHavilland's younger sister who also has the current football star Don DeFore after here. DeFore is the only cast member to repeat his role from Broadway.
The climax is serious with Fonda telling Palette, Carson, and anyone else who cares about just what a university's function is and what academic freedom means. He's not a guy who thinks of himself as a hero, wouldn't cast himself as one in any play he'd write or critique. But Fonda certainly steps up to the plate on this occasion.
Hattie McDaniel as the maid to Fonda and DeHavilland gets a few choice bon mots herself in and young Jean Ames as another sexy coed with an eye for both DeFore and Anderson was obviously being showcased by Jack Warner in this film. Wonder what happened to here.
The Male Animal is one timeless classic which brings up issues sadly still relevant today. It should be seen frequently, especially by those like Palette and Carson to remind them of what college is really supposed to be about.