The Draw-Back (1927)
5/10
A Comedy of Inadvertance
19 April 2014
Johnny Arthur, as Harold Hayseed, is the new fellow on campus, the butt of every joke. He annoys the Rector and the captain of the opposing football team -- played by Stanley Lupino. Of course he joins the football team and through the usual combination of cluelessness and luck, scores the winning goal.

You may take it I don't care much for this comedy, and you'd be right. Johnny Arthur was a Nance comedian who was a good and reliable performer, but whose screen character was not particularly appealing. Here, despite a good collection of gags and some fine direction by Norman Taurog, he perseveres mostly because he is too stupid not to know he is beaten and is rewarded with the affections of Kathryn McGuire.

You may enjoy it for the competently enacted series of gags or, like me, be annoyed by the performances. If you wish to see for yourself, the Belgian Royal Archives has a good print and have posted it to Youtube.
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