To say that "College Swing" is a movie with no plot is an understatement. It barely has a scenario. Most of it is built around a "story idea." But in this case, the fact that is has no plot is a good thing.
The "story" (what there is of it) focuses on Gracie Alden (Gracie Allen), who will inherit Alden College, which was founded by her ancestors, if she can pass an exam and graduate after nine years as a student there. Of course, Gracie's doing her classic dumb-as-rocks-girl comedy routine that she did so well.
When she passes the exam through sheer luck, Gracie sets about making "Gracie"-like changes at the college. ("I'm going to appoint myself as the new Dean of Boys." "But the Dean of Boys is someone who watches the boys at the school, and looks after them." "Exactly. I'm an expert at watching the boys.")
The movie is a rapid-fire mashup of comedy sketches, musical numbers, and Big Band "Swing" dances strung together over 86 minutes. It moves quickly from sketch to song to dance number, as if it's afraid the plot will catch up with it. But the lack of plot is an advantage with this type of movie. If they stopped the routines long enough to develop the plot, it would probably get boring.
As usual, George Burns is on hand to give Gracie her college exam, and to feed her the straight lines, and Bob Hope serves as Gracie's tutor. The cast also includes Edward Everett Horton as the college's stuffy benefactor; Martha Raye as a "love professor" who takes up with Hope; Ben Blue as an inept Phys. Ed. professor; Jerry Colonna as a music professor; John Payne ("Miracle on 34th Street") and opera singer Florence George as the "Young Lovers" stock characters; and the Slate Brothers (a "Three Stooges" comedy group) as a trio of bumbling waiters at the local college hangout (which is called, what else, "The Hangout"). Skinnay Ennis and his band provide the "Swing" music, and Betty Grable and Jackie Coogan (who were married at this time) do the "Swing" numbers. It's a pretty routine film, meant to capitalize on the "Swing" craze. It's not very memorable, but at least, it never gets boring.
"College Swing" was an attempt to capitalize on the "Swing" dance craze, which was popular with college kids in the late 1930s. (Hollywood is still doing this today, with movies like the "High School Musical," "Pitch Perfect," and "Step Up" series.) If you enjoy 1930s comedy and "Swing" music, you'll like this one. It's not a very good movie, but at least it's entertaining, and never dull.
The "story" (what there is of it) focuses on Gracie Alden (Gracie Allen), who will inherit Alden College, which was founded by her ancestors, if she can pass an exam and graduate after nine years as a student there. Of course, Gracie's doing her classic dumb-as-rocks-girl comedy routine that she did so well.
When she passes the exam through sheer luck, Gracie sets about making "Gracie"-like changes at the college. ("I'm going to appoint myself as the new Dean of Boys." "But the Dean of Boys is someone who watches the boys at the school, and looks after them." "Exactly. I'm an expert at watching the boys.")
The movie is a rapid-fire mashup of comedy sketches, musical numbers, and Big Band "Swing" dances strung together over 86 minutes. It moves quickly from sketch to song to dance number, as if it's afraid the plot will catch up with it. But the lack of plot is an advantage with this type of movie. If they stopped the routines long enough to develop the plot, it would probably get boring.
As usual, George Burns is on hand to give Gracie her college exam, and to feed her the straight lines, and Bob Hope serves as Gracie's tutor. The cast also includes Edward Everett Horton as the college's stuffy benefactor; Martha Raye as a "love professor" who takes up with Hope; Ben Blue as an inept Phys. Ed. professor; Jerry Colonna as a music professor; John Payne ("Miracle on 34th Street") and opera singer Florence George as the "Young Lovers" stock characters; and the Slate Brothers (a "Three Stooges" comedy group) as a trio of bumbling waiters at the local college hangout (which is called, what else, "The Hangout"). Skinnay Ennis and his band provide the "Swing" music, and Betty Grable and Jackie Coogan (who were married at this time) do the "Swing" numbers. It's a pretty routine film, meant to capitalize on the "Swing" craze. It's not very memorable, but at least, it never gets boring.
"College Swing" was an attempt to capitalize on the "Swing" dance craze, which was popular with college kids in the late 1930s. (Hollywood is still doing this today, with movies like the "High School Musical," "Pitch Perfect," and "Step Up" series.) If you enjoy 1930s comedy and "Swing" music, you'll like this one. It's not a very good movie, but at least it's entertaining, and never dull.