Director Charles Walters was no Vincente Minnelli or Stanley Donen, and June Allyson and Peter Lawford were no Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Thus, 1947's "Good News" is just a solid second-tier musical among the Arthur Freed productions at MGM. The MGM back-lot stands in for Tait College, an upper-crust haven for nattily-dressed collegiates with little besides romance on their minds. A silly plot, which links a couple of good songs ("Lucky in Love," "The Best Things in Life are Free") with a few dull ones, ends with a rousing finale, "The Varsity Drag." That energetic production number is so lively and infectious, all the nonsense that precedes is forgiven.
And there is a lot of nonsense to forgive. Peter Lawford, egotistical football jock Tommy Marlowe, is an insensitive cad; except for his good looks, he is unworthy of a second glance from the likes of June Allyson's Connie Lane. Connie works in the library, studies hard, and, for some reason, fails to catch the eye of the male students. Instead of pursuing Connie, the shallow dim-witted Tommy is quickly smitten by gold-digging Patricia Marshall, a new coed, whose faux French includes the film's best line: "Quelle fromage." The musical numbers feature three performers who never quite made the big leagues on film, the afore-mentioned Marshall, Joan McCracken, and Mel Torme. Their failure was not for lack of effort; the three give it the old college try here, but Marshall has an unsympathetic role, McCracken is overly kinetic, and Torme lacks a face to match his voice. Although Lawford lacks a voice to match his face, evidently Hollywood values looks over other talents. However, as he proved in other MGM musicals like "Easter Parade," Lawford could carry a tune and, certainly in "The Varsity Drag" number, could dance quite well. While Allyson has only a passable voice, her innocence and sweetness get her a pass for anything she may lack musically, although she too does quite well in the big finale.
"Good News" is simplistic romantic fun with a few good songs and a terrific production number. Although only 93 minutes in length, the film does drag a bit at times; "Pass that Peace Pipe" seems endless; the football game goes on and on; and McCracken's use of family millions to divert Marshall from man to man is a tiresome gag. "Good News" is worth a view, and the "Varsity Drag" number is worth revisiting, but Tait College should have taught screen writing and lured higher caliber students.
And there is a lot of nonsense to forgive. Peter Lawford, egotistical football jock Tommy Marlowe, is an insensitive cad; except for his good looks, he is unworthy of a second glance from the likes of June Allyson's Connie Lane. Connie works in the library, studies hard, and, for some reason, fails to catch the eye of the male students. Instead of pursuing Connie, the shallow dim-witted Tommy is quickly smitten by gold-digging Patricia Marshall, a new coed, whose faux French includes the film's best line: "Quelle fromage." The musical numbers feature three performers who never quite made the big leagues on film, the afore-mentioned Marshall, Joan McCracken, and Mel Torme. Their failure was not for lack of effort; the three give it the old college try here, but Marshall has an unsympathetic role, McCracken is overly kinetic, and Torme lacks a face to match his voice. Although Lawford lacks a voice to match his face, evidently Hollywood values looks over other talents. However, as he proved in other MGM musicals like "Easter Parade," Lawford could carry a tune and, certainly in "The Varsity Drag" number, could dance quite well. While Allyson has only a passable voice, her innocence and sweetness get her a pass for anything she may lack musically, although she too does quite well in the big finale.
"Good News" is simplistic romantic fun with a few good songs and a terrific production number. Although only 93 minutes in length, the film does drag a bit at times; "Pass that Peace Pipe" seems endless; the football game goes on and on; and McCracken's use of family millions to divert Marshall from man to man is a tiresome gag. "Good News" is worth a view, and the "Varsity Drag" number is worth revisiting, but Tait College should have taught screen writing and lured higher caliber students.