The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of Musical comedy "She is in college" (1952) today is practically unknown, remaining in history as one of many unremarkable musicals of the 50s. The film does not have a Russian translation, but, nevertheless, not so long ago in the United States the film was released on DVD, thanks to which I was lucky to get acquainted with it.
The famous dancer from New York burlesque Angela Gardner (Virginia Mayo), performing under the pseudonym "Gerty - hot garters", has accumulated enough money and decides to finish her career in burlesque and enters theater college.
This idea was inspired by the professor of this college, John Palmer (Ronald Reagan), to whom she had long written before, discussing her possibilities. He promises to keep her work in burlesque secret and she comes to study. In college, she meets the captain of the football team Don Weston (Jean Nelson), who falls in love with her.
But the problem is that this college every year puts a student play and now the professor decides to put on the main role of Angela, which is very disliked by the nasty student Evie Williams (Patricia Wymor), who played the main role in the last production. Now Evie is looking for a way to get the role back and is ready for anything. In short, student life!
This film had a very significant background before it was released. In 1940, on Broadway was staged play 'The Male Animal' (the Russian name is better not to mention), which went down in history by the fact that one of the main roles there was played by Jean Tierney
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The play was about a professor of English language and literature, who began to lecture on forbidden topics, which the trustees of the institute did not like. The production was very successful and in 1942 the studio Warner Bros. released its film version on the screens, in which the main roles were played by Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie (played the same role that Jean Tierney played on the stage, but could not play in the film version). The film was also a success at the box office.
And already 10 years later, in 1952, a musical remake of this story was released on the screens, which turned out to be the film She is studying in college. But here the professor is already receding into the background and the story revolves around the heroine of Virginia Mayo, whose past also does not like the college trustees and may become an obstacle for her to continue her studies.
Of course, in comparison with the 1942 film, the changes made are significant, but they are quite justified, since the director of X. Bruce Humberstone did the musical . Of course, in view of the era of McCarthyism, it was unrealistic to show the original conflict with the lectures as in the original, and why they came up with a new story. Despite some roughness in the script, there are no too big gaps in the film, which is encouraging.
The actors for the film were chosen, in principle, successfully. Virginia Mayo shines as Angela, showing her excellent dance training. The singing of the actress duplicates Bonnie Lou Williams, stably dubbed her in the 50s in the cinema.
Jean Nelson, as her boyfriend, seems a little older to a student at times, but his dance-acrobatic class, which he shows in the film, makes him turn a blind eye. His singing is dubbed "Hal Darvin" in the numbers "I'll Be Loving You" and "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of", but in the rest of the song we hear Nelson's voice.
The future president of the United States Ronald Reagan quite pulls out the role of a professor, although he sometimes overplays and still loses to the hero of Henry Fonda from the original. Phillies Tuster, on the contrary, is more convincing than Olivia de Havilland in the 1942 film.
Don DeFore is of little interest in the role of the former lover of the heroine Tuster in comparison with Jack Carson in 1942. Wife Eroll Flynn, Patricia Wymore is remembered as a rival Mayo, and well sings and dances.
Musical numbers of the film deserve attention. "With Plenty of Money and You," "We're Working Our Way Through College," "I'll Be Loving You," "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of," "As Time Goes By," "Am I in Love?" Dancing is quite professional, and the acrobatic number "Am I in Love?" is by far the best number of the film.
In general, it may not be a masterpiece of the genre, but still a noteworthy film. Despite some simplicity, the picture looks with great interest, which cannot be said about some recognized masterpieces among musicals. Fans of musicals and fans of actors who star in the film, it is worth watching. Thank you very much.
8 out of 10