Pigskin Parade (1936)

While I love Judy Garland (and I think she was the best part of the film), there was really no point to her character. She didn't really add anything to the story. It's almost like she was just added in for the sake of having this child singing prodigy in the film. The only reason I believe that this film is even remembered is because of the future stars that it featured: Garland, Betty Grable and Elisha Cook Jr. Patsy Kelly, who played the wife, was annoying at best. I didn't mind Jack Haley, but he is forever etched in my mind as The Tin Man. When there were multiple comments made to him about having a brain, I was really wanting him to mention his heart somehow, but alas no. I love watching football, so the old timey football scenes, to me, were the best part of the film. I'd love to know how many horrible injuries players sustained during these times, because they aren't wearing very much protection. However, the game seems to be more physical now than it used to be, and the players are also much bigger. I found the logic of basketball players being good at football to be strange. I guess we're presuming that these are pass heavy games and good blocking and tackling abilities aren't required in 1930s football. I really liked the scenes of the football in the snow. Bad weather football is the most fun to watch. 5/10 points are for Judy, Betty and football. Whether it is worth watching even once is a take it or leave it proposition.

The big draw here is a 14-year old Judy Garland, lighting up the screen whenever she appears. Too bad she doesn't have a starring role and better songs. Also, there's a 20-year old Betty Grable as one of the eye-candy co-eds. The story's nothing special. It's a big football game between little Texas State and big-time Ivy League Yale. Texas has a new coach (Haley) and his behind-the-scenes brains, (wife Kelly). Texas has no chance until wife Kelly spots cornpone farm boy Irwin who has a slingshot arm. With a little finagling they get him enrolled and made team quarterback. Now the little team from the West stands a chance, that is, if wife Kelly gets to make the big decisions.Irwin has the good-ole-boy drawl down pat, which is pretty funny. On the other hand, Kelly's pretty shrill as the loud mouth missus, undercutting her comedic impact, at least in my book. The college dance scenes, however, sparkle, especially the big one before the game. However, I could do without the Yacht Club Boys whoever they are-- Garland should have gotten their singing spots. And get a load out of that fierce rabbit Elisha Cook playing an aggressive campus communist, of all things. Even then, he appeared as a hapless fall guy. At the same time, somebody spent a bucket load turning the LA Coliseum into a snow bowl for the big game. It's very realistic, but after 40-years, I'm still waiting for real snow on my LA home.Other than Garland and Grable and a few sparkling moments, there's not much to recommend, unless you're into old time football.

It is rather ironic that Judy Garland's feature film debut would NOT be on a picture from her home studio, MGM, but when she was loaned out to rival studio Twentieth Century-Fox. However, apart from the novelty of seeing a young Judy in the film, there is not a lot to recommend this sub-par musical.The film begins with the Yale administrators discussing an important topic--which college will play their football team in an upcoming game. They decide on powerhouse University of Texas, but due to a stupid mistake, tiny Texas State is instead offered this prestigious game. This comes at a very opportune time, as the horrible team of Texas State has a new coach (Jack Haley) and he wants to make a name for himself. But there are two problems--the team hasn't won a game in two years and the coach's wife (Patsy Kelly) is a buffoon and she ends up breaking the star player's leg! So, to try to make amends, this annoying woman goes on a cross-country trek trying to find a star for their team. Her search ends up in a watermelon patch--with melon-slinging Amos Dodd (Stu Erwin*) being offered a scholarship to play for Texas State even though they have no idea if he even finished or even attended high school! He's hesitant but his kid-sister (Garland*) insists and comes along to college with him. Can this hayseed somehow help the team to be able to take on Yale and not embarrass themselves?This film is jam-packed full of songs--mostly bad songs. Even if you love songs, you may find some of them hard to take--particularly those of a strange and very old-looking college quartet, The Yacht Club Boys. Their songs, to put it bluntly, are third-rate and it's obvious the studio really saw this more as a B-movie** than anything else. The humor is generally very broad and corny. Subtle the film ain't---and this can also be said about much of the acting. Erwin is more a caricature than anything else and Kelly is as Kelly usually is--brash, loud and, well, LOUD! So, we have one character who is a lot like Uncle Jed from "The Beverly Hillbillies" and another who seems to be performing specifically for the hard of hearing, as she screams many of her lines! In addition to being a poor film, it brings us an incredibly cynical message that when it comes to small schools, they must cheat in order to keep up with the big colleges! And cheating is what Texas State does repeatedly as Dodd isn't even eligible to play though he does through some creative cheating! I know that the reviews for this film are all rather positive--some even giving it a 10. I find this inexplicable, as I have seen hundreds of better musicals--hundreds! Aside from Garland's amazing singing and a few cute moments, the film is lame through and through. It is something no one would remember or want to remember except because of her appearance...as well as when Texas State punts the ball on 2nd down (pay attention...they really do this in the big game with Yale).*College movies of the 1930s, 40s and 50s OFTEN featured college students who were practically old enough to be on social security! In this film, most of the students appear to be in their 30s--and Erwin is 33! And, in an odd twist, his 'sister' is only 14! **Yes, I know a true B-movie is only about 60 minutes in length--not 93 minutes like this one. However, the film is full of second and third-tier actors, bad writing, bad music and the studio seemed to have little faith in the film.

Funny film where Yale University invites the wrong Texas college team to play against them. A series of comic misfortunes, wrong notes and other items mark this 1936 film.Ironically, Stuart Irwin got top billing in the film and wound up being nominated for best supporting actor. If there were to be acting nominations in this humorous film, they should have gone instead to Jack Haley, as the transplanted Texas coach from Long Island, and his wife, Patsy Kelly, as shrewd as they come.As the 'hick's sister, Judy Garland, 3 years before "The Wizard of Oz," is given the opportunity to sing. Betty Grable and Tony Martin, the latter under the stage name of Anthony Martin, also appear.It's that good old fashioned comedy about college life set to music. It succeeds nicely for the most part.