Over the Goal (1937)

Over the Goal (1937) * (out of 4) Forgotten (and rightfully so) melodrama about a very rich man who dies and is willing to leave everything he owns to Carlton Collage but only if they beat their rival in an upcoming football game. This here should be easy to Carlton's star quarterback (William Hooper) decides that he doesn't want to play any more. Now everyone around him must try and make him change his mind before it's too late. Oh, the level of suspense. OVER THE GOAL is an incredibly bad movie full of incredible annoying characters and incredibly bad laughs. The film really doesn't have too much going on for it, although bad film buffs will probably get a kick out of at least watching it since, in reality, this decade didn't give us too many awful films. Hooper would become better known later in his career but his performance here is quite bland. I'm not sure if he just knew the material was bad and didn't give it any effort or perhaps he was a little tired throughout the making of the picture. The rest of the supporting cast are pretty much forgettable with the exception being Hattie McDaniel in an early role. There's really not a good story to be found here because we get our "hero" running into one person after another and each one has a new problem. They try to get him into the big game and he says no. The next person tries and then we go to rounds three, four and five. All of this film is just one big cliché without a single laugh to be had.

****SPOILERS**** Almost 20 years before he became famous as defense attorney Perry Mason's favorite private investigator William Hooper was Ken Thomas the running kicking and throwing, or in short tripe threat, star of the Carlton Collage football team. With Carlton on the eve of the rubber match which makes no sense, since Carlton had won the first two, it's reported in the news that one of Carlton Collage's riches alumni, of the Carlton Class of 1887, a Mr. Hines has suddenly passed away but thats not all. He's to leave his entire fortune to Carlton Collage which is now on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. That's if it beats State University next Saturday in game #3 between the two collage powerhouses.With everything depending on Ken being in the big game he develops knee problems during training and is told by the team physician Dr. Martin Eric Stanley, that the next hit he takes on the gridiron may well leave him crippled or life. It's in fact Ken's sweet and caring girlfriend Lucille, June Travis, who get's Ken to promise her that he'll never play football again in order to keep from ending up on crutches or in a wheelchair. With that Ken abandons any chance of Carlton beating State and thus being able through the money the late Mr. Hines was to leave it, if it beats State University,cease to exist as a, top ten or otherwise, collage!It's when Lucille gets the news about Carlton being bailed out financially if it wins the big game against State and needs her boyfriend Ken to do it she suddenly, who cares if he ends up crippled for life as long as Carlton wins, changes her mind and promise she had him make to her about Ken's health or knee problems. Lucille wires him through Western Union go on an play the game bum knee or not! We then have Ken kidnapped and thrown in jail by members of State University using a bunch of hired New York shysters to do their dirty work in keeping Ken from playing!****SPOILERS**** It's when the Carlton student body got the news that Ken was being held hostage until the big game is over and won by State University they lead by class clown and horn playing Tiny Waldron, Johnnie Davis, try to storm the jail where Ken is being held in. The ending is really ridicules with Ken escaping from jail with the help, by promising him a seat on the 50 yard line, of the deputy sheriff in charge of having him in custody. And with little time left on the clock Ken single handedly wins the game by scoring two touchdown in the last two minutes of the game giving Carlton a 14 to 13 win! What was so incredible about all this is that Ken or the Carlton team kept the football in play even after scoring a touchdown without, according to the game football rules, giving it back to State for the next play! Go figure that one out!

This is a very poor movie. In fact, it screams "super-low B-movie" from start to finish. Even though the film was made by a respectable studio, Warner Brothers, not a single person in the film is a star. The closest they have, ironically, are the Black actors used for comic relief. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson and Hattie McDaniel appear before they became famous and it's nice to see them. Other than that, the film is anchored by a very young William Hopper--who has the personality of toast. Tall, wimpy looking and lacking all ability to project--I am amazed they let him star in the film and perhaps having Hedda Hopper as his mother didn't hurt. Later--much later, he would achieve some notoriety as Perry Mason's investigator (though once again, he was a bit bland).Now the blandness of Hopper was only a minor problem. The biggest problem is that if you've seen a few college football movies from the 1930s, you'll notice that almost the entire film is one cliché after another--like you are seeing a film you've already seen a bazillion times. For example:--The star player says he won't play and all are a dither. But, when his best girl gives him the okay, he's ready for the big game.--Thugs are sent out to make sure the same guy doesn't make it to the game--something I saw in many films including a parody of these films, the Marx Brothers' film HORSEFEATHERS as well as a Three Stooges and Wheeler and Woolsey film.--The big star arrives just in the nick of time in the second half. And, he manages to himself kick the winning extra point as time ticks off the clock (such as in GRIDIRON FLASH and COLLEGE COACH).There are certainly many more clichés, such as the dippy room mate who is always getting in trouble. Just suffice to say that there was nothing truly original about the film other than the brave notion to let a piece of toast play the masculine leading role. Frankly, this film was dull and predictable from start to finish and honestly looked like Warner didn't care in the least.

Injured Carlton State quarterback Ken Thomas (knee) makes a promise to his girl friend that he won't play again. Then, when she relents, he is kidnapped by crooks hoping to make money from the big game. Production values hurt the film in some scenes but there are a few enthusiastic performances, especially from Scat Davis. He displays penchant for comedy. Also, his fine singing voice and trumpet playing are featured in two short songs and in a production number near the middle of the film. Members of the USC football team also appear as it was partially filmed in the Rose Bowl. Marie Wilson and Jane Wyman appear briefly as co-eds.