Life Begins in College

1937
Approved
1h 34m

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

141

YOUR RATING

Al Ritz, Harry Ritz, Jimmy Ritz, and The Ritz Brothers in Life Begins in College (1937)

Slapstick Comedy Music Romance Sport

When a wealthy Indian student endows the college so that they can keep the football coach, rumor has it that the Indian has played professionally and can't be on the team.When a wealthy Indian student endows the college so that they can keep the football coach, rumor has it that the Indian has played professionally and can't be on the team.When a wealthy Indian student endows the college so that they can keep the football coach, rumor has it that the Indian has played professionally and can't be on the team.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

141

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Gloria Stuart took time in the middle of filming to meet with Ray Pearl. He was a huge fan of hers and had gotten his uncle to tattoo her portrait on his chest. He then hitch-hiked from Chicago to Hollywood to meet her and show her his tattoo. She did agree to meet with him and was quoted by Life magazine, who covered and photographed their meeting as saying, "Oh my gracious" when she saw the tattoo.

Soundtracks
Big Chief Swing It
Music by Lew Pollack
Lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell

User reviews10

Review

Featured review

5/10

The Ritz Brother Get Star Billing

42-year-old Nat Pendleton plays an Indian (with a wooden-Indian manner of speaking that disappears towards the end) who goes to college. Everyone dumps on him, save the Ritz Brothers, but when he starts winning football games for the college, everyone likes him.

It's a Ritz Brothers movie, their first feature with the names above the title. Their on-at-all-times stereo shtick comedy doesn't appeal to me, but director William Seiter deals effectively with my usual dislike by filling the movie with subplots common to college movies of the era: romance (Gloria Stuart plays the daughter of football coach Fred Stone and her rocky romance with pursuing Dick Baldwin), band music (Tony Martin sings a few songs) and, of course, football. Why there's even a brief scene in a classroom!

The best comedy performance is Joan Davis'. She plays a co-ed in hot pursuit of Nat Pendleton, and her barely-repressed craziness and timing are the most amusing thing in this rote movie.

The movie works all right as an average programmer. If you're fond of the Rotz Brothers, you'll enjoy their antics. Otherwise it averages as an amiable time-waster with several fine performers collecting a paycheck. And the Ritz Brothers, of course.