Good News is the archetypal college musical with the outcome of a football game at its heart. There were many such in the early 1930s, including MGM’s own So This Is College, but Good News was the one based on a big Broadway hit. Indeed, it is the first MGM musical to be unequivocally based on a stage show; earlier efforts such as The Rogue Song bore little resemblance to their alleged theatrical progenitors.
The studio brought out a couple of the original production stars to recreate their roles, but it would have been better if they had looked elsewhere. Mary Lawlor, as heroine Connie, is totally lacking in showbiz pizzazz, her whole performance as drab and uninteresting as Connie’s life is meant to be at the start of the picture.
Gus Shy as Bobbie, on the other hand, takes pizzazz to the level of irritation, indulging in far too much overly-theatrical schtick. He is most bearable when teamed with the always-reliable Bessie Love, making the last of her four MGM musicals.
For once, no histrionics are required from Love and she makes the most of her comedy role as the vampish Babe, always appearing to be making up her dialogue as she goes along. She also has an excellent dance number with Shy, ‘Gee, But I’d Like to Make You Happy’.
Stanley Smith replaced the previously-announced Charles Kaley as Tom Marlowe. He is not as wooden as Kaley would have been, but is otherwise dull. The break-out star of Good News is Dorothy McNulty (later known as Penny Singleton), who gives everything to ‘The Varsity Drag’ and ‘Good News’. The former, in particular, represents a new high for MGM in the staging of showstopper numbers, with its athletic dancing and use of animation and special effects.
Good News suffered at the time from being released as the public was becoming bored with musicals, and several songs were filmed but not included in the final cut: fifteen songs were announced, but only eight made it.
Sadly, we can no longer view Good News in its entirety as the last reel is missing. But I think we all know that a happy ending with a final clinch are inevitable.
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