Picture June Allyson teamed with Peter Lawford (again) at a fictional university in the 1920s, and you’ve pretty much just guessed the entire plot of “Good News.” Allyson plays Connie Lane, the serious, underappreciated assistant librarian, and Lawford is Tommy Marlowe, captain of the football team. Yeah, I couldn’t really see him in that role either, but they did it.
Tommy is a ladies’ man, but when the arrogant Patricia McLellan hits campus, he’s met his match. She wants nothing to do with him, and that’s a new thing for him. He casts his eyes around and they land on Connie, which thrills her to no end. But when Patricia hears the (fake) rumor that Tommy has money, she changes her tune, and Tommy changes his too, leaving Connie at home the night of the prom and taking Patricia instead.
Connie is understandably upset and refuses to have anything to do with Tommy, even when he half-heartedly apologizes. Not even his puppy-dog eyes will get him out of this one. But as his relationship with Patricia goes further, and she’s roped him into an engagement, his grades go down. He might not get to play in the last game of the season if he can’t pull a passing grade in French. Well, as luck would have it, Connie speaks French, and tutors him so he can pass.
There’s just one hitch, though – no pun intended. Tommy is going to announce his engagement to Patricia after winning the game. But if he can’t play, he can’t win, and then he can’t marry Patricia, right? (Such is the thinking – I mean, he couldn’t just call off the engagement. That would make too much sense.) So Tommy throws the test. The professor decides to pass him anyway, so Tommy throws the game. It takes Connie putting on a wild play to convince Patricia that Tommy really doesn’t have any money to get her to call off the engagement herself, and then Tommy and Connie can be together.
This movie was cute, but that was about it. The scene where Tommy and Connie finally come together in the end is a bit odd – he’s pouring out his heart, begging forgiveness, and the whole college suddenly breaks into a huge production number about dancing. I’m not sure what dancing has to do with forgiveness, perhaps I wasn’t watching closely enough. But the production numbers in this film are over-the-top and unnecessary, distracting from the story.
If you’re looking for something light and fluffy, you’ll enjoy this film. If you’re seeking depth and meaning, keep looking.
This movie was not rated.
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