I've seen about half a dozen Ritz Brothers movies and have tried hard to like them...with no success. This was not the case with Wheeler & Woolsey. In their case, the more I watched, the more i enjoyed that comedy team. Perhaps, if I see more, I'll also grow to like the Ritz Brothers...or, I'll become suicidal! Now if anyone can get good performances out of the brothers, it should be the director of this picture, William A. Seiter, as he directed one of the greatest comedies of the 1930s...Laurel & Hardy's "Sons of the Desert". He also directed one of Wheeler & Woolsey's best, "Peach-O-Reno".
The film is set at Lombardy College and begins with Nat Pendleton arriving and making me groan. Why? He's supposed to be an American-Indian and it about as stereotypical and insulting as possible. Perhaps folks laughed at this in 1937 but today it just comes off as sad and painful to watch. It also actually had the purpose of making me look forward to seeing the Ritz Brothers enter the picture!
The plot involves the school and their losing football record...so they force Coach O'Hara to resign even though just about everyone likes him. The new Anerican-Indian student wants to help...and is fabulously wealthy. But he doesn't want anyone to know he's rich...otherwise folks (like the Ritz brothers) will want to become his friend. So, he asks the Ritz Brothers to pretend to be the donors and give the money a huge endowment...provided they keep O'Hara. This Indian also wants to be quarterback. What's next? Plenty!
In addition to the Ritz Brothers doing their schtick, Joan Davis is also on hand to provide comic relief...such as it is. Surprisingly, she manages to be more annoying than the Brothers, as hers is a strictly one-note performance as the man-crazy girl.
If it sounds like I didn't adore the film, you're right. However, oddly, it wasn't the Brothers' fault (though it usually is). The insulting Indian character and Davis manage to do a lot to make me dislike the film. Overall, a misfire and a film which has its moments...but it also has a lot to dislike as well.
By the way, I am not sure about the rules for football back in 1937, but I looked and today it IS legal for a quarterback to throw the ball to himself (even if it's not tipped) if he's lined up in the shotgun formation.
