Dancing Co-Ed

This is perhaps Lana Turner's finest vehicle. It showcases her unbelievable beauty and vitality, and it also spotlights her generally undiscovered comedic talents. The plot of this film involves a nation-wide search for a "dancing co-ed" to replace a movie-star in a big budget film. Lana's character has been planted at one of the colleges under consideration, however the student-editor of the school newspaper suspects that the company has already chosen its girl. Under the theory that Sherlock Holmes never suspected Watson, Lana becomes his assistant, and successfully evades his search...of course, the two fall in love....

This movie gave me some of the biggest laughs I've ever had. It is simple, yet wonderful, and one of the most enjoyable films. Chalk up Dancing Co-Ed as another of 1939's countless cinema classics.

Part of the fun in watching DANCING CO-ED is seeing just what a fine line-up of supporting players were available at the time of the studio contract system.

For example, here LANA TURNER is given RICHARD CARLSON, ARTIE SHAW, MONTY WOOLLEY, LEON ERROL, ROSCOE KARNS, ANN RUTHERFORD and LEE BOWMAN--all passing the time in a so-so programmer that is livened up by Lana's cheerful presence (and some nice hoofing) while Artie Shaw and His Orchestra provide some musical highlights in 1940s style.

The story is formula stuff about the misunderstandings between a showgirl planted at a college so she can win a dance contest taking place there. Despite some amusing situations along the way, nothing can keep an audience from knowing that a happy ending is around the bend.

It gives Lana Turner a chance to display her ample charms in some brief and very sexy dancing outfits while at the same time enjoying herself in a refreshing comedy role peppered with some romance. Richard Carlson does nicely as her college boyfriend and Artie Shaw keeps things humming along with some nice big band music.

It's strictly by the numbers but Turner's fans will all agree she's quite a knockout here. Turner at the height of her pulchritude was something the camera loved.

A musical is about ready to be filmed for a fictional studio. The only problem is that the lady from the dance team to star in the film is pregnant and they need to find a replacement. Roscoe Karnes has an idea to stage a phony search in colleges across the country for the actress' replacement--though in reality, he has already chosen Lana Turner for the role. So, he enrolls Lana at a college and pretends to have an honest to goodness competition. Unfortunately, complications arise and the film becomes a nice little romantic farce.

This is a rather old fashioned but fun old MGM musical that oddly stars Lana Turner. While I was surprised how well she could dance, you just normally don't think of her and dancing. Apparently it was originally to have been an Eleanor Powell film and it sure feels like one. Either could have done a fine job in this film, though seeing Turner in her more natural look of 1939 was very refreshing--with much less make-up and more natural looking hair. She was quite beautiful and more natural looking--making me wish that more co-eds had looked like this when I was in college. Uh, oh,...if my wife reads this, I am toast! By the way, while not a great film, it's a very good film and one even curmudgeons can enjoy.

Turner and Shaw fans expecting a musical may be disappointed despite the title. In fact the plot takes up a lot more time than the dance numbers. Even then what numbers that do appear are abbreviated, while Shaw's time is spotty. I guess I was expecting some big time swing and jitterbug to get the focus but they don't. Then too, the cast almost shouts their lines, which doesn't make them any funnier.

Anyway, the plot's something about a movie studio creating a bogus co-ed dance contest at selected colleges. The idea is to promote a new movie in which the contest winner will star. But the contest is really just a promotional gimmick since studio hopeful Turner is planted as the predetermined winner. Trouble is she gets personally involved at the college so complications arise.

It's a colorful cast with a magisterial Wooley, a fast-talking Karnes, and an unpredictable Errol. Then too, it's Richard Carlson a long way from his usual sober-sides. Fortunately, there are a few amusing moments that help, while Turner shines in the starring role. Her conventional role here makes it hard to believe it's the same actress as the hard-eyed vamp of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Together, the contrasting roles show what a fine actress she really was.

Anyway, maybe I was expecting too much from the title and cast, but unfortunately was disappointed with the result.

Lana Turner is a "Dancing Co-Ed" in this 1939 film also starring Ann Rutherford, Richard Carlson, Arte Shaw and his Orchestra and Monte Woolley.

When one-half of the famous movie dancers, the Tobius', announces she's pregnant, the studio is talked into launching a Scarlett O'Hara type search in colleges to find a partner for the couple's next film.

In order to make sure they cast the right person, a young actress at the studio, Patty Marlow (Turner) is sent to college with her friend from the studio, Eve Greeley (Ann Rutherford).

However, the head of the college newspaper, Pug (Richard Carlson), thinks the contest is rigged. Patty quickly becomes Pug's assistant in uncovering a fix (because Holmes never suspected Watson of a crime). A complication arises when the two fall in love.

It's hard to understand how people can consider Lana Turner a terrible and wooden actress, though it's possible these critics haven't seen her early films. Talk about a camera loving an actress, and talk about an actress with "star" written all over her beautiful face, Lana was it.

Beautiful, fresh, energetic, with a warmth and a sweetness about her, Lana walked away with these early films, including "Slightly Dangerous," "These Glamor Girls" and many others. She did lose some of these qualities as the years went on, sadly, but here, she's wonderful.

Ann Rutherford is excellent too, with an expressive, pretty face and a charm all her own. What could have been a routine film is really lifted by these actresses and the supporting cast. Highly recommended as a light '30s film that will leave you with a smile on your face.