Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

richspenc I don't usually rate films from this era as low as a 5, and I more often rate 21st century movies a 5 or lower. I am not saying all 21st century stuff is bad. Movies that have come out in the 21st century that I loved and thought were great included "Black swan", "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind", "The pianist", "Girl with a dragon tattoo", "The Aviator", and "The curious case of Benjamin Buttons". I also thought the Harry Potter films were great.Generally speaking though in my opinion, old times were better, in films and in real life. My list of great films I love from The Golden Age of Hollywood is pages long. I am not saying old times were perfect, nothing is. "Varsity show" was definitely not perfect. It was one of Busby's "slump films", which were three films he made during a bad spot during his life (the bad spot was Busby having accidentally killed someone in a car wreck and he was initially tried for murder). His three slump films were "Hollywood hotel", "Varsity show", and "Gold diggers Paris". Those three films lacked the magic of his usual wonder and had some characters in them which were more weird and stupid acting than what was in Busby's normal greatness. The opening scenes I saw a familiar face in the late 1930s college crowd. A funny looking long toothed man who I had seen an older version of as a weird TV repair man in 1962 Twilight zone episode "Whats in the box". The man who voiced Whinny the pooh in the 1960s cartoon Whinny the pooh. He was about 19 here and was one of the students among others such as Johnnie Davis and pretty Rosemary Lane. Rosemary was pretty and nice, and was joined by Dick Powell who is been in almost every 1930s Busby Berkeley film. But Powell lost his touch a little here compared to his earlier stuff. "Gold diggers 37" was the first film where Powell wasn't as great as before (his first number of that film "speakin of the weather. Lighning flash!" did not have the same magic that his songs from "Gold diggers 33", "Gold diggers 35", "Dames", etc. had), although "Gold diggers 37" did have one wonderful song with the magic like in the previous films, which was the song at the party "Let's get our heads together" (even that song had one bad little spot that didn't fit with the magic of the rest of the song, and that was when two weird guys at the bar sung a line of the song in weird voices. That one tiny moment was unfortunately a preview of what was gonna happen a bit more during Busby's slump films which included "Varsity show"). "Lets get our heads together" in "Gold diggers 37" was the last wonderful piece of Busby magic until he bounced back again (due to his murder trials being acquitted) and made the wonderful Judy Garland films, starting with "Babes in arms" in 1939. Powell here in "Varsity show" was eloped with Rosemary. She was cute and nice, but she wasn't as totally amazing and heavenly wonderful like Powell's earlier partners Ruby Keeler and Gloria Stewart. Ruby was an angel, especially "I only have eyes for you", "Like a waterfall", "Pettin in the park", etc., and Gloria was an angel in "Gold diggers 35's" "The words are in my heart"."Varsity show" wasn't absolutely terrible. It was just a slump film which lacked the magic from Busby's better times, which fortunately was the higher percentage of his career. There one really miserable guy, who was a slump film style character. First, he yelled at all the kids to get out of the theater and then they just sat down and laughed. And then he got the police, but when they got there they just sat down and enjoyed the show. Then the miserable guy got the swat team, but they only joined the police to watch. Then he got the military armed forces, then the governor. They all did the same while this miserable guy's mounting frustration grew while no one else shared it. Most people knew that shows in the 1930s were nice to watch. This film was, I will call it mediocre.

tavm Dick Powell is a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer who's invited to go back to his alma mater of Winfield to help produce the title program because the old man of the faculty (Walter Catlett) doesn't like the "vulgar" music and dance styles being done there. I'll stop there and just say this was quite an enjoyable musical comedy in the 80-minute version I just watched on DVD. I can't imagine this film being longer but according to this site, it's at least maybe 40 minutes more. Probably extraneous stuff not really necessary. Busby Berkeley, as always, puts the stops in the final number with all those formations of various college insignias that could only be done in film. So on that note, I highly recommend Varsity Show. P.S. It's interesting seeing Ted Healy-the former leader of what became known as The Three Stooges-have a couple of scenes with Edward Brophy-who would appear with Moe, Larry, and Curly in Swing Parade of 1946. Also that Brophy's character's nickname is "Curly". And I watched this just now because Leonard Maltin & Richard W. Bann-in their book "The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang"-mentioned in Spanky's bio that he appeared in this under his real name-George McFarland. That name does appear in the closing cast list as playing someone named Hap but the Little Rascal is nowhere in it so obviously it's a different MacFarland.

mark.waltz I'm really surprised that the students of Winfield College don't all of a sudden break into a chorus of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's "Babes in Arms" which was on Broadway the same year this came out. That's what they are, and as the group of students gather together to protest professor Walter Catlett's involvement in their campus varsity show over alumnus and troubled Broadway director Dick Powell, you expect them to start a marching song. There's the irony of Powell recalling a student he remembers being there as a junior when he was a freshman which is the writer's way of indicating that they know there are a few 30-somethings there. Real-life sisters Rosemary and Priscilla Lane who played rivals in "Hollywood Hotel" and then sisters in "Four Daughters" and its two sequels, are among the students who appear to be more ready for the New York nightclub scene than a small town college classroom.Johnnie Davis, the comic singer who introduced "Horray For Hollywood", actually passes for college age, singing "Old King Cole" with energetic aplomb as if he stepped off the stages of the Cotton Club as their only Caucasian performer. Buck and Bubbles give the much-needed energy to their dancing numbers, fast-moving legwork that is quite impressive. Ever-ageless Sterling Holloway provides much humor, his sly wisecracks indicating he's a bit worldly beyond his supposed college aged years. Ted Healy gives a Lionel Stander like cynicism to his performance as Powell's manager. Powell doesn't sing much here, and other than the lavish finale, there aren't any other big production numbers. When the students march into a vacant Broadway theater and start rehearsing against the ranting wishes of theater manager Edward Brophy, the eyes will start to roll. Even in 1937, it doesn't seem at all believable that a Broadway house would be as available to do something like that.Then, there's the BIG, BIG, BIG finale, a lavish spectacle that is far taller than it is wide. The camera keeps scrolling down to the various acts which start with a great bit by Buck and Bubbles before moving to the ensemble of the students. Then, nasal voiced Mabel Todd begins tossing a football to the chorus to open them up to indicate various Ivy League colleges as they create the various logos and sing the campus theme songs. It's all hokey yet undeniably fun. The film lacks in romantic subplot, and at times, seems more like a musical revue than a musical comedy.

lugonian VARSITY SHOW (Warner Brothers, 1937), directed by William Keighley, is a college campus musical, in fact, Warners' only contribution to the college musical of the 1930s. Originally distributed in theaters at two hours in length, circulating prints are from the 1940s reissue at 79 minutes, with 40 minutes of material clipped from the original negative and lost since then. Considering this edition happened to be the only known print in existence today, this review is taken on the basis from the edited version.The story begins with Ernie Mason (Fred Waring) and his fellow students of Winfield College rehearsing for the upcoming annual varsity show. Ernie, assistant to Professor Sylvester Biddle (Walter Catlett), the faculty adviser, finds he and the students aren't being given the freedom they need to put on a successful show. Biddle insists the show be done his way or none at all, in spite that his ideas are out-of-date and his refusal to allow swing music as part of the score. Janitors Buck and Bubbles come up with an idea in hiring Charles "Chuck" Daly (Dick Powell), a former alumnus now a successful Broadway producer, to help direct the show. Betty Bradley (Priscilla Lane), Buzz Bolton (Johnnie Davis), Johnny "Rubberlegs" Stevens (Lee Dixon) and Trout (Sterling Holloway) volunteer in coming to New York City to locate Daly. At first Daly refuses, but because Daly has just closed his latest Broadway flop (his third in a row), he and his assistant, William W. Williams (Ted Healy) decide to return to Winfield College where they not only agree to help direct the varsity show, but become part of the fraternity by staying in the dormitory run by Mrs. Smith (Emma Dunn), as well as finding themselves suitable love partners, Daly with Barbara Steward (Rosemary Lane) and gravel voice Williams with Cuddles (Mabel Todd), a buck-tooth, bespectacled blonde with a very peculiar laugh.With the music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Richard Whiting, the good selection of songs from the 79 minute print includes: "The Varsity Show's Rehearsing Today at Three O'Clock" (sung by cast); "Old King Cole" (sung by Johnnie Davis); "We're Working Our Way Through College" (sung by Dick Powell); "I'm Dependable" (sung by Priscilla Lane and Fred Waring/ written by Tom Waring and Don Raye); "On With the Dance" (sung by Rosemary Lane); "You Got Something There" (sung by Dick Powell and Rosemary Lane); Tap dance solo act performed by Buck and Bubbles; "Have You Got Any Castles, Baby?" (sung by Priscilla Lane); "Love Is on the Air Tonight" (sung by Buck and Bubbles); "Have You Got Any Castles, Baby?" (tap dance by Buck and Bubbles); "On With the Dance" (sung by Buck and Bubbles); "Old King Cole" (sung by Johnnie Davis); "On With the Dance" (reprise); "You Got Something There" and "Love Is On the Air Tonight." If one looks very closely to the opening credits and to the list of songs, one tune, "Little Fraternity Pin," is listed but not heard in VARSITY SHOW. As much the story may be as predictable as any college musical of that time, the majority of the songs for this production were quite standard. Forgotten today, VARSITY SHOW contains the most entertaining college finale ever presented. Choreographed by Busby Berkeley, it did get nominated for an Academy Award in the best dance direction category. Though it didn't win, VARSITY SHOW still demonstrates Berkeley's true ability in his creative staging techniques. With Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians orchestrating the finale, the real show stopper centers upon an individual co-ed throwing a football on numerous occasions across the stage over to a group of students to form themselves into spelled-out letters of well known universities as Yale, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Stanford. All these letters are used with color tiles with the underscoring to just about every familiar college song imaginable. It's an excellent production that makes up for whatever flaws the film itself contains. Buck and Bubbles shouldn't go unnoticed. They, too, contribute to several good dance routines. Not quite as effective and faster style of the Nicholas Brothers over at 20th Century-Fox, but a routinely style all their own. The supporting cast includes: Halliwell Hobbes as Dean J.M. Meredith; Edward Brophy as Mike "Curly" Barclay; Ben Weldon, Robert Homans and Tom Kennedy. Lee Dixon, who was becoming a familiar face in the Warners musical starting with GOLD DIGGERS OF 1937 (1936), followed by taking second billing opposite Ruby Keeler in READY, WILLING AND ABLE (1937), and co-starring opposite Dick Powell in THE SINGING MARINE (1937), makes his final bow in VARSITY SHOW. In the edited version, he not only limited in his contribution to the story (though possibly had extensive scenes from the two hour edition), but had his name placed thirteenth in the closing cast credits. He later scored successfully in the Broadway musical, OKLAHOMA (1943), and appeared one more time on screen in the western drama, ANGEL AND THE BAD MAN (Republic, 1946), starring John Wayne, before his death in 1953.VARSITY SHOW in present form is a pleasing musical with a bright score. (One can hope the missing footage will someday suffice and take the place of the chopped-up copy on TCM). As for the cast, Dick Powell, Ted Healy, Rosemary Lane, Johnnie Davis and Mabel Todd appeared together again in another large scale Warners musical, "Hollywood Hotel" (1937), that introduced the popular theme song, "Hooray for Hollywood." Directed entirely by Busby Berkeley, it lacked the great musical finish that highlights VARSITY SHOW so well. Rah! Rah! Rah! (***1/2)