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She's Working Her Way Through College (9-Jul-1952)
Director: H. Bruce Humberstone Writer: Peter Milne From a play: The Male Animal by James Thurber and Elliott Nugent Musical Direction: Ray Heindorf Producer: William Jacobs Keywords: Musical Comedy
CAST REVIEWS Review by anonymous (posted on 12-Apr-2006) A musical
remake of THE MALE ANIMAL, a 1940's comedy that starred Olivia
DeHavilland and Henry Fonda. The plot stays more or less intact, except
for the introduction of Virginia Mayo as the
burlesque-queen-turned-college-coed Angela, AKA "Hot Garters Gertie", a
former student of Reagan's character, Professor Palmer. In addition to
her more obvious talents, it seems Angela is an aspiring playwright. In
a series of unlikely coincidences, Ronnie and his student reunite and
conspire to enroll Angela at the Ivy-covered college where Ronnie is a
professor of theatre arts. This being the early '50's, Angela's shady
past is concealed from one and all until she is ultimately unmasked by
a jealous rival in the college musical show and threatened with
expulsion. Yes, this gets pretty Byzantine. Angela's love interest is
supplied by affable Gene Nelson, a dancer later turned choreographer
and director. His style is athletic, a la Gene Kelly, and he has a
pleasant singing voice. A routine in the gym on various pieces of
gymnastic equipment is a standout. All this is fairly routine B-musical
fare, and the college mores of the time are quaintly prim and proper,
but there's a kind of innocent sexiness about it, nevertheless. The
future president's best scene is one in which he has an argument with
his wife(Phyllis Thaxter)and gets rip-roaringly drunk. Where was that
clip during the Reagan Years? Jon Stewart would have been on it in a
Comedy Central second. All in all, SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH
COLLEGE is a charming and nostalgic piece of musical fluff, with some
better-than-good performances scattered throughout.
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