Good News (1930 film)

Summary

Good News is a 1930 American pre-Code musical film directed by Nick Grinde, and starring Bessie Love, Cliff Edwards, and Penny Singleton. The film was shot in black-and-white, although the finale was in multicolor.

Good News
Directed byNick Grinde
Written byFrances Marion (scenario)
Based onGood News (musical)
by Laurence Schwab
Lew Brown
Frank Mandel
B.G. DeSylva[1]
StarringBessie Love
Cliff Edwards
Penny Singleton
CinematographyPercy Hilburn[2](*French)
Edited byWilliam LeVanway
Production
company
Release date
  • August 23, 1930 (1930-08-23) (U.S.)[1]
Running time
78 minutes[1][3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film is preserved at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.[4] The surviving print lacks the color finale; no footage of the finale is known to survive.[5]

The film was based on the 1927 stage production of the same name. Another film based on the musical, also called Good News, was released in 1947. By the 1940s, the 1930 production was not shown in the United States due to its Pre-Code content, which included sexual innuendo and lewd suggestive humor.

Plot edit

College student Connie Lane (Lawlor) falls for campus football star Tom Marlowe (Smith), but his bad grades threaten to make him miss the big game. Professor Kenyon (McGlynn) helps Tom academically, and Tom is able to play in the big game and lead the team to victory.[6]

Cast edit

Songs edit

Reception edit

Although it received mixed reviews[8] – deemed "trivial and unreal" by one reviewer[9] and "inferior to the stage production" by another[10] – the cast received positive reviews,[8][9] particularly Bessie Love.[8][9][11]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Munden, Kenneth W., ed. (1971). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films 1921–1930. New York: R.R. Bowker Company. p. 306. ISBN 9780520215214. OCLC 664500075.
  2. ^ Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 154. OCLC 734075937.
  3. ^ a b "Film Reviews: Good News". Variety. Vol. 100, no. 9. September 10, 1930. p. 17.
  4. ^ "Good news (Motion picture : 1930)". UCLA Library Catalog, Film & Television Archive.
  5. ^ "GOOD NEWS color sequence". NitrateVille. May 17, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  6. ^ Vermilye, Jerry (2014). Buster Crabbe: A Biofilmography. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-0-7864-5180-7.
  7. ^ Burton, Jack (1953). The Blue Book of Hollywood Musicals. Century House. p. 28. LCCN 53006568.
  8. ^ a b c "The Voice of the Industry". Exhibitors Herald-World. November 15, 1930. p. 63.
  9. ^ a b c "The Screen in Review". Picture Play Magazine. p. 65.
  10. ^ The Motion Picture Committee of the Women's University Club (August 1930). "Feature Films". Reviews. pp. 2–3.
  11. ^ "A Confidential Guide to Current Releases". Picture Play Magazine. Vol. 33, no. 5. January 1931. p. 118.

External links edit