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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. College Lovers remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for early 1930s movies where everyone talks like they are trying to win a race, then yes. If you want a plot that actually makes sense by modern standards, you will probably hate it.
It’s a movie for people who like to see how weird college life was portrayed before the world changed. It is definitely not for anyone looking for a serious drama.
Tiny Courtley is our main guy, played by Jack Whiting. He is absolutely devastated because his girl eloped with another boy.
He decides the only logical thing to do is quit college immediately. He looks like he hasn't slept in three days, but his hair is somehow still perfect.
The movie starts with this very frantic energy. Eddie is driving him to the station, and you can almost feel the car shaking because of the low budget.
Then we get Frank Taylor and Madge Hutton. They decide that the best way to keep Tiny at school is to fake a suicide.
Who does that? It’s such a strange leap in logic, even for a comedy from 1930.
They go to a bridge to set up the stunt. The bridge looks like it was built out of cardboard and hope.
Frank McHugh plays Frank Taylor, and he has that face that just looks like trouble. He’s got this nervous energy that makes the whole scene feel like it’s about to fall apart.
I noticed a guy in the background of one shot who just stares at the camera for a second too long. It’s those little mistakes that make these old movies feel real.
The dialogue is very snappy, almost too snappy. It’s like they were afraid that if the actors stopped talking, the audience would leave the theater.
There is a lot of shouting. Why was everyone so loud in the 30s?
It reminds me a bit of the pacing in The Fearless Rider, though that one had more horses and fewer sweaters. College Lovers is very much confined to its campus world.
The scene on the bridge is supposed to be the big climax of the plan. Madge is supposed to pretend to jump, but the timing is all wrong.
You can see the actors waiting for thier cues. It’s charming in a way that big modern movies never are.
The way they handle the "heartbreak" is also funny. Tiny acts like his world has ended, but then he gets distracted by the smallest things.
It’s like the movie forgets he was supposed to be sad. Consistency wasn't really the goal here, I guess.
I found myself wondering about the costumes. Everyone is wearing these massive coats that look like they weigh fifty pounds.
How did they move around so much without breaking a sweat? Especially Jack Whiting, who is constantly pacing back and forth.
There’s a moment where a car pulls up and the sound of the engine is louder than the actors. It’s a very 1930 problem to have.
If you’ve seen The Wheel, you know how these older stories love a good dramatic setup. But this movie plays it for laughs, which is a relief.
The supporting cast is actually pretty good. Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams shows up, and he always has a presence that’s hard to ignore.
He feels like he walked in from a different, tougher movie. It creates this weird contrast with the college kids.
The whole "fake suicide" plot point is never really addressed as being, you know, totally insane. They just go with it like it's a normal Tuesday prank.
I think i missed a character's name halfway through because the audio peaked so hard. It sounded like a bag of chips being crushed near the microphone.
The ending is exactly what you expect. It doesn't try to be clever, and that’s fine.
It’s a movie that knows it’s a bit of fluff. It’s about 70 minutes of people being silly in hats.
One reaction shot of Frank McHugh lingers so long it becomes funny. He just stands there with his mouth open while nothing happens.
The movie is a bit slow in the midle, despite all the running around. They spend a lot of time talking in rooms that look exactly the same.
I kept looking at the furniture in the background. 1930s interior design was very brown.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a great slice of history. You get to see what people thought was funny nearly a hundred years ago.
Usually, these movies feel like museum pieces. This one feels like a group of friends just messing around with a camera.
The script by Earl Baldwin and Douglas Z. Doty has some clever lines hidden under the noise. You just have to listen closely.
It’s definitely better than some of the other stuff from that year. It has a pulse, at least.
The bridge scene really is the highlight. Even if it’s ridiculous, it’s memorable.
I’ll probably forget most of the plot by tomorrow. But I’ll remember those sweaters.
Check it out if you’re bored on a Sunday afternoon. 🎬
IMDb —
1927
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