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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you’re into those old-school college movies where everyone looks thirty but acts twelve, you should probably give this a go.
It’s a quick watch. Perfect for a Sunday morning when you don't want to think too hard.
If you hate silent films or people in giant knit sweaters, you should definitely skip it.
George J. Lewis plays the lead and he has this very intense way of staring at the camera.
He’s got that 'look at me' vibe that was so big back then. I think he spends more time fixing his hair than actually studying in this movie.
The plot? Well, there isnt much of one. 🏈
It’s mostly about being the big man on campus and winning the girl, which I guess was the only goal in 1929.
Dorothy Gulliver is the lead girl and she is just charming. She has these eyes that look like they belong on a doll, but in a cute way, not a creepy way.
There is this one scene where she’s sitting on a bench and the lighting is just... weird. It looks like they had one lamp and it was pointed right at her nose.
I noticed a guy in the background of the gym scene who looks completely lost. He’s just standing there while everyone else is doing these high-energy silent movie movements.
It’s way more entertaining than Wife Savers which I found a bit of a slog to get through.
The football stuff is what you’d expect. A lot of dusty guys running into each other while a crowd of extras waves their hats like crazy.
I swear I saw the same extra in three different seats during the game. Maybe he was just really fast? 🏃♂️
Eddie Phillips plays the rival and he’s got one of those faces you just want to poke. He’s great at looking smug without saying a single word.
The movie gets noticeably better once the actual game starts and they stop trying to do the romance stuff.
The romance feels a bit rushed, even for a short. One minute they’re saying hi, the next they are basically engaged.
It reminded me a bit of Crack Your Heels in how it just wants to be energetic and nothing else.
There is a moment where Churchill Ross does this little jump and it’s so unnecessarily dramatic. I loved it.
The film quality on the version I saw was a bit grainy, but it added to the charm. It felt like watching a memory that isn't mine.
I think the director just told everyone to 'act like you're having the best time of your life' and they took it very literally.
Some of the titles are a bit cheesy. They use words like 'pep' and 'spirit' about fifty times.
It’s much more fun than Motor Trouble, mostly because the pacing doesn't fall off a cliff halfway through.
I caught a glimpse of Jack Hanlon in one of the crowd shots. He’s barely in it but he’s got that classic kid face from the era.
The ending is exactly what you think it is. I won't spoil it, but let's just say nobody leaves unhappy.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie, really, more like a vibe check from 95 years ago.
I liked the way they used the megaphones. People really loved shouting into those things back then.
If you've got twenty minutes and a cup of coffee, it's worth the time. Just don't expect it to change your life.
It’s just a nice, slightly shaky, very loud (in spirit) look at a version of college that probably never actually existed. 🎓
Maybe i'm just a sucker for these old Universal shorts. They have a specific kind of 'let's put on a show' energy that you don't see anymore.
IMDb —
1925
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