Sweetie (1929) Review: A messy, charming 1920s college trip

You should watch this if you like seeing how movies were basically figuring themselves out in the late 20s. It is a total trip. 🎬

If you want a serious story about higher education, stay far away from this one.

Nancy Carroll plays Barbara, a chorus girl who finds out she is the boss of a men’s college now. She is the best part of the whole movie.

The logic is paper thin. She just shows up and starts changing things, but she is so charming you almost forget how dumb the setup is.

She has these very expressive eyebrows that do most of the acting for her. I found myself just watching her face while other people were talking.

I spent a lot of time looking at the background actors in the classroom scenes. Some of the 'college boys' look like they have mortgage payments and three kids at home.

Jack Oakie shows up and he is... a lot. He does this thing with his face that makes you want to either laugh or hide under your seat.

He is basically a human cartoon before cartoons were really a big thing. He brings a lot of energy, but maybe too much?

Helen Kane is in this too! She is the real-life inspiration for Betty Boop, and you can totally tell when she starts singing.

Her song 'He’s a High-Brow' is probably the best three minutes of the whole thing. It is catchy and weird and she has that high-pitched squeak in her voice.

The football stuff feels like it belongs in a different movie entirely. It reminds me of Fighting Youth but with way more singing and dancing.

Everything is so bright and the acting is very big. They are clearly trying to reach the back of a theater even though there are microphones right there.

The sound is a bit of a mess, honestly. You can hear the constant 'hiss' of the early recording tech.

I actually kind of like that sound. It makes the movie feel like a ghost story from a hundred years ago, even though it is supposed to be a comedy.

There is a scene where a guy is trying to study and people keep bursting into song around him. I would have totally lost my mind if I was that guy.

The movie is way more fun than Sweet Adeline which feels a bit stuffy compared to this messy college party. It doesn't take itself serious at all.

The plot about the boyfriend being the star player is so predictable. You know exactly what happens at the big game before it even starts.

But the way Nancy Carroll handles the 'mean' dean is pretty funny. She doesn't really care about the rules or his boring old books.

The uniforms for the football team look like they are made of heavy wool blankets. I bet those actors were sweating like crazy under those studio lights.

It is a very short movie, which is a blessing. It doesn't overstay its welcome, it just does its little dance and leaves the room.

I’ll probably forget most of this by next week, but I enjoyed the hour I spent with it. It is a nice little time capsule for a rainy afternoon. 🏈

If you like this era, you might also want to check out Have a Heart just to see how fast things were changing back then.

One reaction shot of the dean looking shocked lingers so long it becomes funny. I think the editor just forgot to cut away.

Anyway, it's a fun watch if you don't expect it to make sense. Just enjoy the songs and the silly hats.