The Junior Year (1928) Review: Sweaty Sweaters and Track Stars

Is this one worth your time?

If you have twenty minutes and you like those old silent movies where everyone looks like they just stepped out of a vintage postcard, then yes. It is fun in a very simple way.

People who hate silent films or get annoyed by 'school spirit' should probably skip it. It is very loud for a movie with no sound.

I watched this after seeing The Saddle Hawk and the change in energy was pretty wild. This is much more... bouncy? 🏃‍♂️

It is part of that Collegians series that used to be everywhere. George J. Lewis plays Ed, and he has one of those faces that just looks like it belongs on a box of cereal from 1925.

He is very earnest. Like, almost too earnest. Every time he looks at June (Dorothy Gulliver), he looks like he’s about to cry or explode from happiness.

Dorothy Gulliver is great here. She has this way of moving her head that makes her look like she’s always in on a joke that the audience doesn't know yet.

The plot is basically just Ed trying to win a race. That’s it. No deep meaning. No big twists.

I really loved the costumes. The sweaters they wear look so thick and itchy. I don't know how they ran in those things without passing out from the heat.

There is a scene where they are all at a track meet. The camera work is actually kind of impressive for 1928. It feels fast.

You can see the dust kicking up from the track. It feels very real and unpolished, which I liked way more than a modern movie with perfect CGI dirt.

I noticed one extra in the background who just looks completely lost. He’s standing there while everyone else is cheering, and he just looks like he forgot where he parked his car. 🚗

It’s a bit different than something like The Hillcrest Mystery which feels much more stiff. This movie actually breathes.

The rival, played by Eddie Phillips, has a great sneer. He is very good at being the guy you want to see lose the race. He just has that vibe.

I think I enjoyed the pacing the most. It doesn't linger on things for too long. It knows it’s a short film and it just gets to the point.

Sometimes the title cards are a bit much. 'The Spirit of Youth!' and stuff like that. We get it, they are young.

Compared to In the Power of Opium, this is obviously much lighter stuff. It’s like eating a marshmallow after a heavy meal.

There is a small moment where Ed is trying to fix his hair before seeing June. It felt very human. Small things like that make these old movies stay watchable.

I also noticed the cars in the background. They look so clunky and amazing. I wish we still had cars that looked like giant metal shoes.

The writing is credited to a bunch of people like George H. Plympton. It feels like they were just having a good time making these. It doesn't feel like 'Art' with a capital A. It feels like a product, but a good one.

If you’ve seen Rough and Ready, you know that 1920s energy. This has it in spades.

One thing that was weird—the way they cheer. They do these synchronized arm movements that look like a weird ritual. Maybe that’s just how college was back then?

It is definitely more upbeat than The Marriage Pit. No one is brooding here. They are too busy running.

The ending is exactly what you think it is. But that’s fine. Sometimes you just want to see the good guy win the race and get the girl.

Overall, it’s a nice little slice of time. It’s imperfect and the film grain is heavy, but it has a soul. You can tell the people making it weren't bored.

I’d watch it again if I was feeling nostalgic for a time I never actually lived through. It’s just nice.