Varsity Show (1937) Review - Dick Powell, Tap Dancing, and Big Band Chaos

If you love old-school tap dancing and can tolerate Dick Powell acting like a total know-it-all, Varsity Show is definitely worth ninety minutes of your Sunday afternoon. But if you hate corny 1930s college humor where everyone looks thirty years old, you should probably skip this one. 🎬

The whole setup is pretty goofy. Powell plays Chuck Daly, a Broadway producer who has just had three massive flops in a row and is secretly broke.

To save face, he goes back to his old college to direct their annual student show. The catch is that the super stuffy professor, played by Halliwell Hobbes, wants the show to be extremely boring and classical.

Honestly, the plot is just an excuse to get to the musical numbers. It is a bit like those other lighthearted comedies of the era, such as Dummy Love, where the story is basically paper-thin.

What makes this one stand out is the actual talent on screen, even when the script gets lazy. Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians are here, and they do some really weird stuff with vocal sound effects.

At one point, they imitate a whole jazz band using just their voices. It goes on a bit too long, but you can't help but stare at how precise they are.

The Good Stuff (And the Weird Stuff)

The real highlight of the movie is John W. Bubbles. His tap dancing sequence is so fast and clean it makes the rest of the cast look like they are standing in wet cement.

Seriously, he moves his feet like they aren't attached to his ankles. I had to rewind his big scene twice just to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

On the other hand, the comedy is very hit-or-miss. Ted Healy shows up as Chuck's assistant, and his brand of loud, aggressive humor feels a bit exhausting today.

There is also a lot of screen time given to Rosemary and Priscilla Lane. They are charming enough, but their characters don't have much to do except look pretty and worry about Chuck.

"We need a show that will put this college on the map!"

The movie gets noticeably better once the actual show starts in the last thirty minutes. That is when the budget actually shows up on screen.

The final set is this giant, multi-level stage that looks like it cost more than the entire college itself. You have to wonder where these broke students got the money for hundreds of matching outfits.

It is also funny how some of the "student" actors are clearly in their mid-thirties. One guy in the chorus line looks like he has a mortgage and three kids at home.

Still, there is a cozy warmth to these old Warner Bros. musicals. It is like looking at a postcard from a time that never actually existed.

If you enjoy simple, energetic music and don't mind a story that resolves itself way too easily, give it a watch. Just don't expect it to change your life.