Pigskin Parade (1936)

47% of users liked it
(268 ratings)

The first of 20th Century-Fox's college musicals, Pigskin Parade is also close to the best of them in musical terms -- though they were all at least pretty good on that level -- principally thanks to the presence of 13-year-old Judy Garland, playing an Arkansas farm girl with surprising sincerity… More The first of 20th Century-Fox's college musicals, Pigskin Parade is also close to the best of them in musical terms -- though they were all at least pretty good on that level -- principally thanks to the presence of 13-year-old Judy Garland, playing an Arkansas farm girl with surprising sincerity and success (in addition to belting out a couple of numbers with the depth and sincerity of a performer at least twice that age). The plot starts rolling when the Yale University football team, looking for a credible but not too tough opponent for a charity game, accidentally invites the team from tiny Tesax State University (enrollment 700) instead of the University of Texas (enrollment 7500). Texas State has also just gotten a new football coach, Slug Winters (Jack Haley), who's had a lot of success coaching high school back in Flushing, New York but still has to prove himself with college players -- he arrives with his brassy, outspoken wife (Patsy Kelly) just ahead of the invitation from Yale, which nearly sends them running back to New York. Through sheer luck and Mrs. Winters' brainstorm, however, they figure out a way they can meet the Yale team on the field and not get steamrollered -- they come up with a fast, highly mobile brand of football that makes them contenders, but then they lose their star-player. Mrs. Winters manages to stumble onto Amos Dodd (Stuart Erwin), an Arkansas farm boy who developed his arm by tossing watermelons around, and brings him and his sister (Judy Garland) to the college. But now they have to make Amos -- who never finished high school -- eligible, and keep him interested enough in the team and the college to get him to the game. It's all a lot of fun, with lots of comic antics and a song spicing up the pace every few minutes, and Haley and Kelly are a delight to watch together. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: David Butler, David Butler (I)
Written By: William M. Conselman, Mark Kelly
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 23, 1936 Wide
On DVD: May 22, 2007

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
This clunky musical (a formulaic combo of football feature and campus comedy) is best known today for featuring two actresses who would become major stars in the 1940s: Judy Garland (then 13) and Betty Grable.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

judy's first and betty grable's in there somewhere but more a curiosity piece than anything else.

Cast

            Patsy Kelly as Bessie Winters

            Jack Haley as "Slug" Winston Winters

            Stuart Erwin as Amos Dodd

            Johnny Downs as Chip Carson

            Betty Grable as Laura Watson

            Arline Judge as Sally Saxon

            Dixie Dunbar as Ginger Jones

            Judy Garland as Sairy Dodd

            Tony Martin as Tommy Baker

            Fred Kohler Jr. as Biff Bentley

            Grady Sutton as Mortimer Matthews

            Elisha Cook Jr. as Herbert Van Dyke

            Jed Prouty as Mr. Van Dyke

            Emma Dunn as Mrs. Van Dyke

            Eddie Nugent as Sparks

            Julius Tannen as Dr. Burke

            Pat Flaherty as Referee

            Si Jenks as Baggage Master

            Lynn Bari as Girl in stadium

            Maurice Cass as Prof. Tutweiler

            John Dilson as Doctor

            Ben Hall as Boy in stadium

            George Y. Harvey as Brakeman

            Sam Hayes as Radio Announcer - Himself

            Charles Croker King as Prof. Pillsbury

            Alan Ladd as Student

            Edward J. Le Saint as Judge

            Robert McClung as Country boy

            Jack Murphy as Usher

            David Sharpe as Messenger boy

            Charles C. Wilson as Yale Coach

            Douglas Wood as Prof. Dutton

            Ted Offenbecker as Freddy

            Jack Stoney as Policeman

            George Herbert as Professor

            George Offerman as Freddy Yale reporter

            Thomas Kellard
            
            Edward J. Nugent
            
See full cast