Varsity Show (film)

Varsity Show is a 1937 feature film from Warner Brothers about a group of students at "Winfield College" who butt heads with their faculty advisor while producing an annual stage show.

The film was directed by William Keighley from a script by Jerry Wald, Richard Macaulay, Warren Duff and Sig Herzig. The movie features songs by Richard A. Whiting and many others. The finale was directed by Busby Berkeley.

This film, however 'kitschy' it may be, is one of the most important to modern choral music in America. In 1937, Fred Waring was approached to play a starring role in this film. He brought his famous glee club, the Pennsylvanians, to the shoot and planned on using the college glee club from Pomona College ("Winfield College" in the movie) for additional singers. When Mr. Waring arrived at the campus he found the Glee Club conductor was ill but his replacement was a young, energetic young man named Robert Shaw. Robert Shaw followed Fred Waring, after the movie was finished, to New York. There, Mr. Shaw founded the Collegiate Chorale and the Robert Shaw Chorale. Robert Shaw went on to be one of the most important personalities in American choral music in the 20th century.

This film is an interesting companion piece to "Hollywood Hotel" with almost the whole cast in the second film. Absent is the lovely Priscilla Lane, but Lola Lane and Rosemary Lane are present. There is even a love angle again between Rosemary and Dick Powell, and Mabel Todd and Ted Healy (who discovered the three stooges).

External links

• Varsity Show at the Internet Movie Database