They Learned About Women
They Learned About Women | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jack Conway Sam Wood |
Written by | A.P. Younger Sarah Y. Mason |
Starring | Van and Schenck Bessie Love J. C. Nugent |
Cinematography | Leonard Smith |
Edited by | James C. McKay Tom Held |
Music by | Milton Ager (composer) Jack Yellen (lyricist) |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
They Learned About Women is a 1930 American Pre-Code sports drama musical film directed by Jack Conway and Sam Wood, and starring Van and Schenck in their final film appearance together.
Although predominantly a black and white film, the "Harlem Madness" number was filmed in Technicolor under the direction of Sammy Lee.[1] The film is a "talkie", but MGM also issued it in a silent version, with Alfred Block writing the titles. The film was remade in 1949 as Take Me Out to the Ball Game. During production, it was known by at least two other titles, "Take It Big," and "Playing the Field."
Plot
[edit]Major league baseball player Jack Glennon (Schenck) watches out for alcoholic teammate Jerry Burke (Van). Both men are interested in Mary (Love), but Jack marries the gold-digging Daisy (Doran), who lures him away from baseball to the vaudeville stage.
Later, Jerry and Mary become romantically involved, and Jack rejoins the baseball team after divorcing Daisy. Jerry notices that Jack is not playing well and is unhappy, and realizes that he must still be in love with Mary. He steps away from Mary, allowing her to be with Jack. Jack plays baseball well once again, and the team wins the World Series.[2][3][4]
Cast
[edit]- Gus Van as Jerry Burke
- Joe Schenck as Jack Glennon
- Bessie Love as Mary Collins
- J. C. Nugent as Stafford
- Benny Rubin as Sam Goldberg
- Mary Doran as Daisy Gebhart
- Tom Dugan as Tim O'Connor
- Eddie Gribbon as Brennan
- Ralph Bushman as Home Run Haskins
Reception
[edit]The film received lukewarm reviews.[3][4]
Soundtrack
[edit]- "Ain't You, Baby?"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen
- Performed by Gus Van
- "Does My Baby Love?"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen
- Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
- "Harlem Madness"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen
- Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
- Reprised by Nina Mae McKinney and chorus (in Technicolor)
- "He's That Kind of a Pal"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen
- Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck (twice)
- "A Man of My Own"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen
- Performed by Bessie Love
- "Ten Sweet Mamas"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen
- Performed by Gus Van, Joe Schenck, and ball players
- "There Will Never Be Another Mary"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen
- Performed by Joe Schenck
- "Dougherty Is the Name"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen and Gus Van
- Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
- "I'm an Old-Fashioned Guy"
- Music by Milton Ager
- Lyrics by Jack Yellen and Gus Van
- Performed by Gus Van and Joe Schenck
- "When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose"
- Music by Percy Wenrich (1924)
- Lyrics by Jack Mahoney
- Sung by the players in the hotel lobby
- "When You Were Sweet Sixteen"
- Written by James Thornton (1898)
- Sung partially by Tom Dugan and Benny Rubin
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "All-Colored Revue Hit Featured in Centre Film". Ottawa Citizen. July 18, 1930. p. 21.
- ^ Munden, Kenneth W., ed. (1971). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films 1921–1930. New York: R. R. Bowker Company. p. 798. ISBN 978-0-520-21521-4. OCLC 664500075.
- ^ a b Bradley, Edwin M. (August 11, 2004). "There's a Tear for Every Smile in Hollywood". The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 through 1932. McFarland. pp. 216–8. ISBN 978-0-7864-2029-2.
- ^ a b Motion Picture Reviews. Los Angeles, CA: Women's University Club. 1930. p. 6.
External links
[edit]- They Learned About Women at IMDb
- They Learned About Women at AllMovie
- They Learned About Women at the TCM Movie Database
- They Learned About Women at Sanderson Beck page
- 1930 films
- 1930s musical drama films
- 1930s sports drama films
- 1930s color films
- American baseball films
- American black-and-white films
- American musical drama films
- Films directed by Jack Conway
- Films directed by Sam Wood
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
- 1930 drama films
- 1930s English-language films
- 1930s American films
- American sports drama films
- English-language musical drama films
- English-language sports drama films