User reviews

I'm not much of a fan of Hollywood musicals (especially the bloated 50s variety--you can keep Kiss Me Kate, thank you) but there is something riveting about this film that is rather hard to explain. The script is sharply written and the songs are reasonably good, but the capper for me are the production numbers. Watching Gene Nelson bound around a gymnasium is a truly thrilling experience. If you think this is merely another one of President Ronnie's bad films, think again. With its candy cane Technicolor, snappy dialogue, and big productions, it's almost a pre-rock The Girl Can't Help It--and that can only be a good thing!

All the social commentary that James Thurber wrote in The Male Animal about academic freedom has been deleted in this scrubbed version of that classic. She's Working Her Way Through College comes out as a rather insipid, but pleasant musical where singing and dancing is taken care of by Virginia Mayo and Gene Nelson. Ronald Reagan in the part that Henry Fonda played of the college professor is defending the right of former burlesque performer Virginia Mayo to attend class and star in a musical show the college is putting on.

Back in the day Mayo was known as 'Hot Garters Gertie' on the stage and all she wants to do is attend college quietly. But when Nelson who was formerly going out with Patrice Wymore starts paying attention to Mayo, Wymore finds out who she is and blows her cover. Which comes to the attention of chair of the board of directors Roland Winters who wants her expelled from the college. He puts it on Reagan's shoulders to do the job.

It was the age of McCarthyism and the original story which dealt with Henry Fonda reading a letter from the jailed Bartolomeo Vanzetti would never have been made at Warner Brothers at that point. And Ronald Reagan who as Governor of California would clash on academic freedom with the Berkeley Free Speech movement is still in an ironic position defending freedom for Mayo to attend college. But Reagan who fought communists in his union, the Screen Actors Guild would never have played the part as originally written and this is before his political career. And Virginia Mayo was also quite the conservative lady in her time as well.

One part of the film is retained where Don DeFore takes Jack Carson's role as the All American football alumnus who was a rival for Reagan for his wife Phyllis Thaxter. Reagan does repeat and does it well, Henry Fonda's drunk scene from The Male Animal.

She's Working Her Way Through College is pleasant enough, but not anything special and Thurber aficionados will not be pleased.

Bright, fun Technicolor musical comedy starring the ravishing Virginia Mayo and Ronald Reagan. It's a loose reworking of The Male Animal. Mayo plays a burlesque dancer and aspiring writer who enrolls in the college where her former high school teacher (Reagan) is now a professor. As you might expect, she isn't welcome with open arms by the conservative college administration. Ronnie's in her corner though and fights for her right to an education. This is really Virginia Mayo's show the whole way. Aside from looking gorgeous she does a fantastic job playing the level-headed dancer who wants to make something more of herself. Opening burlesque number is a treat her fans will love. Virginia Mayo is one of two actresses that readily spring to mind when I think of the beauty of Technicolor; the other being Esther Williams.

The college campus set was pretty. The grass was so green it looked like AstroTurf! Reagan's house was also pretty. I love Technicolor. One odd thing is that in an upstairs bedroom there is a picture of an old rival of Ronnie's on the wall. This seems to be there just to start a conversation between Ronnie and his wife (Phyllis Thaxter) over this guy. Just seemed odd. Why would there be a picture of the guy on the wall? Reagan hates him and he used to be an old beau of his wife's. This part of the story is the film's biggest drawback as Reagan's wife seems very tempted to throw him over for this jerk. Kind of a somber part of an otherwise upbeat movie. It also leads to the worst acting in the film: Ronnie's drunk scene. Cringeworthy. Anyway, it's a nice film with some songs and humor. The songs are nothing special but pleasant. See it for Virginia Mayo and the glorious Technicolor.

I've seen Virginia Mayo in a handful of films, including WHITE HEAT (1949), CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER (1951), and THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946). She was always a beauty, but I was blown away by her in this film. She's incredibly gorgeous in Technicolor and she shows off her dancing skills in this starring role. (Her singing was dubbed.) While the movie on the whole is only so-so, Mayo sure is wonderful to look at.

Another interesting reason to see this film is to glimpse Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, in his acting days. Reagan had made dozens of other pictures before this one, but this was my first experience seeing him in a movie. (I was first turned on to this film when a clip was featured in the 1985 Cold War comedy SPIES LIKE US, made during the Reagan presidency.)

In this film, Reagan plays a college professor who struggles to make ends meet. Mayo is a dancer who enrolls at the college to better herself. Mayo's popularity among the boys makes one co-ed jealous enough to dig up some dirt on her. Meanwhile, the scholarly Reagan feels as though he's losing his wife to her old flame, an ex-football star who's back in town for the big game.

SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE (1952) is a musical adaptation of an earlier comedy THE MALE ANIMAL (1942), starring Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland. The story has been tweaked a little, but the inspiration is still pretty clear for those familiar with the original.

Aside from the musical numbers, the big difference is that Ronald Reagan's professor character is in hot water for staging a musical starring an ex-burlesque dancer, while Henry Fonda's professor was in trouble for reading a controversial (communist) letter in his literary lecture series. Some people have noted that SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE is mindless fluff that wipes away the socio-political message of the original story. Well, it is and it does. But the movie is what it is, and that's fine.

I saw THE MALE ANIMAL first (caught it on TCM), and I must say that overall I think I prefer this remake. It doesn't hit the viewer over the head with a message, it's just a lighthearted campus tale. As I said before, Virginia Mayo is stunningly beautiful in a role that was more or less created for this musical version. (Her character's namesake from the earlier film is a different part entirely.) And while Ronald Reagan isn't a top-shelf thespian, I think I prefer his take on the professor character to Henry Fonda's pathetic wimp. I love Olivia de Havilland in most of her films, but her portrayal in the original version made her seem rather unlikeable as a wife all-too-glad to see her ex come into town. (Mind you that I'm trying to recall THE MALE ANIMAL from memory.) One thing I do favor from the earlier film is Jack Carson's performance as the big shot, ex-jock (the role played by Don DeFore in this movie). I think Carson pulled off the "Statue of Liberty play" routine best.

I wasn't a big fan of THE MALE ANIMAL (it had its moments and is an interesting find for film buffs), and on its own merits I'm not a huge fan of SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE. The film's not bad, but it's nothing special. The songs aren't all that memorable and the story isn't anything earth-shattering. (I can't believe a college would want a student expelled for a past life working in a burlesque hall. This is America, darn it.) Of course musicals aren't always my thing. It's a pleasant movie. A likable movie. A neat movie to check out if you get the chance.

One final thought: I was very impressed by Gene Nelson's solo number toward the end of the film. The song ("Am I in Love?") is meh, but Nelson's dance in the gymnasium shows that he is not only a dancer, but a tremendous athlete. The routine involves all sorts of gymnastic feats that Nelson clearly performs himself. The guy had skills.

Whilst Miss Mayo's singing voice is obviously dubbed, her first appearance as Hot Garters Gertie signals an exuberance and promise the movie doesn't quite fulfill. This opening production number emerges as the film's best, despite a very bland, mechanical orchestra which manages to become even more limpid as the action progresses, undermining what would otherwise have emerged as reasonably lively and diverting musical interludes. Nonetheless, the emphasis is definitely on the songs—both old and new—rather than the action and dialogue of the original stage play. The movie certainly packs in plenty of "color" and lots of legs.

Ronald Reagan gives a credible account of the Henry Fonda role and even comes over convincingly in his "Male Animal" speech, even if it is allowed to run a little too long. The other players are way outclassed. Don DeFore, upgraded to the Jack Carson character, in particular proves no match at all.

Credits are slick but squeaky clean. Although Gene Nelson dances up a storm, the musical orchestrations, as noted above, lack pizazz. In fact, the new songs are totally unmemorable. A pity the producer failed to use more of the old standards like "As Time Goes By" which is given a very appealing rendition here by the gifted vocalist, Bonnie Lou Williams.

Uninspired part-remake of "The Male Animal," in loud Technicolor, and its origins aren't the only prefabricated thing about it. Rather than furnish a whole new score, Warners offers three so-so new songs by Vernon Duke and Sammy Cahn and buttresses them with old songs out of its catalog. At least one of these, "Am I in Love," is the basis for a stunning Gene Nelson solo, where he taps, plies, boxes, trampolines, and does who knows what else in one take. Then it's back to the limp plot about Virginia Mayo, formerly Hot Garters Gertie, forsaking burlesque to go to college, where her crush on Professor Ronald Reagan is quickly abandoned because it doesn't fit into the rest of the action. Reagan, never an inspired actor, is embarrassing here, with a long, unfunny drunk scene, and the rest of the cast--Don DeFore, Phyllis Thaxter, Patrice Wymore--isn't what you'd call exciting. It's an awfully white-middle-class college she's working her way through, and H. Bruce Humberstone, responsible for probably more dull Fox musicals than anyone else, does this other studio no favors. There are a couple of good numbers sprinkled throughout, and the script's endorsement of an erstwhile stripper is quite commendable for the puritanical Fifties. But there are dozens of better Warners musicals out there.

"She's Working Her Way Through College" (1952) is a musical remake of "The Male Animal" (1942). A couple of the songs are memorable and the color photography is a highlight, but overall the film achieves mixed results.

Ronald Reagan plays the part of Professor Palmer, a central character whose wife considers him an underachiever. While she flirts with an ex-boyfriend, the professor soothes his jealousy with a bottle, becoming a sloppy (unconvincing) drunk.

Don Fiore plays the ex-boyfriend ex-athlete, Shep, a blow-hard who still relives football plays from his college days. Fiore was also in "The Male Animal."

Virginia Mayo is the burlesque dancer, Angela, who goes to college and attracts the attentions of the quarterback, Don (Gene Nelson). Although dubbing is prevalent, the dance numbers are competent. Nelson's dancing may be the best part of the film, due to its athleticism. He would later have a very successful career, performing and directing.

Patrice Wymore (wife of Errol Flynn) plays Ivy, the coed who resents the attention given to Angela, with a poisonous perfection.

Some of the comedy is pure corn. The speech about tolerance given by Professor Palmer could be considered inspiring or--in light of McCarthyism--hypocritical.

Those who like this kind of college story might also enjoy "Tall Story" (1960), starring Jane Fonda in her first film role. Some portions remind me of this film.

Hard to believe that all the college students are over 25 and are all in the college play??? Not one book is seen throughout the film and no one seems to attend classes..The big production number at the end is strange in that in two seconds the Virginia Mayo and Gene Nelson character change costumes and face make up. Could only happen in a fantasy musical which of course this is. Mayo does well in her role and Ronald Reagan seems a bit out of his league. The one stand out is Gene Nelson. A cross between Astaire and Kelly. His number in the gym is worth the price of admission. Great. The Patrice Wymore role of Ivy is a bit uneven but she does well. Phyllis Thaxter does well as Reagans suffering wife, but Don De Fore is out of his element. All told an OK escapism show. But again, watch this for a couple of good musical numbers and Mr. Nelsons superb gym number.

This film may be seen as a rather slight offering in the musical genre of the early 50's; however, it's been a favorite film of mine since I first saw it years ago. Virginia Mayo sparkles as Angela, a sincere girl who wants to attend college, but has to work in burlesque as "Hot Garters Gertie" to earn the money. Ronald Reagan is her professor, and thankfully, the film is less concerned with his career woes (being passed over for promotions at the college, a rivalry with the football coach, etc.) than it is with the college kids and the musical numbers. Gene Nelson is handsome and an excellent dancer, and Patrice Wymore has the right degree of archness as "Poison Ivy". The musical numbers are a lot of fun, especially "With Plenty of Money and You" (Virginia, clad in gold fringe, pulls out the stops for her burlesque number), "I'll Still Be Loving You" (Virginia and Gene sing the cute romantic number in class), and the title song. It's a film I can enjoy watching again and again.

It's glossy in that 1950's way -- it's in color and the colors are vivid and saturated. The dance numbers are slick. There is some clever thoughtful dialogue in the Thurber-Nugent script. Virginia Mayo is very beautiful. One really bright spot 80 minutes in -- Gene Nelson's acrobatic dance routine to "Am I in Love?" But what does it all add up to? This movie is like white bread with margarine.

Actors in their 30s pretending to be college kids in clothes that are perfectly color-coordinated. The vivid colors make the made-up faces look ludicrous. And locations that always look like a Hollywood soundstage.

Ronald Reagan playing drunk that would embarrass a high school drama teacher. Don Defore? Gene Nelson? Sorry but there is NO charisma or charm or personality in any of the male leads. And the girl we're supposed to like is soooooo good and soooooo decent. And the girl who is nasty is sooooooo nasty.

Have you heard of any of these songs? Couldn't they find one memorable and fun song? A big yawn.

This is a color musical remake of Warners' classic "The Male Animal". In this version, Henry Fonda is replaced by everyone's favorite future President, Ronald Reagan. Reagan is again cast as a college professor, after his brilliant performance in "Bedtime for Bonzo". Musical-comedy was certainly not Reagan's strong point, but he is not embarrassing at all in this splashy color remake. And Bonzo is nowhere in sight. The "I'll Be Loving You" number, written by expert songwriters Vernon Duke and Sammy Cahn, is a standout. I find it hilarious that Virginia Mayo's singing is dubbed by Bonnie Lou Williams, Gene Nelson's singing is done by Hal Derwin, but the Pres sings his one line in the number for himself. I believe it is Reagan's only performance in a full production musical number. Thank goodness he was not asked to dance! Mayo and Nelson do that very well on their own. It is surprising that none of the Duke-Cahn songs from this film became standards. Their songs in this film, as well as Warner's "April in Paris" are first rate.

This is a horrible apolitical McCarthy Era remake of "The Male Animal" starring Henry Fonda and Olivia DeHavilland. The original had Fonda as a professor standing up to regent Eugene Palette to read a letter by Sacco of Sacco and Vanzetti while simultaneously battling Jack Carson as the faded college football star for the affections of DeHavilland. This is mindless fluff. Reagan is to Fonda as an actor what Reagan was to Roosevelt as a President, a cheap imitation. The only interesting thing is that Dan Defore ("Hazel") is in both films. He is the half-witted football player suitor for the affections of DeHavilland's sister in the original, and the half-witted former football player suitor for Thaxter's affections in this film, reprising Jack Carson's role.

Billed as "42nd Street's Secret Weapon," pretty blonde burlesque dancer Virginia Mayo (as Angela Gardner) arouses male patrons as "Hot-Garters Gertie". She shows off a beautifully proportioned body (with legs up to there). Claiming he wants to obtain "theatrical data," cold-stricken college professor Ronald Reagan (as John Palmer) stops in to admire Mayo and her leggy dancers. When he sneezes, Mayo recognizes Mr. Reagan as a former high school teacher. He helps her educational aspirations with room and board...

College men greet Mayo with wolf whistles. While Reagan suffers a little friction in his marriage, Mayo hoofs it up with dancing football player Gene Nelson (as Don Weston). Mr. Nelson excels in the gymnastic dance "Am I in Love?" Surprisingly, Reagan's marital discord stems not from Mayo's presence, but by pretty wife Phyllis Thaxter (as Helen) associating with former sweetheart Don DeFore (as Shep Slade). Reagan has a prolonged "drunk scene" over the matter. The film's "Technicolor" is a vibrant highlight.

**** She's Working Her Way Through College (7/9/52) Bruce Humberstone ~ Virginia Mayo, Ronald Reagan, Gene Nelson

Imbibition Technicolor, the most perfect method of adding color to film, was at its glorious apotheosis when the Warner Bros. musical "She's Working Her Way Through College," came along in 1952. Let the words of one of the men who worked on the process, Don Berry, inform us:

"The results were striking. No other color process – notably the cheap processes of Eastman Kodak – could even come remotely close to achieving the vibrant, saturated look of IB (imbibition) Technicolor."

With musical films, especially, looking for a prism through which to display their charms, the wedding of Technicolor and "She's Working Her Way Through College" was a match made in cinematic heaven.

Elsewhere, you may read that this musical was an inferior version of the Warner Bros. 1942 drama (in black and white), "The Male Animal." The names of James Thurber and Elliott Nugent, writers of the 1942 movie, do appear in the credits of "She's Working…" but the musical uses only a few of the former film's lines. . . and it has a great foundation, hummable tunes, and that wonderful Technicolor going for it.

Briefly: "She's Working Her Way Through College" starring Virginia Mayo, Ronald Reagan, and Gene Nelson, is a delight from the first scene on. Reagan plays John Palmer, a college professor who's doing dramatic research; and at one of the theaters he visits, he sees a rousing and colorful production number starring a burlesque queen (played winningly by the beautiful Ms. Mayo). Reagan doesn't remember her at first, but she remembers him as her high school teacher. They meet in her dressing room and she learns that her former teacher is now a professor at a small college, Midwest State. Ms. Mayo decides to quit the theater and enroll in his college.

Once at Midwest State, Ms. Mayo receives a lot of wolf whistles from the male students, but responds only with smiles. She meets Don Weston (Gene Nelson), who is quarterback of the football team, but is also a terrific singer and dancer. Together they co-write a musical play for the school to present at one of the better theaters in town, and give their classmates a sneak performance right in their classroom. Professor Palmer has no objections, and is in fact drawn into the performance. The Mayo-Nelson routine is a winner, to the song "I'll be Loving You" by Sammy Cahn and Vernon Duke.

In all, the production of "She's Working Her Way Through College" is a delight. And those who criticize it as an inferior "The Male Animal" need to look again. The two films are ages apart… and "The Male Animal," whatever its virtues, lacks the effervescent and vivid hues afforded by the Technicolor palette.

By Dan Navarro -- daneldorado93@yahoo.com.

when I was young my girlfriend and I would go to the movies everyday to see this movie and stay to see it twice. As you know in 1952 the movie only played for three days.

We simply enjoyed the plot which told the story of Angela who had to work hard to get to college. The fact that she met up with "Professor" was a treat. We loved the clothes she wore, the dances, the Gene Nelson creativity and watching the girl get her due for trying to expose her. Why can't they make movies like this today. I suppose the producers and directors have all passed away and the young ones today just can't sit still long enough to enjoy the simple ways of life in the 1950's the best of times.

I thought this movie was good. I was on vacation and I was staying one night in Zurich, and this just happened to be on TV. I couldn't stop watching it. It was really good, I never knew Ronald Reagan was such a good actor, I just thought of him as a president, nothing else, go figure.

Anyway, if ever you are bored and looking for an amusing movie, this one will do you good. Even though it takes place in the early 1950s it is still really good. I didn't see the very beginning of the movie though, but everything I saw I liked, so thats that.

Virginia Mayo, (Pre) President Ronald Reagan, Gene Nelson, Don DeFore as well as some other excellent supporting performances made this a fantastic musical filled with romance, a bitter jealousy and rivalry, a dirty old chairman of the university board, and a song and dance/gymnastic performance in the latter half of the film by Gene Nelson that was worth the price of admission alone.

Let's face it folks, a 32 year old Virginia Mayo is not hard on the eyes. For the ladies, Gene Nelson as the dancing Don Juan or more appropriately named football star Don Weston is absolutely charming in his scenes with or without his leading lady Angela Gardner aka "Hot Garters Gertie" (Virginia Mayo).

The Professor John Palmer (Ronald Reagan) dearly loves his wife Helen Palmer (Phyllis Thaxter) who is being wooed by her college boyfriend Shep Slade (Don DeFore) that makes Professor Palmer more than just a bit jealous. So for one evening he drinks to get drunk and even as a bad drunk, he still maintains a classy exterior as he jibber jabbers to the blonde student Angela Gardner (Virginia Mayo) and her charming boyfriend Don Weston until such time that his wife Helen shows up at their front door with her old beau Shep Slade now a successful businessman still trying to woo Helen. This is not a dramatic film so the confrontation that takes place between the drunk Professor Palmer and the amorous Shep Slade is quite comical.

There is a musical at the college that must be performed, and the role for the lead female singer/dancer that will partner with the handsome Don Weston on stage is a rivalry between the gorgeous and talented Angela Gardner (Virginia Mayo) and another beautiful lass coyly nicknamed 'Poison' Ivy Williams (Patrice Wymore). A little blackmail is involved, but all works out in the end because as we in Hollywood have come to know..."the show must go on!"

This is a jewel of a film on many fronts, excellent cinematography and colorization, a humorous storyline that involved a weak attempt at blackmail, some fantastic dance sequences (especially Gene Nelson's over the top acrobatic song and dance number in the school gymnasium) a superb cast that made me laugh and quite simply forget the world we live in for the next 104 minutes.

I give the film an excellent 9 out of 10 rating!

The shapely burlesque dancer Hot Garter Getty aka Angela Gardner met her former teacher John Palmer, now a professor at Midwestern State University... she decided to start her new university there career. She rented a room; her new landlord proved to be the professor's wife. In a romantic complication, Angela helped the oppressed theater and art department stage a musical that might be popular...but someone discovered her secret past. Is there a trump card on her garter belt?

I agree with the many who feel this remake of 'The Male Animal' falls far short of the original- but- Gene Nelson's dancing is worth suffering through the rest.