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Sweetie
(1929) United States of America
B&W : 12 reels / 8969 feet / 95 minutes
Directed by Frank Tuttle
Cast: Nancy Carroll [Barbara Pell], Helen Kane [Helen Fry], Stanley Smith [Biff Bentley], Jack Oakie [‘Tap-Tap’ Thompson], William Austin [Percy ‘Pussy’ Willow], Stuart Erwin [Axel Bronstrup], Wallace MacDonald [Bill Barrington], Charles Sellon [Doctor Oglethorpe], Aileen Manning [Miss Twill]
Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation production; distributed by Paramount Pictures Corporation. / Screenplay by George Marion Jr. and Lloyd Corrigan, with dialogue by George Marion Jr. and Lloyd Corrigan, from a screen story by George Marion Jr. and Lloyd Corrigan. Songs “My Sweeter Than Sweet,” “I Think You’ll Like It,” “Bear Down Pelham,” “The Prep Step” and “Alma Mammy” by Richard A. Whiting (music) and George Marion Jr. (lyrics). Other song title (possibly written by Marion and Whiting): “He’s So Unusual.” Dance direction by Earl Lindsay. Cinematography by Alfred Gilks. Recording engineer, Eugene Merritt. Film editor, Verna Willis. / © 1 November 1929 by Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation [LP816]. Premiered 25 October 1929 in New York, New York. Released 2 November 1929. / [?] Movietone 35mm spherical 1.20:1 format and/or Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format? Western Electric Movietone sound-on-film synchronized sound system. / The film was also released in the USA in a silent version (at 6303 feet) by Paramount Pictures Corporation. / Full-sound film.
Comedy: Musical.
Reviews: [Mordaunt Hall in The New York Times, 26 October 1929, page ?] “Sweetie,” the new audible offering at the Paramount, lives up to its title and the childish patter of Helen Kane, who happens to be one of the principals. Who knows but that the chain of events in this production may prove diverting to those who grow excited over the outcome of a screen gridiron game? To refer to this picture as being adolescent is somewhat flattering, for its few really mirthful moments are offset by lengthy nonsensical passages. / This “Sweetie” talks and sings. In fact it keeps its tongue wagging like an enfant terrible. It is exceptionally well photographed and the acting of Nancy Carroll, Miss Kane and Jack Oakie is not without merit. But they have to join in the intended fun in this story and therefore they are at times apt to cause one to frown. / During many of the scenes in which she figures, Miss Kane, as Helen Fry, is armed with an air rifle, and she darts from pillar to post, peppering one of Pelham’s nitwit students to make him join the football team. And when he lends his manly form to the big game between Pelham and Ogelthorpe, Helen seizes the psychological moment to fire a shot, not to injure him, but to spur him on to victory. / Miss Carroll, who sings and talks, as also do her colleagues, acts the part of Barbara Pell, who has the temerity to fall in love with Biff Bentley, captain of the Pelham team. Although he adores her, he throws romance aside for sport at the behest of the college coach. Barbara, however, has a stroke of luck, for on returning to New York she discovers that she has inherited valuable property, which includes Pelham College. / She decides later to test the football team’s knowledge of the English language, and some time is devoted to Axel Bronstrup’s struggling with the definition of a preposition. Barbara goes over the examination papers herself and she decides that Biff Bentley has flunked and therefore can’t play in the big game. Of course, she is persuaded to reconsider her decision and after she has wagered with Dr. Ogelthorpe on the outcome of the game she sees to it that Biff captains the team. / Jack Oakie plays a vaudeville dancer who joins with the students in the welcome to Barbara. He is averse to the Pelham alma mater song and renders a Jolson edition, known as “Alma Matey Mammy” which has its humorous side. / Miss Kane delivers one or two songs in her babyish prattle. She is amusing and so is William Austin, occasionally, but he is, more often than not, handicapped by lines that are too silly to be laughable. / The idea of having a girls’ school adjacent to the Pelham institution strikes one at first as promising. In an early scene, Miss Twill is perceived instructing her pretty scholars to pour tea. Miss Twill counts, “One, two, three,” and then gives the order to pour, just as though she were giving a martial command. That difficult ceremony being accomplished satisfactorily, the girls chorus, “Cream or lemon?” and one concludes that Miss Twill’s class is a success fou. They could pour tea for Senators or the crowned heads of Europe. One realizes it, for not a drop is spilled and not one of the girls says “lemon” before she says “cream.” / The song “Alma Matey Mammy” is rendered efficiently by the Pelham students during those moments when such music stirs their souls and urges the team to triumph over Ogelthorpe. / George Marion Jr. and Lloyd Corrigan are the authors of this quaint yarn. The music was contributed by Richard A. Whiting and Mr. Marion wrote the lyrics. The director of “Sweetie” is Frank Tuttle, but, with the exception of the players, the individual who is entitled to real praise is the camera man, Alfred Gilks.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: (unknown)
Listing updated: 13 October 2010.
References: Variety-19291030 pp. 39, 50 : Website-AFI.
Home video: DVD.
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