''Hold 'Em Yale'' is a 1935 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Sidney Lanfield and written by

Damon Runyon Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American newspaperman and short-story writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To N ...

, Paul Gerard Smith, and Eddie Welch. The film stars Patricia Ellis,

Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

Buster Crabbe Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy ser ...

Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature fil ...

, and George Barbier; it was released on April 27, 1935, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

A racketeer known as "Sunshine Joe" specializes in

ticket scalping Ticket resale (also known as ticket scalping or ticket touting) is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of ...

. His gang of colorfully nicknamed thugs includes Liverlips, Sam the Gonoph, and Bennie South Street, as well as Georgie the Chaser, who was dubbed that because of his penchant for chasing after women. On a train, Georgie happens upon Clarice Van Cleve, an heiress who loves to fall in love, particularly with men in uniform. This has created many a headache for her father, who already has seen Clarice elope three times with military types, each ending badly. Mr. Van Cleve diverts his daughter to a

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

health resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge and ...

, where he introduces her to his friend Mr. Wilmot and handsome son Hector, in the hope that Clarice and Hector will hit it off. Georgie the gigolo still has Clarice's eye, however, pretending to be a combat pilot. When Clarice turns up and begins acting like a homemaker, though, driving him crazy, Georgie, learning she has been disinherited by her dad, leaves by claiming he is needed by "the King" to fly a mission. Sunshine Joe runs off with money earned from scalped tickets to the Harvard–

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

college football game. As Hector is a member of the Yale team, all of Joe's goons travel to

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

, for the game and place bets. Shocked to find Hector is a benchwarmer, they intimidate the coach with a gun and demand that Hector be permitted to play. He kicks a field goal to win the game, which results in him, a man in another kind of uniform, in the arms of Clarice.

Cast

* Patricia Ellis as Clarice Van Cleve *

as Gigolo Georgie *

as Hector Wilmot *

as Sunshine Joe *

as Liverlips * George Barbier as Mr. Van Cleve *

Warren Hymer Edgar Warren Hymer (February 25, 1906 – March 25, 1948) was an American theatre and film actor. Early life He was born in New York City. His father, John Bard Hymer (1875/1876 – 1953) was a playwright (with nine Broadway plays to ...

as Sam The Gonoph * George E. Stone as Bennie South Street *

Hale Hamilton Hale Rice Hamilton (February 28, 1880 – May 19, 1942) was an American actor, writer and producer. Biography Hamilton was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1880. (His birth year is sometimes listed as either 1879 or 1883.) Hamilton's Broadway debut w ...

as Mr. Wilmot *

Guy Usher James Guy Usher (May 9, 1883 – June 16, 1944) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 190 films between 1932 and 1943. Born in Mason City, Iowa, Usher acted on stage before venturing into films. Billed as James Guy Usher, h ...

as Coach Jennings

References

External links

* 1935 films 1930s English-language films Paramount Pictures films American comedy films 1935 comedy films Films directed by Sidney Lanfield American black-and-white films American football films 1930s American films {{1930s-comedy-film-stub