Mother Is A Freshman
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''Mother Is a Freshman'' is a 1949 American
technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Lloyd Bacon Lloyd Francis Bacon (December 4, 1889 – November 15, 1955) was an American screen, stage, and vaudeville actor and film director. As a director, he made films in numerous genres, including westerns, musicals, comedies, gangster films, and c ...
and starring
Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...
,
Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916  – December 12, 2008) was an American actor and dancer. He had a prolific career in film, television, theatre and radio, which spanned over 50 years, from 1940 to 1992. He was a major star at Metr ...
and
Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer. He was the first male singer to rise from local radio broadcasts in New York Ci ...
. It was produced and distributed by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
. The film was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Costume Design The Academy Award for Best Costume Design is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for achievement in film costume design. The award was first given in 1949, for films made in 1948 ...
by Kay Nelson.


Plot

Abby Abbott lives in New York City together with her teenage daughter Susan. They support themselves with money from a trust fund started by her late husband. An attorney by the name of John Heaslip handles the placement of the money, and he sees to it that payment is made every three years. He is also romantically interested in Abby, but she has consistently rejected his proposals to marry her. Since Abby has already spent all her money from the current lump sum, John informs her that she will have to wait "until February" for the next payment. The largest cost is seventeen-year-old Susan's tuition for Pointer College. Desperate to get the money, Abby, whose maiden name was Abigail Fortitude just like her grandma, applies for a scholarship (specifically for women named "Abigail Fortitude") set up by the grandmother, amounting to $3,000 annually. To get the scholarship Abby has to enroll at the college. This way she can also keep an eye on her daughter, who has a crush on English professor Richard Michaels. The professor is writing light crime novels using a pseudonym. Abby is determined to not disclose that she is Susan's mother, but the dean, Gillingham, discovers that she and Susan have the same home address. She begins her studies and enrolls in professor Michaels class. Richard is quite taken with the beautiful and mature woman, and asks her if he can see her in the evening for "tutoring" in private. Abby agrees, but fears that the professor has an ulterior motive. It turns out that he has also invited the dean and his wife to dinner, and the evening is a success. During the course of the evening, the dean calls Abby "Mrs. Abbott" (much to Richard's surprise) and Abby loudly mentions that one of her classmates has bought an awful crime novel called "The Gravedigger and the Chambermaid." Richard takes Abby back to the dorm and kisses her goodnight. He also asks if she is married and she explains that she is Susan's mother and a widow. Now they are both falling in love with each other. While Susan thinks Abby is checking up on her boyfriend-to-be, Richard invites Abby to a dance at the college. Susan tells Abby that she expects Richard to take her to the dance, and Abby is riddled with guilt. Still, she can't seem to get out of attending the dance and Susan has a young boy her age named Beaumont escort her. Unfortunately, since she doesn't know about her mother's date, she asks John to escort Abby. Both John and Richard turn up at Abby's house to escort her on the evening of the dance. It turns out they are acquainted since they both went to Yale. John tells Abby that he has got her some extra money and that she doesn't have to continue college. Susan also finds out about her mother and Richard and is upset at first, but has a change of heart when Richard asks her to urge her mother to continue college. Susan begs her mother to stay at college and keep seeing Richard. The evening ends with Richard confessing he is the author of "The Gravedigger and the Chambermaid," and Abby confesses that she in fact has read it—twice!


Cast

*
Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...
as Mrs. Abby Abbott *
Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916  – December 12, 2008) was an American actor and dancer. He had a prolific career in film, television, theatre and radio, which spanned over 50 years, from 1940 to 1992. He was a major star at Metr ...
as Professor Michaels *
Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer. He was the first male singer to rise from local radio broadcasts in New York Ci ...
as John Heaslip * Barbara Lawrence as Louise Sharpe * Robert Arthur as Beaumont Jackson * Betty Lynn as Susan Abbott * Griff Barnett as Dean Gillingham * Kathleen Hughes as Rhoda


References


External links

*
''Mother Is a Freshman'' at Turner Classic Movies.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mother Is A Freshman 1949 films 1949 comedy films 20th Century Fox films American comedy films Films directed by Lloyd Bacon Films scored by Alfred Newman Films set in universities and colleges Films shot in Nevada 1940s English-language films 1940s American films