''Start Cheering'' is a 1938 American

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Jimmy Durante, Charles Starrett, Joan Perry, and Walter Connolly. It is best remembered today for guest appearances throughout the film by The Three Stooges ( Curly Howard, Moe Howard, and

Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 4, 1902 – January 24, 1975), better known by his stage name Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges and was often called "The Middle St ...

), who were

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

' short subject headliners at the time, as campus firemen.threestooges.net
/ref> The film's choreography was by Danny Dare.

Plot

Film star Ted Crosley is fed up with Hollywood and quits the movies to enroll in college under an assumed name. While Ted struggles to fit in on campus and tries out for the football team, his frustrated manager Sam Lewis and Lewis's sidekick Willie Gumbatz try to have him expelled from the college so he can resume his Hollywood career. Radio's

Professor Quiz ''Professor Quiz'' was radio's first true quiz program, broadcast with many different sponsors from 1936 to 1948 on CBS and American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The program featured Professor Quiz, his wife Betty, and his son, Professor Quiz Jr. ...

is teaching a special course on campus, giving Lewis the idea to promote Crosley's campus activities on network radio. Bandleader Johnny Green is also on campus, lending musical accompaniment to the many songs.

Cast

* Jimmy Durante as Willie Gumbatz * Charles Starrett as Ted Crosley * Joan Perry as Jean Worthington * Walter Connolly as Sam Lewis * Craig E. Earle as Professor Quiz (billed as Professor Quiz) * Gertrude Niesen as Sarah * Raymond Walburn as Dean Worthington * Broderick Crawford as Biff Gordon * The Three Stooges as themselves * Hal Le Roy as Tarzan Biddle, quiz contestant and dancer * Ernest Truex as Blodgett, Crosley's butler * Johnny Green as himself, bandleader * Chaz Chase as Shorty * Vernon Dent as Empire Studios executive and soda jerk Pops * Gene Morgan as Coach Burns * Arthur Hoyt as librarian * Claire Rochelle as student *

Edward LeSaint Edward LeSaint (January 1, 1871 – September 10, 1940) was an American stage and film actor and Film director, director whose career began in the silent film, silent era. He acted in over 300 films and directed more than 90. He was sometimes ...

as first board overseer * Lew Davis as team doctor and candy butcher * Minerva Urecal as Miss Grimley, dean of women * Lucille Lund as Flossie * Eddie Fetherston as man at water fountain and man setting up microphone *

Jane Hamilton Jane Hamilton (born July 13, 1957) is an American novelist. Early life Jane Hamilton was born and grew up in Oak Park, Illinois (U.S.), the youngest of five children. She won prizes for poetry and short stories throughout high school and colle ...

as student * Claire Rochelle as student * Robert Paige (singing voice for Charles Starrett)

Production

Production began in October 1937 under the title ''Freshman Follies''. One of the original songs, "Start Cheering," became the new film title. Many members of Columbia's stock company played incidental roles, and some of them appear twice in different roles and costumes. Charles Starrett was established as Columbia's cowboy star, and petitioned his employers to cast him in modern-day stories. ''Start Cheering'' was Starrett's only opportunity along these lines; Columbia returned him to westerns, and he remained with Columbia until his retirement in 1952. The ingenue in ''Start Cheering'', Joan Perry, made such an impression on Columbia president Harry Cohn that he proposed marriage to her. They were wed until Cohn's death in 1958. Specialty performer Chaz Chase does his vaudeville act periodically during the film: he eats everything on his person: pages from books, flowers, buttons, etc.

References

External links

* * 1938 films 1938 musical comedy films 1938 romantic comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films 1930s English-language films Films about actors Films about the education system in the United States Films directed by Albert S. Rogell Films set in universities and colleges The Three Stooges films 1930s romantic musical films 1930s American films English-language romantic comedy films English-language romantic musical films English-language musical comedy films {{romantic-musical-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links