Student Tour Reviews

All the elements are there, but this slapped-together musical still falls short. A college rowing crew, coached by Durante, is set to compete in a rowing event. But the grades come out and all the team members have flunked a philosopy class. Comedian Butterworth teams with Durante and plays the philosophy professor. His ugly-duckling daughter, Doyle, accompanies the team on its round-the-world trip, hoping to hook a husband. She doesn't have much luck until they hit England, where she takes off her glasses and catches the eye of one of the rowers. Then-aspiring starlet Betty Grable appeared in STUDENT TOUR. Eddy also had made two obscure appearances in films before being showcased in STUDENT TOUR. It was his final "guest appearance" before hitting the big time in NAUGHTY MARIETTA in 1935. STUDENT TOUR, though a B film, had the look of an expensive major production. Yet it had a lower payroll, fewer sets, and used MGM's second-string character actors in principal roles. Songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown include "A New Moon is Over My Shoulder" (sung by the chorus and by Phil Regan and Maxine Doyle), "The Snake Dance" (sung by the chorus and Florine McKinney), "From Now On" (sung by Doyle), "The Carlo" (sung by Nelson Eddy), "Fight 'Em" (sung by the chorus and Doyle), "I Just Say it with Music" (Jimmy Durante, sung by Durante).