Pigskin Parade (1936) User Reviews (22)

Those Yale Are Quail

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 30 January 2008]

Stepping into the role that was usually reserved for Jack Oakie in these college films is Stu Erwin in Pigskin Parade. That substitution got for Erwin a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the first year of the Supporting Players categories at the Academy Awards.

Pigskin Parade is typical of the college films of the Thirties when students were hardly expected to think about anything of social or political significance. The main thing on the minds of the folks at Yale was who to play in a tune up charity game before the big annual match with Hah-vard. In fact the one guy in the film who does think about issues is Elisha Cook, Jr. and he's a figure of ridicule. Although it is kind of funny how the fraternity boys use his radicalism to help them in their cause of victory over Yale.

But to the students and faculty at Texas State University in Prarie, Texas this is one big deal to show up those Yankees. They have a sad sack football team with a brand new coach from Yankeeland himself in Jack Haley. Although truth be told, it's his wife Patsy Kelly who's the real brains here. A lot of the comedy with Kelly and Haley involves her showing him up and not being too diplomatic about it.

In fact she has the unique idea of utilizing the championship basketball of the school as football players in a unique passing game. Kelly also with Betty Grable and Johnny Downs who discovers Stu Erwin, a natural quarterback in a melon field, heaving melons across it. Thrown in as a bargain is Erwin's little sister Judy Garland who becomes the team mascot.

This film was Judy's feature film debut, she would not make another film outside MGM until she left that studio and did A Star Is Born in 1954. Her songs are negligible, but her talent is apparent to all.

The best song in the film is done by another guy just getting started in the picture business. Tony Martin sings You're Slightly Terrific at a pep rally and he was also going places.

Further down the cast list is Betty Grable and even further down is Alan Ladd who you can see in some of the scenes at the fraternity house and at the football game.

Pigskin Parade is a pleasant enough film with a whole lot of talented people showing their stuff. Did these kids ever go to class in these schools?

The Forward Pass

[lugonian · 7/10 · 14 January 2012]

PIGSKIN PARADE (20th Century-Fox, 1936), directed by David Butler, the studio's answer to the wide range of college musicals made popular in the 1930s, contains its own assortment of comedy, songs and a football game finale (hense the title) all told in 93 minutes. With a credit list of staff and actors listed on a rolling football, Stuart Erwin, who appears late into the story, heads the cast, though the real leads are Patsy Kelly and Jack Haley in that order. By today's standards, its sole interest is on future musical film stars in smaller roles: Betty Grable (in 20th-Fox debut) and Judy Garland (on loan from MGM), resulting to one of the most musical college movies up of that time.

The slight plot begins in a conference room where a deliberation meeting at Yale University as the board of directors select for its charity game the football team from the University of Texas to play against them in New Haven, Connecticut. A clerical error between Freddie (George Offerman Jr.) and Sparks (Eddie Nugent) has them getting the team from Texas State University in Prairie, Texas, instead. Winston "Slug" Winters (Jack Haley), a coach from Flushing, Long Island, arrives by train with his wife, Bessie (Patsy Kelly) to his new assignment in shaping up the team. "Biff" Bentley (Fred Kohler Jr.), the football captain chosen to lead the team to victory, meets with an accident of a fractured leg, forcing Winters to find an immediate replacement. Hoping to acquire Stanley Russell, Bessie, accompanied by fellow students, Chip Carson (Johnny Downs) and his girl, Laura Watson (Betty Grable), encounter Sairy Dodd (Judy Garland) whose older brother, Amos (Stuart Erwin) is seen tossing melons long distances into a basket. Impressed by his accurate throw, Amos is chosen as Bentley's substitute, acquiring a college scholarship for both he and his sister in the process. All goes well until the unexpected occurs.

Taking amiable support for Arline Judge playing Sally Saxon, the college vamp; Elisha Cook Jr. as Herbert Terwillinger Van Dyke, the wimpy socialist; Dixie Dugan (Ginger Jones); Grady Sutton, and Sam Hayes playing himself as the radio announcer of the football game. Look quickly for future leading man, Alan Ladd, in a minor bit as one of the students.

Along with Patsy Kelly's antics and sarcasms, and Jack Haley's bit of confusion, there's time for songs, lots of them. Composed by Sidney Mitchell and Lew Pollack, song interludes include: "T.S.U. Alma Mater" (sung by students); "You're Slightly Terrific" (Sung by Anthony "Tony" Martin, danced by Dixie Dunbar); "Woo-Woo" (written/performed by The Yacht Club Boys); "T.S.U. Alma Mater" (reprise); "We'd Rather Be in College" and "Down With Everything" (The Yacht Club Boys); "Balboa" (sung by Dixie Dunbar, cast members/Judy Garland); "You Do the Darndest Things" (sung by Jack Haley); "The Texas Tornado" and "It's Love I'm After" (both sung by Garland); "The Football Song/Texas Sunshine" (written and performed by The Yacht Club Boys) and "The Texas Tornado" (sung by cast). Although all the musical interludes are delivered in a very entertaining manner, the true musical highlight is unquestionably 14-year-old Judy Garland's rendition of three lively songs, much of them forgotten. Garland's scenes are limited but makes the most of it with her singing ability and transformation from barefoot hillbilly gal in pig-tales to talented singing teenager. The Yacht Club Boys as 14 year career students, are an interesting foursome of comic strip-type faced characters. They perform their specialty numbers well, never missing a beat. Interestingly, Betty Grable, singer and dancer in her own right, doesn't get a solo number to herself. As for Stuart Erwin has the distinction of being the only actor to head the cast and earn an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. If anyone deserves an acting honor in the supporting category is Patsy Kelly, who, in true form, is very funny as the assertive wife who calls the plays for her husband.

Television revivals for PIGSKIN PARADE have been few and far between over the years. In 1996, American Movie Classics selected PIGSKIN PARADE as part its annual film preservation series. Availability on home video came about that same time. The names of Grable or Garland, mostly Garland, are the reasons why this routinely done musical has been kept from oblivion.Clam shell video boxes with Garland's face on the cover might have made this an easy sell, but disappointment for those expecting her to be the lead. Later placed on DVD with Garland, Erwin, Kelly and Haley on the cover, Fox Movie Channel along with Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: January 7, 2011, as part of its Betty Grable tribute) have also taken part of cable television revivals.

As silly as it appears, PIGSKIN PARADE is the kind of college musical made watchable for Depession era audiences, a sort of reminder of how films of this nature have proved successful with an assortment of stars working with limited plot material. (*** touchdowns)

Cornpone Humor, Football, And Judy Garland's Feature Debut

[gftbiloxi · 7/10 · 31 March 2005]

Yale invites the University of Texas to compete in a charity football game--but a secretary fumbles the communication and extends the invitation to tiny Texas State University instead. New coach Slug Winters (Jack Haley) and his harridan wife Bessie (Patsy Kelly) manage to whip the team into shape, but when an accident sidelines the star player they find an unexpected replacement in barefoot yokel Amos Dodd (Stuart Erwin)... and before you can say Sis Boom Bah every one is off to the big game! Best known for his later performance of The Tin Man in THE WIZARD OF OZ, Jack Haley was a memorable light comic of stage and screen, and his pairing with Patsy Kelly is truly inspired. In addition to the then-popular quartet The Yachtclub Boys, the film also offers early glimpses of future big names like Betty Grable, Alan Ladd, Tony Martin, and Elisha Cook Jr., not to mention B movie queens Arline Judge and Lynn Bari.

But then as now, the real noise in the film was teenage Judy Garland, who made her feature film debut on loan from home studio MGM with the small role of Amos Dodd's hillbilly sister "Sairy." Slight though the role was, Garland's handful of cornpone-humor scenes and her three songs served as a wake-up call to her MGM handlers, and for the rest of her MGM contract she would never work off-studio again.

Although PIGSKIN PARADE is hardly in the same league with the Paramount, Warner Brothers, or MGM musicals of the same era, the lightweight story, memorable cast, silly dialogue ("Well, Call My Hawgs!") and pleasant if not greatly memorable songs has a great deal of period charm. I do not think it will greatly appeal to any one who isn't already a fan of 1930s musicals, but those who are will enjoy it--and Garland fans will consider it a minor classic.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Judy Garland's Debut is Bubbly, Uproarious Fun

[Kalaman · 15 May 2004]

"Pigskin Parade" is a thoroughly enjoyable college football musical - the kind of fluffy, unpretentious froths 20th Century Fox usually done well. It recounts the events leading to a big charity football game between Texas State University and Yale.

Sure at times it's silly and corny; but when you come across an innocent and charming cast that includes Judy Garland (in her debut!), Betty Grable, Stuart Erwin, Arline Judd, Jack Haley, Patsy Kelly, Alan Ladd, Tony Martin, Elisha Cook Jr, plus those enchanting musical numbers, any flaw or implausibility has to forgiven.

The teaming of Jack Haley and Patsy Kelly as the married coaches guiding TSU at the Yale Bowl is itself fun to watch. You should see Haley's reaction when he finds out his wife has injured the team's star player! Stuart Erwin as the dour hillbilly tosser Amos Dodd later turned ace footballer is hilarious!

Judy Garland, on loan from MGM, looks very young in her role, three years before she starred again with Jack Haley in "The Wizard of Oz".

The young, up-and-coming Betty Grable, with her carefree enthusiasm, was a delight to watch again after she starred in another frothy campus musical "Old Man Rhythm"(1935). This is one her earliest roles and she handles it in a bouncy, exuberant manner like most of her best roles.

David Butler's direction is unpretentiously fluid, breezily mixing slapstick and highly uproarious songs/numbers. My favorites are "The Balboa", "It's Love I'm After", "You Say the Darndest Things" and "We're Glad to Be In College".

Watch it and Enjoy.

Fast-paced and unpretentious

[ftm2000-2 · 6/10 · 18 March 2001]

Except for a couple of seemingly endless musical numbers by a male trio or quartet--I don't recall how many there were--called the Yacht Boys, I found this movie to be consistently entertaining. I attribute this to what I found to be a charming cast, some well thought-out and performed musical numbers, and a story-line that doesn't take itself too seriously. In addition to these virtues, the movie offers some skilled comedy playing from Patsy Kelly and Jack Haley and, to a lesser extent, from Stu Erwin, as well as three stand-out musical numbers performed with an appealing vigor by young Judy Garland. Worth a look.

Musical Hillibilly football

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 18 February 2017]

By all means not a great film, with a silly premise not made any less so. However it is easy to like and does liven up the spirits as long as not too much is expected.

'Pigskin Parade' is mainly notable for being the film debut of 14-year old Judy Garland, but it is worth watching for more than just historical interest. Garland's performance is certainly one of 'Pigskin Parade's' standout features, she is a real charmer here and not only does she look like she is having a lot of fun but she gets ample opportunity to show off her unmistakable vocal pipes and sounds fabulous for so young.

Tony Martin is also very early in his career, and does make an impression singing the film's best song "You're Slightly Terrific". Betty Grable is similarly charmingly perky, while Stuart Erwin, though am personally not sure about the Oscar-nomination especially with greats like Walter Brennan and Basil Rathbone also in the running in the category that year, is fun and endearing. A pre-'The Wizard of Oz' Jack Haley does just fine, while Patsy Kelly comes very close to stealing the show as a less than subtle character. Love her chemistry with Haley, which can be uproarious to watch. Nice to see Elisha Cook Jnr.

Visually, while not exactly lavish 'Pigskin Parade' is attractive enough, everything is shot well and it was made with care. The bright and breezy direction from David Butler helps. The songs are hardly award-worthy and they vary in the memorability and relevance factor but they are very energetic and pleasant, while they are not necessarily "great" songs count me in as somebody who enjoyed listening to them. "You're Slightly Terrific" and Garland's numbers come off best, and they're staged in a way that isn't big and bold but never static or indifferent either, due to that the cast seem to be enjoying themselves too much.

Scripting has its snappy and funny moments, the film never drags and has a breeziness throughout.

Not that 'Pigskin Parade' is perfect this said. The story is thin, does get contrived in places and is as old as the hills. Some of the script is corny and overly-silly, with some of the comedy over-played on odd occasions. Could have done with less of the Yacht Club Boys, they serve little purpose other than their songs and their performing style is neither interesting or fun and grates somewhat, trying to see them pass for college kids even for comedy strains credibility beyond belief.

Overall, not great but good undemanding fun. 7/10 Bethany Cox

One of the best LOUSY Hollywood musicals I've seen.

[Rob-120 · 7/10 · 23 June 2008]

"Pigskin Parade" only has one thing wrong with it. It's kind of lousy. But as far as musicals go, it's a *good* kind of lousy.

I've seen Hollywood musicals that bored the hell out of me. I've seen musicals where the songs were lifeless and dull, and the musical numbers put you to sleep. I've seen musicals where the acting in between the musical numbers was sheer cinematic torture. I've seen musicals where the performers seemed to be sleepwalking through the movie, and where the characters they were playing were so brain-dead and annoying that you just wanted to whack 'em upside the head with a tube sock full of wood screws! "Pigskin Parade" is silly and corny, but it is never boring. The musical numbers are not great, but they are always fun to watch. The characters are stereotypes, but the cast plays them with such enthusiasm that you can't help liking them.

The plot: Bessie and Winston "Slug" Winters (Patsy Kelly and Jack "Tin Man" Haley) arrive at Texas State University to coach the football team. Although they spend most of the movie arguing with each other in Ralph-and-Alice-Kramden mode, they make an effective coaching team. Their big success comes when they discover Amos Dodd (Stuart Erwin), a country bumpkin farmer who can hurl a melon with missile-like accuracy. They immediately sign him up as the new quarterback for the football team.

Texas State is mistakenly invited to play in a charity football game against Yale. (They wanted the University of Texas, but sent the invitation for the game to the wrong university.) Will the Texas State team win the game? Will Amos Dodd score a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of play? What do you think? This is one of those "college musicals" where all the college students look as if they are about thirty years old. Most of the songs are sung by a nutty quartet of "sophomores," played by the Yacht Club Boys. They look old enough to be visiting their kids at the college on Parents Day. (One of them even admits that he has been in college for seven years -- beating John Belushi to the movie line by 42 years.) The musical numbers are not great, but they are a lot of fun to watch. There is one called "You're Slightly Terrific," which pretty much describes the entire soundtrack. The songs are "slightly terrific," but not overly so.

The songs written and sung by the Yacht Club Boys have a great satirical edge to them. They sing "We'd Rather Be In College," in which they admit that, with the Depression raging, they are better off in college than they would be in the current job market; "Down With Everything," a *wonderful*, vigorous musical number that satirizes college revolutionaries, sung to a would-be college Trotsky. And "We Brought The Texas Sunshine With Us," which the Yacht Club Boys sing in the middle of a snowstorm at the Yale football game.

And then there is Judy Garland in her feature film debut, playing Amos Dodd's country-bumpkin sister. The first time we see her in the movie, she is barely recognizable, wearing overalls and sporting pigtails, and using a phony Texas accent. ("Hey, yuh wanna buy a melon?") Within a few scenes, however, she has been transformed (offscreen) into a college girl/young starlet. In her first few scenes, she tells everybody, "I can sing. Wannuh hear me?" It takes a few scenes before someone lets her sing -- and *dammit,* can she ever sing! Her first big-screen musical number is the tail-end of the song, "The Balboa!"--a rather rocky (har!) college dance number, sung at the TSU Homecoming Dance. ("The Balboa" was no "Carioca" or "Continental," although it tried to be.) From there, she sings "The Texas Tornado" and "It's Love I'm After." And if you saw this movie in 1936, you just *had* to know that Judy was going to be a major star! To quote the great Roger Ebert, "I cannot recommend the movie, but ... why the hell can't I? Just because it's godawful? What kind of reason is that for staying away from a movie? Godawful and boring, *that* would be a reason." Well, I *could* recommend "Pigskin Parade." It's not exactly "godawful," but it *is* lousy. But despite the lousiness, you will have a good time watching it. You won't love it the way you love "Wizard of Oz" or "Singing in the Rain." But you will like it -- as long as you accept the lousiness of the movie and go with it.

The great debut of the great Judy Garland

[kevvportela · 6/10 · 8 April 2021]

It is entertaining and basic, it does not fail where it goes, this makes it easy to follow the thread and enjoy the story.

It has very youthful and fresh vibes, this is brought to me not only by the atmosphere or the theme itself but by the cast since most of its actors are young. All great promises but we must highlight the debut of the great Judy Garland, her voice is unique and they are the best musical numbers of the film, followed by 'The Yacht Club Boys'. Patsy Kelly shines and steals the screen in humor, her character is annoying but necessary and you even manage to empathize much more than her husband (Jack Halley). Stuart Erwin gets his first nomination at the 1937 Oscars for his role as a young man with a natural talent for sports, his performance goes unnoticed. I do not know if it was the script that he could not show enough on the screen but I would have chosen Jhonny Downs for the nomination, it is not a big thing but it shows an enthusiastic character and it is largely with Judy secondary roles that convey presence by themselves.

Apart from being Judy Garland's feature film debut, I can't think of a good reason to watch this one.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 22 October 2013]

It is rather ironic that Judy Garland's feature film debut would NOT be on a picture from her home studio, MGM, but when she was loaned out to rival studio Twentieth Century-Fox. However, apart from the novelty of seeing a young Judy in the film, there is not a lot to recommend this sub-par musical.

The film begins with the Yale administrators discussing an important topic--which college will play their football team in an upcoming game. They decide on powerhouse University of Texas, but due to a stupid mistake, tiny Texas State is instead offered this prestigious game. This comes at a very opportune time, as the horrible team of Texas State has a new coach (Jack Haley) and he wants to make a name for himself. But there are two problems--the team hasn't won a game in two years and the coach's wife (Patsy Kelly) is a buffoon and she ends up breaking the star player's leg! So, to try to make amends, this annoying woman goes on a cross-country trek trying to find a star for their team. Her search ends up in a watermelon patch--with melon-slinging Amos Dodd (Stu Erwin*) being offered a scholarship to play for Texas State even though they have no idea if he even finished or even attended high school! He's hesitant but his kid-sister (Garland*) insists and comes along to college with him. Can this hayseed somehow help the team to be able to take on Yale and not embarrass themselves?

This film is jam-packed full of songs--mostly bad songs. Even if you love songs, you may find some of them hard to take--particularly those of a strange and very old-looking college quartet, The Yacht Club Boys. Their songs, to put it bluntly, are third-rate and it's obvious the studio really saw this more as a B-movie** than anything else. The humor is generally very broad and corny. Subtle the film ain't---and this can also be said about much of the acting. Erwin is more a caricature than anything else and Kelly is as Kelly usually is--brash, loud and, well, LOUD! So, we have one character who is a lot like Uncle Jed from "The Beverly Hillbillies" and another who seems to be performing specifically for the hard of hearing, as she screams many of her lines!

In addition to being a poor film, it brings us an incredibly cynical message that when it comes to small schools, they must cheat in order to keep up with the big colleges! And cheating is what Texas State does repeatedly as Dodd isn't even eligible to play though he does through some creative cheating! I know that the reviews for this film are all rather positive--some even giving it a 10. I find this inexplicable, as I have seen hundreds of better musicals--hundreds! Aside from Garland's amazing singing and a few cute moments, the film is lame through and through. It is something no one would remember or want to remember except because of her appearance...as well as when Texas State punts the ball on 2nd down (pay attention...they really do this in the big game with Yale).

*College movies of the 1930s, 40s and 50s OFTEN featured college students who were practically old enough to be on social security! In this film, most of the students appear to be in their 30s--and Erwin is 33! And, in an odd twist, his 'sister' is only 14!

**Yes, I know a true B-movie is only about 60 minutes in length--not 93 minutes like this one. However, the film is full of second and third-tier actors, bad writing, bad music and the studio seemed to have little faith in the film.

A Tornado from Minnesota sweeps through Texas.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 17 April 2013]

No, not Oscar nominee Stuart Erwin (who must have impressed someone in the Academy for his ability of tossing watermelons across a field), but his on-screen sister, Judy Garland, who catches them in a net without falling into the mud. She sings three songs, and intercepts the audience's affection from the rest of the cast.

Not that the rest of the cast isn't a dream. Long before a Kansas Tornado took Garland off to the land of Oz where she met Tin Man Jack Haley, he was the big city football coach assigned to Texas University by mistake, not the University of Texas. This corn-pone town could fit onto any university campus, and that makes his comically nagging wife Patsy Kelly want to head back to New York on the latest train. This film is all about the big game, ridiculously teaming them against Yale.

This was an inauspicious debut for Garland in a full-length feature, not flatteringly photographed, but the magic in her presence transcends the awkwardness of the 12 year old initially seen in pigtails, bringing her big voice into the production number of "The Balboa" , "The Texas Tornado" and "It's Love I'm After". Something in her eyes and smile indicates that one day, she will be one of the biggest stars in the world. Another future legend, Betty Grable, also appears, although fellow co-eds Arlene Judge and Dixie Dunbar get more footage and storyline.

The Yacht Club Boys get several rousing songs of mixed memorability, and Tony (billed her as "Anthony") Martin displays his fine young baritone. But when you've got the future Dorothy and Tin Man together three years before that legendary film, funny lady Patsy Kelly (swinging on the rings while tipsy, singing "The Man on the Flying Trapeze") and sexy Betty (even in what is basically a specialty), that's where the attention will lie and the memories will be sustained.

Pigskin Parade

[rok2 · 9/10 · 4 October 2005]

For those who pooh-poohed this film, remember Stu Erwin received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for this film. Patsy Kelly is always a wonderful comedienne. This is a film to lift the spirits. Made at a time when Americans needed to have their spirits boosted. The premise is admittedly bogus, but the result is a great laugh riot. Years ago I recorded it from an AMC broadcast and played it for my parents (both depression era children - neither recalled it) they couldn't stop laughing. I'm certain it received the same reaction when it first appeared in 1935. It is an example to humor with out bawdy references. I wish it were on DVD, I'd buy in an instant. This helped buoy spirits in an era before Adolph Hitler raised the US economy out of the Depression.

A dull plot and unmemorable songs

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 23 December 2017]

While I love Judy Garland (and I think she was the best part of the film), there was really no point to her character. She didn't really add anything to the story. It's almost like she was just added in for the sake of having this child singing prodigy in the film. The only reason I believe that this film is even remembered is because of the future stars that it featured: Garland, Betty Grable and Elisha Cook Jr. Patsy Kelly, who played the wife, was annoying at best. I didn't mind Jack Haley, but he is forever etched in my mind as The Tin Man. When there were multiple comments made to him about having a brain, I was really wanting him to mention his heart somehow, but alas no.

I love watching football, so the old timey football scenes, to me, were the best part of the film. I'd love to know how many horrible injuries players sustained during these times, because they aren't wearing very much protection. However, the game seems to be more physical now than it used to be, and the players are also much bigger.

I found the logic of basketball players being good at football to be strange. I guess we're presuming that these are pass heavy games and good blocking and tackling abilities aren't required in 1930s football. I really liked the scenes of the football in the snow. Bad weather football is the most fun to watch. 5/10 points are for Judy, Betty and football. Whether it is worth watching even once is a take it or leave it proposition.

Light fare, lots o' fluff

[jenabaum · 9 November 2000]

Pigskin Parade is a light-hearted football-themed musical (how many of those are there?) and is most notable for being the feature debut for a young Judy Garland. MGM loaned her out to Fox (the only time she made a film at another studio for the next 14 years) because they didn't know what to do with the little girl with the grown-up voice. Guess they solved that problem, huh?

Not too much of the film is noteworthy aside from Judy's performances and it's interesting to note that she co-starred with Jack Haley, the father of the Tin-Man who she would star with, 4 years later, in the Wizard Of Oz.

Jack Haley and Patsy Kelley are darling together

[HotToastyRag · 5/10 · 24 June 2018]

In Pigskin Parade, a misunderstanding leads to a pretty funny comedy of errors. College bigwigs intend to invite a strong football team to the championships, but instead they invite the team of another college with a very similar name. That team is terrible, so they send out for a new coach-who's also terrible!

Jack Haley stars as the poor excuse of a coach, with Patsy Kelley by his side as his wise-cracking wife. If you liked Jack in Poor Little Rich Girl, you'll be cracking up just as much as I was at his similar rapport with Patsy in this musical comedy. He's so endearing when he's an idiot, isn't he? Patsy is hilarious with her no-nonsense, common sense solutions, and underneath it all, you can tell she's still crazy about her goofball husband.

Stuart Erwin, a veteran actor by the time 1936 rolled around, was nominated for an Oscar for his aw-shucks hick-turned-football-star role. It's almost funny when you see this movie to think that this was the one that won him ecognition from the Academy, when he did much more acting in 1933's Hold Your Man. Other soon-to-be stars joined the cast, including Betty Grable, Tony Martin, and Judy Garland in her very first film. If you decide to rent this, just be prepared for a very low-budget comedy, with lots of random songs interspersed to stretch out the story.

Dismal football campus musical gives a look at Judy Garland's feature film debut...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 8 January 2012]

For Garland fans only, do I recommend a look at PIGSKIN PARADE. Certainly not for the inane plot, the over-baked acting by Stuart Irwin and Patsy Kelly, and the lackluster parade of campus songs by a mostly overage cast of "college kids." It's all terribly dated--but affords glimpses of some up and coming stars like Tony Martin and Betty Grable, recognizable as the stars they would become. Judy's appearance is not flattering in this Fox film, so we can be thankful MGM did a good job later on, making her up appropriately for all the musical films she did for that studio.

Much of the humor falls flat, but there are a couple of musical numbers that almost make the whole film bearable. Still, it's hard to see why anybody but a die-hard fan of bad musicals from the Golden Era would find anything nice to say about this one.

Trivia note: Interesting to see Jack Haley in a featured role. He and Judy would walk down the road to Oz three years later.

Directed without any distinction by David Butler, who did better once he moved over to Warner Brothers.

The Beginnings of a Legend

[JLRMovieReviews · 10/10 · 13 March 2013]

MGM studio had signed Judy Garland to a contract, but didn't quite know how to use her talents, so they loaned her out to Fox for this little film. Little did they know how big an impact she would have in her first major feature-length film. (Never again would they loan her out.) Pigskin Parade concerns a invitation (by mistake) to a small college in Prairie, Texas to play Yale for charity. When they get the invitation, they're ecstatic; they're never told the truth. When their star player is injured, they're in a bind and try to get someone outside of their college to play. But in their quest, they come across Stuart Erwin who can throw a melon like no one's business. (Watch the movie to understand.) They meet him and sister Judy Garland, who are simple country people who ain't never been educated. Get the crux? Stuart Erwin apparently was so good in this film, he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. While this film stretches the viewer's imagination, it sure is fun. Its cast is a virtual who's who of early Hollywood. Jack Haley is the new football coach, who was the future costar of "The Wizard of Oz" with Judy, as the tin woodman. His wife here is played comedienne Patsy Kelly, who is a riot. Betty Grable, Tony Martin, Elisha Cook, Jr. all costar, and Alan Ladd has a bit part, which if you blink you'll miss him. And, Judy has musical numbers, which she knocks out of the park and knocks your shoes off, at the same time. They had to do a retake due to the applause and bravos of "It's Love I'm After," which she sings near the end of the film. For a great old-fashioned film and to witness the beginning of Judy Garland's rise to stardom, this is the film for you.

Pigskin Parade-A Comedy of Errors & Success ***

[edwagreen · 8/10 · 5 March 2012]

Funny film where Yale University invites the wrong Texas college team to play against them. A series of comic misfortunes, wrong notes and other items mark this 1936 film.

Ironically, Stuart Irwin got top billing in the film and wound up being nominated for best supporting actor. If there were to be acting nominations in this humorous film, they should have gone instead to Jack Haley, as the transplanted Texas coach from Long Island, and his wife, Patsy Kelly, as shrewd as they come.

As the 'hick's sister, Judy Garland, 3 years before "The Wizard of Oz," is given the opportunity to sing.

Betty Grable and Tony Martin, the latter under the stage name of Anthony Martin, also appear.

It's that good old fashioned comedy about college life set to music. It succeeds nicely for the most part.

Fun songs, some good 1930s football action

[FlushingCaps · 8/10 · 28 March 2014]

I stumbled into Pigskin Parade this morning because my cold kept me from sleeping. Was I surprised at how much I enjoyed this screwball football musical-comedy. We begin with a conference of the directors at Yale University, where they are deep in a serious debate…and then we learn it's about who to invite to play football in a big charity game in November. Fearing Michigan is too tough, (and here I wished they had said, "How about Ohio State?") they settle for the University of Texas.

Only the idiot assistant cannot differentiate between the famous school in Austin, and Texas State University in Prairie in his directory, so they invite a weak team no one has ever heard of to their big game. That the dummy that made the mistake works for Yale really starts the comedy in this film.

It happens that TSU has just hired a new football coach from Flushing, New York (we learn he was coaching high school there). Winston "Slug" Winters is played by Jack Haley. He and his wife Bessie, played by Patsy Kelly are really the stars of this more than anyone else. Some of the best scenes feature this pair.

The new coach has barely settled in when the invite from Yale comes. They excitedly accept and now need to build a winning team. Bessie finds out that while they haven't won a football game in years, they have a terrific basketball team, with four members of that group also on the football team. She gets Slug to realize that they can do well with basketball-like passes (laterals) among those four. Led by the athletic-looking passer Biff Bentley, the team begins the season rolling over everyone they play.

Mixing in all through the plot are songs at every pep rally, and at dances after every game. We see little game action, mostly read newspaper headlines. The Yacht Club Boys are featured. I thought the quartet interesting in that two of them wore neckties and two bows ties all the time. Their songs were humorous, particularly the one about how they are so proud to still be in college, now sophomores, just 14 years after they started college.

Magnum, P.I. fans will likely recognize Icepick (Elisha Cook, Jr.) who checks in at a fraternity early in the film. Many scenes later, we learn that he hasn't registered for classes. He is a socialist, busy working on distributing his propaganda material.

About halfway through the season Bessie takes away some gin from students right before that week's big dance. Unfortunately, she winds up drinking it. Unfortunately for TSU, she encounters Biff and tries to show him how to be tougher at stopping a blocker/ball carrier. She knocks him into the wall, breaking his leg.

Now they need to find a replacement. Bessie takes two students with her, one of them Betty Grable, to track down some hotshot passer in Arkansas. That doesn't pan out, but they stumble onto a kid (Stuart Erwin) in a melon field who can fling watermelons long distances with great accuracy—putting them into a large net held by his sister, Sairy, played by Judy Garland. They whisk the two of them off to good ol' Texas State, eager to show the coach his new passer.

What they hadn't considered was that the passer, Amos Dodd, doesn't have the qualifications for enrollment at the school. Here's where the little socialist comes in. The students trick him into breaking a large window in the bank, so he will get put in jail for 60 days. Amos assumes his role, and spends his days in school as Herbert Van Dyke.

Things go well for a while, with plenty more songs, but another problems crops up that leads to Bessie getting a chance to pretend to be jealous of her husband making love (1930s-meaning) to a coed where she clubs him wife a shotgun butt, to again save the day for the team.

Finally everyone boards the train for the big trip to Connecticut. Amid the football scenes, there are some humorous things like the way the crowd seems whipped in a frenzy on every scene, even a second-down punt. Virtually all the Texas State fans are wearing large white cowboy hats. We got lots of quick reaction shots of fans in a large bank of stands. I wonder if it was the same bank of fans, just wearing Eastern hats for the shots of Yale fans and cowboy hats for the Texas State fans.

It's a defensive struggle, with TSU holding a 6-0 lead most of the game, before Yale scores and converts for a 7-6 lead. Most of the game is played in a howling snowstorm. At halftime, the TSU band comes over to the Yale side to perform a special song they planned. Here the Yacht Club Boys are reluctant, but proceed with "The Football Song/Texas Sunshine" where they sing about how they brought the Texas sunshine with them, that without it, they wouldn't have a chance to win, etc., that makes for a comical song.

During the second half, Bessie keeps having the usher hand notes to her husband, who mostly ignores them. Late in the game, she winds up on the bench beside him. The bench is more like a baseball dugout, and right after Bessie says, "We don't have a chance," Winston stands up and bangs his head on the roof, knocking himself out. She immediately declares, "Now we do have a chance." I can't be spoiling anything by revealing that she sends in the next play and TSU scores right before the final gun to win the game.

Loaded with fun songs and funny lines, I found this a most enjoyable film. Funnier than most musicals, to me, the songs were more fitting than you often find.

A great debut for the wonderful Judy Garland!

[dreammaster4 · 10/10 · 18 August 2000]

This enchanting musical comedy is notable for being the feature film debut of 15 year old Judy Garland!It also feature Betty Grable, long before she become a Hollywood legend.

Filled with charming original song and dance numbers including three memorable stand-outs performed by Judy Garland,this funny,satirical football farce is an entertainment "touchdown"!

Genuinely Funny,most entertaining!

If you love Judy you got to see this one.She as always is perfect.

JUDY!!

Well Produced

[dougdoepke · 25 March 2014]

The big draw here is a 14-year old Judy Garland, lighting up the screen whenever she appears. Too bad she doesn't have a starring role and better songs. Also, there's a 20-year old Betty Grable as one of the eye-candy co-eds. The story's nothing special. It's a big football game between little Texas State and big-time Ivy League Yale. Texas has a new coach (Haley) and his behind-the-scenes brains, (wife Kelly). Texas has no chance until wife Kelly spots cornpone farm boy Irwin who has a slingshot arm. With a little finagling they get him enrolled and made team quarterback. Now the little team from the West stands a chance, that is, if wife Kelly gets to make the big decisions.

Irwin has the good-ole-boy drawl down pat, which is pretty funny. On the other hand, Kelly's pretty shrill as the loud mouth missus, undercutting her comedic impact, at least in my book. The college dance scenes, however, sparkle, especially the big one before the game. However, I could do without the Yacht Club Boys whoever they are-- Garland should have gotten their singing spots. And get a load out of that fierce rabbit Elisha Cook playing an aggressive campus communist, of all things. Even then, he appeared as a hapless fall guy. At the same time, somebody spent a bucket load turning the LA Coliseum into a snow bowl for the big game. It's very realistic, but after 40-years, I'm still waiting for real snow on my LA home.

Other than Garland and Grable and a few sparkling moments, there's not much to recommend, unless you're into old time football.

a sport movie I like

[chapttr · 8/10 · 21 April 2020]

I think it's Judy Garland's first long movie. She has an incredible voice! I love many scenes in this film with the yacht club. They give happiness. And wait ? The coach wipes the dishes! It's so unexpected in a 1930 movie. We know how much there was sexism at this epoch. I'm not a sporty person and, now, I want almost to play football.

Young Judy Garland

[btreakle · 8/10 · 14 June 2022]

Stuart Erwin, Jack Haley and a young Judy Garland are so good in this movie about college football. Fun and delightful college football musical.

Highly recommend this film.