The Quarterback (1940) User Reviews (2)

No fumble with this cast.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 30 August 2022]

It's a double dose of Wayne Morris in this college comedy where he plays a dual role, a football hero and his brainy twin, accused of doing things that his jock brother was responsible for. It seems that everybody in their individual social circles has no idea that they have a twin because Morris the brain decides he wants to get into football too, and that causes all sorts of confusion especially when he falls in love with his brother's girlfriend, Virginia Dale.

With character actors like William Frawley, Edgar Kennedy, Walter Catlett, Jerome Cowan and Alan Mowbray, there's obviously going to be lots of laughs even though the plot is absolutely ridiculous. Lillian Cornell gets to sing a few songs. In spite of all of the absurdities, this has a light-hearted atmosphere, as cheery as a pep rally, and it's short enough to get into and enjoy without being overcome by the silliness. Morris does a good job of going in between characters realistically so it's not like he's just playing two characters with the same personality. This may not be the super bowl of football comedies, but there's been a lot worse.

Pleasant Enough Pigskin Comedy

[lchadbou-326-26592 · 5/10 · 8 February 2021]

No relation to the 1926 film of the same title from the same studio with Richard Dix. Here Wayne Morris displays some charm in a dual role as a klutzy student and his more self assured slick brother with the typical resulting comedy going back to ancient times of mistaken identity.PCU (Pacific Coast University) is the setting for some nice support as well from character players such as Alan Mowbray as an absent minded professor ("Today we start the study of schizophrenia") and Lillian Cornell adds a sultry dark presence as the rival to Morris' blonde girlfriend Virginia Dale, she puts a couple of musical numbers over. Veteran craftsman Bruce Humberstone directs well enough though the pacing flags later and there is a strange use toward the end of optical effects, speeded up and slowed down motion on the playing field.