The Fair Co-Ed - 1927

Country: United States

Language: English

Director: Sam Wood

Writers: George Ade (play), Joseph Farnham (titles), Byron Morgan

Stars: Marion Davies, Johnny Mack Brown and Jane Winton

Release Date: 23 October 1927 (USA)

Also known as: Die blonde Kollegin (Áustria), La gloria del colegio (Spain), Loira Caloira (Portugal)

Production companies: Cosmopolitan Productions (for) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Genres: Comedy

Plot Keywords: Based On Play

Another terrific comedy for Marion Davies. Interesting plot has Davies go off to college where she joins the basketball team to be near the coach, Johnny Mack Brown. She instantly makes a rival of Jane Winton, who's also interested in Brown. Davies (in a William Haines sort of role) refuses to play with Winton and after being chided quits the team rather than play with Winton.

The team begins to lose, to the delight of Davies, and as the "big game" approaches she hears the students razzing her at a pep rally. Davies swallows her pride and re-joins the team but the girls won't play with her. During the half-time Brown tries to gets the girls to make up. Davies admits she's been a cluck and all is forgiven.

Interesting role-reversal for 1927 with the women's basketball team seemingly the idol of the co-ed campus (no men's team is mentioned). Davies and Winton spar over the love interest (Brown). Davies does her usual great comedic work here but also has an incredibly physical role. That's really MARION DAVIES playing basketball: running, shooting baskets, reaching for toss-ups. 

Trivia

The original Broadway production of "The Fair Co-Ed" by George Ade opened at the Knickerbocker Theater on February 1, 1909 and ran for 136 performances.