

Two rivals, one bowl game, and enough 1930s pep to make your grandma swoon.
Paddy O'Riley and Ossie Merrill, Bellport high school football heroes, enroll in distant colleges; Paddy at a small school in the East, where he is barely a substitute, and Ossie at a powerhouse-football school, where he is an instant star and all-American candidate. They leave behind Cheers Reynolds, who is fond of Paddy, who works in her family's drugstore, but she loves Ossie almost as much as he loves himself. Paddy makes friends with team fullback Dutch Schultz, who accompanies him on vacation, and they arrive back in Bellport just as Ossie is also coming home on break. Florence Taylor is also in town on a film junket. Unknown to any of the others, Paddy and Florence had gone to high school together. Back at school and three years later, Paddy and Dutch learn that their football team could get invited to the coveted Rose Bowl to play against Ossie's team, if it could get enough publicity (pre-BCS days) that would attract a large crowd...
Acting
William Frawley steals every scene as 'Soapy' Moreland.
Costume
Those 1930s wool football uniforms look absolutely miserable.

Director
Charles Barton
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Buster Crabbe was an actual Olympic swimming gold medalist—casting him as a football star was peak 1930s 'athlete type' casting.
The Rose Bowl invitation plotline reflects real pre-BCS chaos where bowl selections were basically popularity contests decided by sportswriters and ticket sales.
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