College was a magical subject for satire in the 1920s and interesting to everyone who attended the movies. Going to college was only for the lucky few, people who attended were to be envied and were ripe for lampooning. So most of the books and films were about students who didn't study, wore raccoon coats and drank bootleg booze. Percy Marks was a Dartmouth professor and popular novelist who wrote about his students - the flappers who worshipped "jazz" and debated whether to "go the limit". His "The Plastic Age"" had all the necessary ingredients - fast living students, a football finale and Clara Bow as "hotsy totsy" Cynthia Day. Ben Schulberg was convinced that a filming of this popular best seller would establish his small Preferred Pictures and it was given a bigger budget and better director (Wesley Ruggles) than any previous Preferred production - and it certainly put it above any other silent independent productions that I have seen. Clara Bow, Donald Keith and Gilbert Roland were barely 20 and Bow had an immediate impact. Promoted as "the hottest jazz baby in films" one reviewer gushed "she has eyes that would drag any youngster away from his books"!!
Eager Hugh Carver (Keith) is on his way to college, full of hopes and dreams - but not his long underwear which his mother is in the middle of packing!! His room-mate is Carl Peters (Roland) - a real "romeo" who's current thrill of the moment is "hotsy totsy" Cynthia Day. Hugh meets Cynthia during a "freshman hazing" when, dressed in nightshirts, they are forced to crash a girl's dormitory. He is then introduced to "necking", cigarettes, drinking, dances etc by flirty Cynthia who is still very keen to keep friendly with Carl. Wouldn't you know it, Hugh still thinks he can win the big race but ends up coming last and his father is crushed to read comments about his being "out of condition". They see first hand what high living has done to him and his father banishes him from their sight until Hugh can win back his parent's respect.
He tries his best, until Cynthia lures him to "The Log Cabin" unfortunately on the night it is to be raided. Carl is there also, trying to forget, they get into a fight but by the quick actions of Hugh, who risks expulsion, he drags the groggy Carl away from the searching police. Cynthia also gives him some bad news - she wants him to stay as fresh and decent as he is and feels he will change if he continues to hang around her "fast" set.
Clara Bow's acting really sets her and the movie apart, the emotion and "real tears" give Cynthia an added dimension and makes the viewer really pull for her as well as the hapless Hugh.
In typical college movie tradition Hugh is concussed during the big game but still struggles on securing a victory for his father's Alma Mater and earning Carl's admiration (strangely, even after being rescued by Hugh he still bears his chum a grudge, trying with all his might to make him miss the team call up!!) In a funny sweet finale Hugh and Cynthia's reconciliation has them falling off their bench!!
Among the solid cast is Henry B. Walthall, earlier of D.W. Griffith's stock company and Mary Alden (often Walthall's co-star in the early days) - they both bring quiet dignity to the parents. Clark Gable can be glimpsed as a necking athlete, David Butler (the coach) soon took up directing and guided Shirley Temple through some of her better features. Churchill Ross as a bespectacled student soon to play almost the same part in Universal's "The Collegian" series and beautiful Gwen Lee as a cool blonde who tries to make Carl forget Cynthia.
A rung or two above the average rah rah story!!
Eager Hugh Carver (Keith) is on his way to college, full of hopes and dreams - but not his long underwear which his mother is in the middle of packing!! His room-mate is Carl Peters (Roland) - a real "romeo" who's current thrill of the moment is "hotsy totsy" Cynthia Day. Hugh meets Cynthia during a "freshman hazing" when, dressed in nightshirts, they are forced to crash a girl's dormitory. He is then introduced to "necking", cigarettes, drinking, dances etc by flirty Cynthia who is still very keen to keep friendly with Carl. Wouldn't you know it, Hugh still thinks he can win the big race but ends up coming last and his father is crushed to read comments about his being "out of condition". They see first hand what high living has done to him and his father banishes him from their sight until Hugh can win back his parent's respect.
He tries his best, until Cynthia lures him to "The Log Cabin" unfortunately on the night it is to be raided. Carl is there also, trying to forget, they get into a fight but by the quick actions of Hugh, who risks expulsion, he drags the groggy Carl away from the searching police. Cynthia also gives him some bad news - she wants him to stay as fresh and decent as he is and feels he will change if he continues to hang around her "fast" set.
Clara Bow's acting really sets her and the movie apart, the emotion and "real tears" give Cynthia an added dimension and makes the viewer really pull for her as well as the hapless Hugh.
In typical college movie tradition Hugh is concussed during the big game but still struggles on securing a victory for his father's Alma Mater and earning Carl's admiration (strangely, even after being rescued by Hugh he still bears his chum a grudge, trying with all his might to make him miss the team call up!!) In a funny sweet finale Hugh and Cynthia's reconciliation has them falling off their bench!!
Among the solid cast is Henry B. Walthall, earlier of D.W. Griffith's stock company and Mary Alden (often Walthall's co-star in the early days) - they both bring quiet dignity to the parents. Clark Gable can be glimpsed as a necking athlete, David Butler (the coach) soon took up directing and guided Shirley Temple through some of her better features. Churchill Ross as a bespectacled student soon to play almost the same part in Universal's "The Collegian" series and beautiful Gwen Lee as a cool blonde who tries to make Carl forget Cynthia.
A rung or two above the average rah rah story!!