The chief significance of "Red Headed Woman" director Jack Conway's sports saga "Brown of Harvard" now is the uncredited appearance of John Wayne as one of the Yale football players. You'll have to search very hard to spot the Duke, because he is terribly difficult to distinguish from the remainder of the team. Otherwise, this 85-minute opus qualifies as an entertaining, sometimes unpredictable, chronicle of a college student's life during his freshman and sophomore years. Tom Brown (William Haines of "Navy Blues") doesn't treat either life or college as seriously as his closest friend Jim Doolittle (Jack Pickford of "Burglar by Proxy") does. Not only does this prove to be Jim's misfortune, but also Tom's fortune. Fitting into Harvard College comes with trials and tribulations for our easygoing protagonist who quickly makes enemies of another student, Bob MacAndrew (Francis X. Bushman, Jr. of "Never Too Late"), as well as Bob's girlfriend Mary Abbott (Mary Brian of "College Rhythm"), the pretty daughter of a Harvard professor. Tom competes with Bob in virtually everything, including Mary, and Mary seems to find Tom annoying despite the time that she spends with it. Tom has other enemies, too. One of the worst is Hal Walters (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams of "Santa Fe Trail") because he blocks Tom's entry into the Harvard Honor Society. Tom pursues Mary, but she rebuffs him, primarily because he behaves in such an obnoxious manner. Meantime, the rivalry between Tom and Bob escalates as Bob is chosen over Tom to row for the Harvard regatta team. Miraculously, Bob injures his hand, and Tom is tapped to replace him. Unfortunately, Tom learns too late about this sudden change of plans, and he is too "stewed" to handle his share of work. Consequently, Harvard loses to Yale in the regatta race. During his sophomore year, Tom tries out for the Harvard varsity football team, where he encounters Bob again. During the big game between Harvard and Yale, Tom's parents (David Torrence and Mary Alden) show up to root for their son. After enduring loud shouts about their son's 'quitter's' attitude, the parents reconcile with the other fan after Tom proves himself on the football field and Harvard manages an eleventh-hour victory out of the game. Moreover, although Tom got Harvard into scoring position, he changes his mind about carrying the pigskin into the end zone because he suspects that Yale will follow his moves too closely. Instead, Tom suggests that Hal hand the ball over to Bob, and Bob rushes into the end zone with little difficulty. Throughout the ball game, Tom has been anxious about the status of his Jim because his friend braved inclement weather conditions to notify him about his status with the football team. Incredibly, Jim dies and Jim's death finally convinces Mary that Tom is a decent, caring human being and she falls in love with him. At fade-out, not only are Tom's parents appreciative of his efforts, but also he has won over both Bob and Hal. This silent movie is an above-average movie, primarily for its sudden twists and turns and the changes that occur in Tom's character. Nevertheless, I had a tough time trying to spot the Duke.
Review of Brown of Harvard
