Fighting Youth


1h 18m 1935

Film Details

Genre
Drama
Sports
Release Date
Sep 30, 1935
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Universal Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures Corp.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
9 reels

Synopsis

At State, "a college, not a school," "Cy" Kipp arrives at the campus penniless and immediately tries to borrow money. He is the boyfriend of "Dodo" Gates, but notices Carol Arlington, the beautiful daughter of a businessman. "All-American" football player Larry Davis intimates to Betty Wilson that he hopes to marry her, but maintains that he must graduate and find a job first. When Cy is unable to pay for his meal at the Heigh-ho Cafe, he is assigned to wash the windows but only succeeds in breaking the glass. Carol secretly meets with Louis Markoff, who is posing as a law student, and he explains that a "committee" of radicals has selected her to be the new president of the Student League of Freedom. The committee orders an attack on the football program, which they contend exploits the talent of individual students for the college's benefit. To subvert Larry, Carol flirts with him at the gas station where he works and persuades him to stand up Betty and join her at a league meeting. At the meeting, Larry impulsively joins Carol's plan to fight football and is offended when Betty intimates he is not such a hero off the field. During State's game against Manchester, Larry is distracted, and his fumbling causes conservative coach Parker to withdraw him from the game. Afterward, Larry and Carol go to the cafe. Markoff's rumors that Larry deliberately lost the game cause Parker to suspend him. Former coach Bull Stevens and the "Old Grads" are brought in to restore morale, and Larry quits the team after rough tactics send his roommate, Paul, to the hospital. Markoff finds that his room has been ransacked and persuades Betty to withdraw the hidden records of committee meetings for Larry's benefit. However, Betty is kidnapped, and the next day, she and Markoff appear before Dean Churchill. Markoff, who is relying on campus radical Tony Tonetti for his alibi, is instead suddenly exposed as Russian agent Boris Marovich. Tonetti is actually a Department of Justice agent on the trail of enemy aliens who are out to subvert the United States government. At the police station, the spoiled Carol receives a spanking. Parker still refuses to accept a former radical on his team, even to break a losing streak, until at the end of the fourth quarter, the crowd shouts, "We want Larry!" Finally Larry is sent in, and in the remaining few minutes, wins the game by one point. He and Betty are then reunited.

Cast

Charles Farrell

Larry Davis

June Martel

Betty Wilson

Andy Devine

"Cy" Kipp

Ann Sheridan

Carol Arlington

J. Farrell Macdonald

Coach Parker

Edward Nugent

Tony Tonetti

Phyllis Fraser

"Dodo" Gates

Herman Bing

Herman

Alden Chase

Louis Markoff [alias of Boris Marovich]

Larry "moon" Mullins

Notre Dame

Jim Purvis

Purdue

Paul Schwegler

University of Washington

Dale Van Sickel

University of Florida

Jim Thorpe

Carlisle

Leslie Cooper

Minnesota

Howard "red" Christie

University of California

Nick Lukats

Notre Dame

Frank Sully

St. Louis

Glen Boles

Paul

Murray Kinnell

Dean Churchill

Charles Wilson

Stevens

Jeff Cravath

Assistant coach

Walter Johnson

Buck

Clara Kimball Young

Mrs. Stewart, house mother

Ralph Brooks

Student manager

Bob Hale

Trainer

Dell Henderson

Detective

Russell Wade

Buck's roommate

Clyde Dilson

Manchester alumnus

David O'brien

Rooter

William Moore

Bus boy

Mickey Bennett

Newsboy

Charles Tannen

Radical student

Parker Mcconnell

Army major

William R. Arnold

Army captain

Colonel Mcdonnell

Army colonel

Roberta Gale

Betty's roommate

George Humbert

Ice cream man

Lew Kelly

Policeman

Tiny Sandford

Truck driver

Al Williams

Freshman

Jack Mower

Station owner

Frank Baker

Football player

"dutch" Fehring

Football player

Jack Gratten

Student

John Morley

Student

Wade Boteler

Detective

Babe Lawrence

Detective

Edmund Cobb

Detective

Vance Carroll

Detective

Harry Adams

Detective

Marcia Remy

Secretary

Kay Hughes

Sorority girl

Mary Bovard

Sorority girl

Constance Lee

Sorority girl

Helen Valkis

Sorority girl

Chloe Elrod

Sorority girl

Jean Rogers

John King

Auguste Tollaire

Film Details

Genre
Drama
Sports
Release Date
Sep 30, 1935
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Universal Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures Corp.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
9 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Motion Picture Herald and CBCS list "Moon" Mullins, Jim Purvis, Paul Schwegler and Jim Thorpe as "Old grads," although they are credited as football players on screen. Motion Picture Herald and CBCS also list Herman Bing's role as "Luigi," not "Herman." During the opening credits, technical and title credits appear on footballs, kicked toward the camera while marching songs play in the background. According to Hollywood Reporter, the film was timely because of recent publicity on "Communist activity in the schools."