Tweet BROWN OF HARVARD (1926)

Another thread has some interesting info about BROWN OF HARVARD (1926), which was evidently William Haines' breakout film. I've yet to see this film but here are four stills that suggest it's an interesting picture:


Mary Brian and Wm. Haines






Haines and Jack Pickford

Bob,

I'd probably have to go with Mary Pickford's LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY the year before as Haines Breakout picture. Although, BROWN OF HARVARD supposedly made him a major player at MGM.

By coincidence I just posted a couple scenes on TCM-CFU yesterday. Here are the links. Thanks for the stills.

http://fan.tcm.com/_William-Haines-and- ... 66470.html" target="_blank

http://fan.tcm.com/_William-Hanies-Batt ... 70.html?b=" target="_blank

It's quite a good picture. Haines is his typical character- a heedless boy who is his own worst enemy- but at this stage he was still genuinely youthful and it's easier to feel sympathy for him. Jack Pickford is too old to be a college freshman (and certainly looks it) but he works his sad pathetic puppy routine masterfully.

This film cries out for a proper DVD release, the only good video source is a Critics Choice VHS tape with a fine Phillip Carli score.

It's a great picture--Haines pours it on full throttle from start to finish, sweet Mary Brian is just too, too cute, & Pickford, the ostensible star, I guess, exhibits a quiet, mellow side rather unexpected for one with his reputation for the fast life. All this was enhanced by the fine Carli piano score on my disk. I thought the rah-rah factor became pretty thick toward the end, but football fans would no doubt love it.

I enjoyed the clip - and the music too. Thanks, Gagman.

I pick Brown of Harvard as Haine's breakout film. It's a terrific film, and I'm surprised it hasn't had a DVD release. John Wayne made his film "debut" as a Yale football player.

[silentfilm]

Great ads, but I'm glad I didn't see them before the picture--the old rah-rah leaves me blah-blah. (An attitude derived from 4 years of misery in my HS marching band.) Enjoyed the rowing, however.

A durable property. This was a novel, a Broadway play in 1906, a film in 1911 and again in 1918 before the Haines film, in which Jack Pickford gets tops billing.

Would this one be on the Warner Archive docket?

I've seen this, but I'll watch Mary Brian in anything. I thought it was a pretty decent film (the Harvard angle doesn't play well today), but MGM did to him what Paramount did to some of its players - typecasting until it was no longer profitable. Reviews I've read recently from that era complained mightily about it. They way he nearly mauled Brian in a couple of scenes shows how much distance romance (or "romance") has come from then to now. Once I could see, since he was socially a bit inept, but twice would mean restraining orders and probable expulsion today. Now, if he became a football hero before all that, things would be different.

Would this one be on the Warner Archive docket?

Speedy,

I would think that both BROWN OF HARVARD and SLIDE KELLY SLIDE would be strongly considered if they had recorded scores. I doubt that Warner's would use the Philip Carli score. LOVEY MARY as well providing it's reasonably complete. That is one I'd really like to see with Haines, and Starring Bessie Love in the title role. The reality is for what ever reason they haven't even released TELL IT TO THE MARINES yet.

Anyone notice that WEST POINT which Warner's has issued, is sort of a combination of TELL IT TO THE MARINES and BROWN OF HARVARD rolled into one?

Anyone notice that WEST POINT which Warner's has issued, is sort of a combination of TELL IT TO THE MARINES and BROWN OF HARVARD rolled into one?

Completely. It's a very formulaic picture, enjoyable but by-the-numbers.