About as light-weight as a puff of smoke, the movie still manages to be a rather delightful surprise. The songs are pretty forgettable, though LeRoy Prinz's choreography helps compensate. And catch that opening—I had to look twice to make sure I wasn't imagining. The premise is a loaded one. A boys' fraternity gets revenge on an all-girls' school by dressing one of the brothers as a girl and sending him over to cause trouble. Actor Downs in drag is a hoot and some boy's nightmare blind date. Naturally, he falls for one of the girls, but can't give away his disguise. There're a number of cute set-ups, energetically executed by a lively cast, including yokels Beery Jr. and Hale. Watching Downs negotiate a girdle while lying on a bed is a real hoot. All in all, it's an amusing little farce, rather like Alan Dwan's two farcical set-ups of the same period, Getting Gertie's Garter (1945), and Up in Mabel's Room (1944).
Review of All-American Co-Ed
