This movie and other MGM musicals in particular should be viewed by anyone who thinks they want to produce a film musical today. Watch the Pass That Piece Pipe number and the Varsity drag. Pretend you are the camera and take note of the long uninterrupted takes and the fluid motion of the dancing in concert with the camera. Then look at the musical numbers from Chicago . . . where all they did was cheat and all the action was produced in the cutting room . . the skill is gone. It is a lost art, along with dancing which has been replaced by callesthenics.Also, if you look closely to the left of the screen in the early part of The Varsity Drag, you will see one of the dancers hold her head and drop to the floor. She does not reappear in the remainder of the shot. June and Peter are the perfect couple and he is totally light on his feet unlike Richard Gere who was so lauded for being a non-dancer who was now "dancing" . . . ha! Now Peter was actually a non-dancer who was dancing and doing a good job of it without cheating, just as Frank Sinatra did in Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Lively MGM musical, the sort of escapism that big-budget studio did best. The emphasis here is on wholesome, especially McCracken (Babe) and Allyson (Connie), neither of whom is glamorized in typical Hollywood style. In fact, McCracken reminds me of a slightly chubby Debbie Reynolds, in the type role Debbie would soon get.This celebration of college life is supposedly set in the 1920's, but the girls' fashions are definitely 40's-type skirts and sweaters. And what a colorful celebration it is. Those massed dance numbers amount to real eye candy, and what a show-stopper that malt shop number is, so expertly choreographed and performed.Frankly, when I think musical, Peter Lawford doesn't spring to mind, although he does better here than I would expect. His sleek good looks don't quite fit the wholesome mode, but never mind since he was quite a heart-throb in those days. Can't help noting that both the talented McCracken and Ray McDonald (Bobby) died young, while Patricia Marshall (Pat) appears to have left the business shortly after this production. Perhaps the lack of "star power" is one reason the film is not better known.Nonetheless, really distinguishing the musical score is that great song and profound truth about the best things in life being free. But most of all, there's the post-war exuberance that simply bubbles over throughout the 90-minutes of song and dance. And like a bite of cotton candy at a carnival, the world seems like a much better place afterward.

Football is in the fall, at least nowadays it is. Prom is in the spring. So is graduation, at small colleges (I think).This movie had football, prom, and graduation, all in the spring. Then, to top it all off, Tommy said he was getting a degree in French LOL. Tommy came off as such a dunce, and I never really picked up on what his major was, anyway.I expected the women's hairstyles to be short bobs of the 1920s, and more Charleston dancing. These two points became lost when I decided to let myself get lost in the escapism and pure entertainment.All in all, I still like this movie, very much. I really like the singing of June and Peter, and feel that they had very nice voices. Hope they were not dubbed. At any rate, they were honest and heartfelt vocal renderings.June Allyson passed away several days ago (today is July 16, 2006), at age 88. In 'Good News', which I saw today for the third time, I figured I would melt in tears when she & Peter Lawford did the scene of 'The French Lesson'. That happened a little when I saw June in 'Little Women', shown 2 hours or so earlier, where Jo meets Laurie (June & Peter) late in the movie (I just saw the last part of it). I knew that I would be watching them again in 'Good News' a little later, because today was the June Allyson special presentation on TCM (7 of her movies).I do like the 'Varsity Drag' in 'Good News', and wish June had danced more in this movie. I did enjoy how she and Peter led all the other dancers in the huge finale, each leading their group in a large tight triangle. It was so neat.RIP June and Peter. We love you so. I am still melting in tears.12/10

Good News is one of my all time favorite MGM musicals.Great songs by wonderful performers.Ray McDonald in a part that shows his talent,Ray was one of the under exposed performers at MGM.June in one of her best performances ,its also one of her favorites.Peter miscast but does a good job.The first film directed by Charles Walters he went on to direct Easter Parade and many others.JoanMacCraken in one of the few films she made.Pat Marshall ,Mel Torme all add up to a great entertainment.When I met June Allyson I told her some scenes from the first version were shown .She wasn't aware there was an earlier one.I said Penny Singleton(the star) was no match for June Allyson.She chuckled at that. Gordon