I agree with the many who feel this remake of 'The Male Animal' falls far short of the original- but- Gene Nelson's dancing is worth suffering through the rest.

"She's Working Her Way Through College" (1952) is a musical remake of "The Male Animal" (1942). A couple of the songs are memorable and the color photography is a highlight, but overall the film achieves mixed results.Ronald Reagan plays the part of Professor Palmer, a central character whose wife considers him an underachiever. While she flirts with an ex-boyfriend, the professor soothes his jealousy with a bottle, becoming a sloppy (unconvincing) drunk.Don Fiore plays the ex-boyfriend ex-athlete, Shep, a blow-hard who still relives football plays from his college days. Fiore was also in "The Male Animal."Virginia Mayo is the burlesque dancer, Angela, who goes to college and attracts the attentions of the quarterback, Don (Gene Nelson). Although dubbing is prevalent, the dance numbers are competent. Nelson's dancing may be the best part of the film, due to its athleticism. He would later have a very successful career, performing and directing.Patrice Wymore (wife of Errol Flynn) plays Ivy, the coed who resents the attention given to Angela, with a poisonous perfection.Some of the comedy is pure corn. The speech about tolerance given by Professor Palmer could be considered inspiring or--in light of McCarthyism--hypocritical.Those who like this kind of college story might also enjoy "Tall Story" (1960), starring Jane Fonda in her first film role. Some portions remind me of this film.

Uninspired part-remake of "The Male Animal," in loud Technicolor, and its origins aren't the only prefabricated thing about it. Rather than furnish a whole new score, Warners offers three so-so new songs by Vernon Duke and Sammy Cahn and buttresses them with old songs out of its catalog. At least one of these, "Am I in Love," is the basis for a stunning Gene Nelson solo, where he taps, plies, boxes, trampolines, and does who knows what else in one take. Then it's back to the limp plot about Virginia Mayo, formerly Hot Garters Gertie, forsaking burlesque to go to college, where her crush on Professor Ronald Reagan is quickly abandoned because it doesn't fit into the rest of the action. Reagan, never an inspired actor, is embarrassing here, with a long, unfunny drunk scene, and the rest of the cast--Don DeFore, Phyllis Thaxter, Patrice Wymore--isn't what you'd call exciting. It's an awfully white-middle-class college she's working her way through, and H. Bruce Humberstone, responsible for probably more dull Fox musicals than anyone else, does this other studio no favors. There are a couple of good numbers sprinkled throughout, and the script's endorsement of an erstwhile stripper is quite commendable for the puritanical Fifties. But there are dozens of better Warners musicals out there.

It's glossy in that 1950's way -- it's in color and the colors are vivid and saturated. The dance numbers are slick. There is some clever thoughtful dialogue in the Thurber-Nugent script. Virginia Mayo is very beautiful. One really bright spot 80 minutes in -- Gene Nelson's acrobatic dance routine to "Am I in Love?" But what does it all add up to? This movie is like white bread with margarine.Actors in their 30s pretending to be college kids in clothes that are perfectly color-coordinated. The vivid colors make the made-up faces look ludicrous. And locations that always look like a Hollywood soundstage.Ronald Reagan playing drunk that would embarrass a high school drama teacher. Don Defore? Gene Nelson? Sorry but there is NO charisma or charm or personality in any of the male leads. And the girl we're supposed to like is soooooo good and soooooo decent. And the girl who is nasty is sooooooo nasty.Have you heard of any of these songs? Couldn't they find one memorable and fun song? A big yawn.