Good News (1947)

(On Cable TV, July 2021) In many ways, Good News is a wholly unremarkable musical — it doesn’t have the top stars of the genre (I mean — yes, June Allyson and Peter Lawford aren’t unknowns but they don’t compare to some of the other people working in musicals at the time) and it doesn’t have memorable tunes other than “The Best Things in Life Are Free.”  It has adequate but not exceptional choreography and doesn’t quite distinguish itself with a campus narrative that draws in football with academics. On the other hand, it’s an infectiously cheerful romantic comedy— it’s practically impossible to stay grumpy once the film gets started and the silliness starts to fly between its football jock male lead and its French-tutoring female lead. Producer Arthur Freed’s touch is evident in the film’s accessibility and moment-to-moment fun. It’s peppy, colourful (thanks to some well-done Technicolor) and remains fun until the predictable end. As a French speaker, there’s some added interest in seeing Good News leads struggle with the language, either as they sing through “The French Lesson” or in hearing their spoken French oscillate between flawless and garbled in the span of a few syllables. (Ironically, Lawford’s French is pretty good, whereas Allyson’s isn’t.)  All of this doesn’t make Good News anywhere near the list of essential musicals. But it’s probably one that I’ll watch again with some pleasure later on — it’s perfectly serviceable in its own way, and a joy to watch even if it’s not a top example of the form.