HarlowMGM If you don't like sentimental movies, run from this but if you do like them you will no doubt be moved by a great performance by May Robson. Miss Robson, one of the 1930's most beloved character actresses, made 63 films and starred in about ten. GRAND OLD GIRL is one of those. The seventyish actress portrays Miss Bailes, a small town principal whose whole life is her students. In her 38 years of teaching, it seems she has taught practically the whole town including it's most famous graduate, the current (unnamed) President of the United States. Miss Bailes' concern for the welfare of her students goes beyond the classroom and for some somewhat unclear reasons, several of the town's leading businessmen and school board members have gotten tired of her meddling, presumably feeling it's hurting their businesses. When Miss Bailes opens a "wholesome" malt shop (as opposed to the one with a vice back room with gambling and booze that is run by her erstwhile student Alan Hale) a fight breaks out in the shop on opening night which incredibly is sufficient grounds for the townsmen to have the shop closed and the school board to send Miss Bailes packing from her beloved school. Learning of Miss Bailes' situation, the President (whose face is never seen) himself returns to town to comfort her and honor her in a speech in front of the awed townsfolk.This little movie is a fine showcase for the always wonderful Miss Robson, here less incendiary than usual although a major butt-in-ski as normal. Her scenes at her last day at school are played as hearttuggers and they are highly effective. Beautiful 30's starlet Mary Carlisle is cast as one of the major problem children, a spoiled little rich girl and the very young Fred MacMurray (quite dashing in a working class way) has an early role as a delivery man unimpressed with Carlisle's methods. It's a particular treat to see Alan Hale in a rare non-period role as the town bad seed who isn't so bad after all but the supporting player who stands out the most is Etienne Girardot, an elderly character actor specializing in diminutive pretentious professor-types here cast as Miss Bailes' no nonsense, devoted vice principal.The movie's ending is unintentionally haunting, Miss Bailes gets praised by the President but what will become of this old lady now that she has been pushed out before her reaching her pension. The new principal has already been hired and is set to start the next school day. The moral of the film almost becomes be of service to your community but don't go too far. Miss Bailes' fate is unclear, whatever will become of this truly grand old girl?

vincentlynch-moonoi To understand this film, you have to understand films in the early 1930s. Many of them were simplistic morality plays, and that's exactly what this is. And when I say simplistic, I mean simplistic.The much-loved principal of a high school (no principal was ever this loved...and I say that as a retired principal myself) -- Miss Bayles (May Robson) -- attempts to close down a shady "candy store" where her students hang out. It may be sodas out front, but it's gambling in the back room, even for those underage. Miss Bayles opens her own business, but is soon closed down after a fight in her place of business. The school system fires her and takes away her pension. Who should step in? The President of the United States...a former student of hers. But, Miss Bayles never gets back her pension. In today's world, this film is downright stodgy. So why view it? Well, it's nice to see a fine character actress like May Robson get top billing for a change, and she is interesting to watch. As noted in "Wikipedia", Robson was the earliest-born person to enjoy a major Hollywood career. She was also the earliest-born person to receive an Oscar nomination", although not for this film. The latter minutes of this film are as much a tear-jerker of a movie that I've ever seen. And, this film was an early role for Fred MacMurray...his first CREDITED part. Alan Hale plays the shady store owner who turns out to have a heart of gold.Aside from being incredibly stuffy, the biggest problem with this film is the improbability of the script. There are a few young Black actors in the film, and the way their parts were played would be another eyebrow-raiser today.This is a pre-code film, and the one place that shows is when Fred MacMurray, an adult in the film, flirts very strongly with one of the high school girls. It would certainly raise eyebrows today.Worth watching once as a sort of museum piece.

David (Handlinghandel) This is far from May Robson's best movie. But it has its appeal. She is a school principal -- and a more caring one than I ever had. She's also meddling and a bit of a prig. But so were the ones I did have and they didn't show the interest in their students that her character does.Living alone with her cat, Robson gives all her energy over to her young charges. She helps a young football player not only pass his math exam but also learn that he's not so stupid as has been thought.She's also on a crusade to shut down a gambling parlor behind a soda shop. It's called the Back Room. Very racy for small town 1935, I'd think. As to the time, I have to wonder if a high school at that time would have a black student accepted as a member of his peer group. The exact location of the town is never specified but it appears to be the Midwest, New York, or New England. (In other words: No Southern accents.) There he is, though -- a black boy named Neptune who hangs out with the other kids.Fred MacMurray is implausibly cast in a small role and does nothing one way or the other to the movie.I like May Robson and she was in some truly bad movies. This is not bad. It just isn't good. And she puts her heart into the role.

bkoganbing May Robson, two years after her Academy Award nominated performance in Lady for a Day, got roped into doing this film about a school principal in small town USA. The premise is actually an interesting one and you can follow the concept from a film like Grand Old Girl right up to a television series like Boston Public. She's a school principal 24 hours a day and takes an interest in all that goes on in her small town.The problem was that the script just had so many saccharine characters in it who in the end don't really turn out to be as bad as they first seem that it gets ridiculous. Alan Hale who runs a malt shop, but who has a back room where gambling and liquor are available to the kids, is one of her foes. In the end however he feels sorry for the old gal and turns out to be her rescuer. This is after she attempted to run him out of business.Mary Carlisle in the next generation would be labeled a high school hellcat. At first she is one spoiled rich kid tramp and then she breaks down and cry when the town fathers led by her father put Robson out to pasture. Among Robson's former pupils is a man who became an unnamed mythical President of the United States who makes a dramatic appearance in his home town. It can't be FDR since the president's face is never shown. Sort of like how Jesus was portrayed in films like The Big Fisherman or Ben-Hur later. Also the president is walking unaided which FDR could not do. But Gavin Gordon who plays the president has an FDR like mellifluous voice.Fred MacMurray here is wasted, none of his gifts of comedy are utilized and that's a shame. He's a delivery man who Carlisle has a yen for.Cecil B. DeMille made a controversial film two years earlier called This Day and Age about high school kids fighting corruption in their small town. Some of the same elements are here in Grand Old Girl, but the scriptwriters I believe were trapped by the persistent mythology of small town America and the good people in it. So the film got watered down to nothingness.Sad to say, but there's nothing of any real interest in Grand Old Girl.