College (1927 film)

College is a 1927 comedy-drama silent film directed by James W. Horne and Buster Keaton, and starring Buster Keaton, Anne Cornwall, and Harold Goodwin.

Plot

Set in Southern California, the movie opens with Ronald graduating high school as the school’s “most brilliant scholar”. At his graduation, Ronald speaks on “the Curse of the Athlete”, arguing that books are more important than athletics.

Ronald decides to follow Mary, who rejected him because she loves athletes more than book worms, to Clayton which the dean describes as an “athlete-infested college”. Hoping to impress Mary, Ronald tries out and fails in various sports.

Eventually the dean asks Ronald why his grades are suffering. After Ronald explains the situation, the dean empathizes with him and orders the rowing coach to make Ronald the coxswain in the upcoming competition. The coach reluctantly agrees but tries to sabotage Ronald so he cannot compete.

Meanwhile, Mary starts to appreciate Ronald’s futile efforts to impress her. However, on the day of the competition Jeff, Mary’s jock boyfriend, gets kicked out of college and takes her hostage in her room in an effort to get her kicked out also so she can marry him. In the end, Ronald wins her over.

Cast

• Buster Keaton as Ronald
• Anne Cornwall as Mary Haynes
• Harold Goodwin as Jeff
• Flora Bramley as Mary's friend
• Snitz Edwards as Dean Edwards
• Florence Turner as Ronald's mother

See also

• List of American films of 1927
• Buster Keaton...... ...
...

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