1941 film by William Nigh
Zis Boom Bah, also known as College Sweethearts, is a 1941 American musical comedy film directed by William Nigh, and starring Grace Hayes, Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy.[1] The plot concerns a vaudeville singer who comes to a floundering college to instill values and self-confidence in its entitled students.
Plot
Grace Hayes—essentially playing herself—has been playing the vaudeville circuit to finance her son's college education after her wealthy family has shunned her.
Tiring of the road, she goes incognito to visit her son, Peter Kendricks (played by her real-life son Peter Lind Hayes) with her personal assistant Mary Healy (played by her real-life daughter-in-law of the same name).
She finds her son and the college "going to Hell in a hand basket", despite the earnest efforts of the kindhearted Dean, Prof. Warren (played by Richard "Skeets" Gallagher). The college and the old families are running out of money and spirit.
Grace buys the local diner, turns it into a version of her real-life club, and encourages the kids to put on a show to raise the funds and spirit the college needs to survive.[1]
Production
Grace Hayes was famous as a performer, and for opening the "movie stars' hang-out", Grace Hayes Lodge, and the chic Las Vegas nightclub, The Red Rooster.[2]
Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy were married from 1940 until Hayes' death in 1998, and regularly worked together, notably on the film The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953).
Katzman hired a musical troupe to perform numbers live to promote the film.[3]
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