This is the largely unknown and deservedly forgotten earlier incarnation of Dobie Gillis. Made in 53, pre-beatnik, therefore no Maynard Krebs character. In fact, the film is an unreal mixture of stale college comedy and sudden bursts of singing and dancing. Bobby Van plays Dobie and Debbie R. plays Pansy. Yeesh! Silly names and silly comedy. It does have plenty of familiar faces popping up here and there (Hans Conreid, Kathleen Freeman, Charles Lane, Percy Helton and even Alvy Moore). The story is non-existent; mostly to do with Van, Fosse and Ruick as slacker students only interested in college as a means to score with the opposite sex, but Van quickly goes after energetic student Reynolds and the others unaccountably follow. Throughout the film the leads switch from klutzy slackers to amazingly agile dancers, all part of the MGM fantasy world. Van is okay at times, but otherwise can't keep the blank grin off his face... or commit comic overkill when asked to react to some backfiring shenanigan. Fosse has little personality at all, until he explodes into expert dance work. Ruick and Reynolds are perky. A time-killer at best.
Review of The Affairs of Dobie Gillis
