Affairs Of Dobie Gillis (1953)

A college student (Bobby Van) has little interest in education, uppermost in his mind is having fun and girls, especially one co-ed (Debbie Reynolds). This minor B&W programmer from MGM was aimed at the youth market and while not a musical exactly, there are a handful of songs and dance numbers. It's amiable if forgettable fluff and the fact that MGM filmed it in B&W instead of Technicolor shows how disposable they thought the film was and they're not wrong. The film's strong point is its dancing and Bobby Van was a wonderful dancer. A sort of poor man's Donald O'Connor though he resembles the young Ray Bolger. His best friend is played by a young Bob Fosse and though the choreography is credited to Alex Romero, once Fosse starts dancing it's obvious his moves are pure Fosse! The film has Reynolds reprise All I Do Is Dream Of You which she had sung the previous year in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. The film became the basis of the 1959 TV sitcom THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS. Directed by Don Weis (ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA). With Barbara Ruick (CAROUSEL), Lurene Tuttle, Hans Conreid, Lawrence Dobkin and Kathleen Freeman.