You Can't Ration Love

Brief Synopsis

Because of the war, there aren't enough men at Adams College for all the girls, but Betty (Betty Jane Rhodes as Betty Rhodes) has no difficulties as she has a monopoly on stud-athlete Pete (Bill Edwards). The other girls, particularly Marian (Marjorie Weaver), think this is unfair, so Marian institutes a system of rationing dates. Pete is rated as thirty points and Betty is furious as the other girls bypass the 4-F's and slide-rule geeks to save their ration points to date Pete. Betty drafts him for the Varsity Show, but when the pressure of preparing for the show hurts his studies, Marian volunteers to tutor him and has him all to herself. Scholarly John "Two-Point" Simpson (Johnny Johnston as Johnnie Johnston) auditions and, since he isn't hep to the jive, is laughed off the stage. Betty helps him and soon "Two-Point" is in the groove and makes a hit, and Betty discovers she is in love with him. The faculty cancels the date-rationing plan and Johnnie, whose point value has gone up, thinks Betty is the cause of the ruling and dates Marian for spite. Betty broods and knits booties for her sister's baby, but conveys the impression to Marian that she is to have a baby. Johnnie learns he is the "suspected" father and, thinking it is another of Betty's tricks, plans to leave school. The other girls, led by Bubbles (Marie Wilson), are worried about Betty's future stigma and round up a justice of the peace and Johnnie. Betty confesses the hoax, and the girls start squabbling over the available-again Johnnie, while Betty and Johnnie make use of the still-available Justice of the Peace.

Cast & Crew

Film Details

Genre

Musical

Release Date

Jan 1944

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Paramount Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

Paramount Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 18m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

7,069ft (8 reels)

Synopsis

At Adams College, student Marian Douglas has master-minded a plan to "ration" dates in response to the school's wartime shortage of men. Female students are restricted to a certain number of dates per man, and must buy "date" coupons, whose cost depends on how high the man is rated. Co-ed Betty Hammond becomes frustrated when she uses up her coupons to date Pete, a handsome student who rates thirty points, and Marian takes over all of Pete's time. Because Pete's grades are slipping, he is pulled from the varsity musical show, and Marian is assigned to tutor him. When bookworm Johnny "Two Point" Simpson auditions for the show, the women laugh him off the stage because of his prudish rendition of an outdated song. Betty, however, is inspired to make Johnny over so that his rating will increase and Pete might again become available. After Johnny accepts Betty's apology regarding the audition, the two start dating. Betty orders a new haircut and wardrobe for Johnny, then administers dancing, kissing and romance lessons. The "new" Johnny falls in love with Betty, but Betty continues with her plan to date Pete, even though she has fallen for Johnny. Betty's roommate, Bubbles Keenan, spreads the news about Johnny's transformation, and as a result, an all-female audience screams when their new heartthrob takes the stage at the varsity show rehearsal. A brawl erupts among the women after Johnny finishes his song, and when Dean Pettigrew is nearly stripped naked by the man-hungry mob, the faculty cancels the "man-ration" and decides instead to open a canteen for women. When Johnny then learns about Betty's ruse and refuses to take her calls, she becomes the laughingstock of the campus. Hoping to end Marian's new monopoly on Johnny, Betty drops subtle hints that lead Marian to believe that she and Johnny were secretly married and that she is now pregnant. Marian becomes immediately sympathetic to Betty, and arranges with the other co-eds to snub Johnny. Johnny is mystified until Bubbles' boyfriend Kewpie explains the rumors. Johnny furiously denies everything and leaves college to enlist in the Army. On the opening night of the canteen, Marian hears about Johnny's denial and sends one group of students to retrieve Johnny from the train station, and another to retrieve a justice of the peace. When Betty's lie is revealed, a mob of women descend on Johnny, and he and the judge escape to a back room with Betty, Bubbles and Kewpie. Johnny and Betty immediately marry after clearing up their misunderstanding.

Director

Lester Fuller

Director

Cast

Betty Rhodes

Betty Hammond

Johnnie Johnston

John "Two Point" Simpson

Marjorie Weaver

Marian Douglas

Johnnie "scat" Davis

Kewpie

Marie Wilson

Bubbles Keenan

Bill Edwards

Pete Allen

Roland Dupree

Pickles

Christine Forsyth

Christine

D'artega

Sarah Edwards

Miss Hawks

George Meader

Dean Pettigrew

Jean Wallace

Madge

Walter Pietila

Acrobat

Bonnadene Wolfe

Acrobat

Ramon Schaller

Acrobat

Ray Spiker

Acrobat

Armand Tanny

Acrobat

John Vernon Schaller

Acrobat

Will Wright

Judge Cary, justice of peace

Harry Allen

Pop

Walter Baldwin

Mr. McGillis

George Carleton

Congressman

Fernanda Eliscu

Mrs. Boskowsky

Bobby Barber

Barber

Allen Ray

Messenger boy

Isabel Randolph

Mrs. Smith

Sheldon Jett

Fat man

Norman Nesbitt

Narrator

Danny Desmond

Lee Murray

Jack E. Swift

Shelley Mitchell

Maeve Murray

Carmelle Bergstrom

Sam Ash

Charles Marsh

Crew

Count Basie

Composer

Muriel Roy Bolton

Story

Phil Boutelje

Music adv

Val Burton

Screenwriter

Jimmy Dorsey

Composer

Hans Dreier

Art Director

Josephine Earl

Dances staged by

Hal Fimberg

Screenwriter

Michel Kraike

Associate Producer

Lester Lee

Composer

Frank Loesser

Composer

Walter Macewen

Executive Producer

Carl Mahr

Vocal Arrangements

Joel Moss

Sound Recording

John Robert Murphy

Assistant Director

Tom Neff

Editing

Tommy Neff

2nd Unit Director

Leo Robin

Composer

Jerry Seelen

Composer

Steve Seymour

Set Decoration

Jule Styne

Composer

Irvin Talbot

Music Director

William Thayer

Sound Recording

Stuart Thompson

Director of Photography

Walter Tyler

Art Director

Wally Westmore

Makeup Supervisor

Richard A. Whiting

Composer

Film Details

Genre

Musical

Release Date

Jan 1944

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Paramount Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

Paramount Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 18m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

7,069ft (8 reels)

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Hollywood Reporter news items report the following about the production: The film's story was inspired by wartime events that took place at the University of California at Berkeley, in which female students rationed dates with men. Paramount considered Dona Drake, Jimmy Lydon, Elliott Reid, Barbara Britton, Julie Gibson, Noel Neill and Yvonne De Carlo for the cast. Actress Mabel Paige was replaced by Sarah Edwards due to schedule conflicts. This film marked Broadway stage director Lester Fuller's feature film debut. The horse and buggy scene was shot in Sepulveda, CA.