As a kid in the 1970s, I witnessed a big period of 1950s nostalgia. I guess that sort of “looking back” happens a lot, as we see 1940s wistfulness for the 1920s via 1947’s musical Good News.

Set in 1927 at fictitious Tait University, football star Tommy Marlowe (Peter Lawford) enjoys his status as the Big Man on Campus. However, he can’t get any traction with Pat McClellan (Patricia Marshall), the romantic apple of his eye.

Tommy thinks he’ll impress Pat if he learns French, so he turns to super-smart librarian Connie Lane (June Allyson) for tutorial help. Will love bloom among the textbooks?

Dumb question, right? It doesn’t act as a spoiler to point in one direction here, as anyone who enjoys any form of familiarity with Hollywood will understand the character path News will follow.

Though News takes a route to that inevitable conclusion that makes it less engaging than one might prefer, mainly because Tommy comes across like such a jerk. When he first meets Connie, he seems smitten by her and kisses her, but he then immediately moons over Pat.

Eventually Tommy and Connie date and he asks her to the big dance. However, as soon as Pat comes a-calling, Tommy unceremoniously dumps Connie.

News also makes Connie look like a sap. Although Tommy acts like a selfish prick, she remains enraptured and bends over backwards for him.

We’re supposed to root for the inevitable Connie and Tommy pairing to succeed? Heck no – I wanted to see d-bag Tommy rejected by both women and crying in the gutter.

That’s not a likely outcome for a light musical comedy from 2021, much less a project created in the more innocent days of 1947, so News doesn’t end as I’d hope. It also doesn’t offer a great musical comedy.

Still, News seems decent, as even with its flawed characters, it manages reasonable energy and vivacity. At a mere 93 minutes, the flick doesn’t wear out its welcome, and director Charles Walters moves along the narrative well and makes this a painless mix of music, romance and comedy.

The actors neither help nor harm the material, though they tend to seem too old for their parts – mainly because most of them were too old. Allyson and Joan McCracken both were 30, a good decade too long in the tooth to play college kids.

Lawford was only 24, but he looked about 40 and seems wholly unconvincing as a student or as a football star. He also can’t sing a note, which becomes a problem in a musical.

Allyson fares better because she boasts actual vocal talent, and she seems reasonably charming. Though I think her Connie comes across like a sap for her persistent attachment to jerky Tommy, Allyson brings some bright spots to the project.

All of this adds up to a watchable but largely forgettable musical. Nothing here excels but the film remains moderately entertaining.

Good News appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became an excellent presentation, especially given the film’s age.

In terms of sharpness, the movie usually demonstrated nice delineation. A few shots seemed just a smidgen soft, but those issues occurred infrequently, so the majority of the flick looked concise and accurate.

No issues with jagged edges or shimmering materialized, and no edge enhancement became apparent. Grain remained appropriate, and no specks, marks or other defects showed up at any time in this fresh presentation.

Colors were strong. I thought flesh tones were a bit on the brown side, but that was a reflection of Technicolor – and too much makeup. Otherwise, the hues tended to be vivid and full.

Blacks seemed deep and dense without too much heaviness. Shadow detail worked similarly well, as dimly-lit shots were appropriately clear and thick. I found little about which to complain here and thought the Blu-ray brought the movie to life in a positive manner.

The DTS-HD MA monaural audio of Good News appeared fine for its era. Speech was fine. The lines showed age-related thinness, but they were always perfectly intelligible and without edginess.

Effects became a minor aspect of the track, and they resembled the dialogue. Those elements lacked much depth but they were without notable problems.

Music was acceptable for its age, as the songs and score tended to be a bit tinny. There wasn’t much range to the music, but again, that stemmed from the limitations of the very old source. This became a perfectly adequate mix for its vintage.

A few extras appear, and we find a Deleted Musical Number. “An Easier Way” fills four minutes, 56 seconds and provides a scene in which Connie discusses ways to woo a man.

Apparently the sequence got the boot because it might slow the plot. I agree, as it provides a low-energy segment that doesn’t really go anywhere.

The 1947 Good News was the second filmed version of a 1927 stage production, and we find two excerpts from the 1930 movie. We encounter “Varsity Drag” (5:34) and “Good News” (4:44).

Although these make the 1930 film look terrible, it’s still fun to see these clips. It’s too bad this disc’s producers didn’t simply include the entire 1930 flick, though.

In addition to the movie’s trailer, we finish with an MGM Radio Promo. It goes for four minutes, 43 seconds and offers comments from actor June Allyson. She offers superficial comments, but this remains a decent archival clip.

As a mix of romance, comedy and tunes, Good News offers a breezy experience. I wouldn’t call it a good movie, but it manages passable entertainment across its short running time. The Blu-ray comes with excellent visuals, acceptable audio and a few bonus features. While I can’t claim I really enjoyed the flick, it remained a watchable piece of fluff.