The Warner Archive September 2016 DVD release of the 1939 Anne Shirley/James Ellison drama "Sorority House" perfectly illustrates the Archive spirit; namely, an entertaining rarity with substance.
Famously blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo pens this tale of grocer's daughter Alice Fisher (Shirley of "Stella Dallas" and "Anne of Green Gables."), who discovers the good and the evil regarding the titular collegiate sisterhoods. The fun of this film also includes evoking great thoughts of a college roommate of your not-so-humble reviewer. This sentiment is "fraternities; only $25 a friend."
The well-known social commentary of Trumbo appears early in "Sorority." The kindly widowed "pop" of a mom-and-pop grocery store is Lew Fisher, whose banker suggests selling out to the larger grocery chain with a store on the outskirts of town before that corporation runs Lew out of business. The can-do response of Lew is that he might run the chain out of business.
Unbeknownst to Alice but beknownst to the audience, Lew is borrowing the princely sum of $1,000 to pay the tuition at dream school Talbot University for two years. This requires that shy but not sad Alice quickly prepare for this next chapter in her life.
Fresh off the train coed Alice soon learns of the prestige of sororities and of the effective social death of the rejected "dreeps" who do not make the cut. The better news for her is that an almost immediate chance meeting that involves a couple of slips has Alice catch the eye of BMOC med. student Bill Loomis (Ellison).
The action shifting to campus allows Trumbo to turn his critical eye to the sorority abodes that more aptly should be considered cat houses. Watching each group subtly (and not so subtly) promote themselves at the expense of the competition is hilarious. One sorority apparently unduly uses a swimming pool as a recruiting tool, and the top sorority the Gammas has the disgrace of seven year-old (heavily used?) mattresses.
Alice and her two roommates initially represent the three bears regarding pledging. Studious and plain Dotty rejects the system that rejects her, desperate-to-fit-in (and subject to intense family pressure) Merle makes a strong effort to make the cut, and Alice is ambivalent until she finds herself in demand.
Much of the fun regarding this is seeing the excitement as the current sisters first make the rounds inviting the elite few to parties that determine if they are going to move forward in the selection process; the subsequent handing out of pledge invitations creates even more fervor.
Meanwhile, Bill is using his status (and insider knowledge) to successfully manipulate the sorority system in favor of Alice; seeing the mislead snobbish leaders compete over this working-class girl is hilarious.
The Bill/Alice relationship also merits comment; the hilarity here relates to Alice initially not realizing that she is engaged. Wonderfully cynical speculation regarding the course of their marriage is that she will drop out of school to work one or more menial jobs to support him through medical school and the early years of his career only to have the effects of time and having a couple of kids lead to Bill divorcing her and moving in with the 20-something nurse with whom he is having a years-long affair.
Trumbo builds all this to an aptly "Stella Dallas" sequence in which Alice dishonors her past despite partial knowledge about the sacrifices behind her collegiate experience. However, our girl comes around only to discover that she has one more lesson to learn.
Despite the wit and wisdom of Trumbo, an even wiser sage deserves the final word regarding the Greek system. Groucho Marx says it best in commenting that he would not want to belong to any club that would have him as a member.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Sorority" is encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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