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The Male Animal

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The Male Animal

Released Apr 4, 1942

1h 41m

Comedy

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3 Reviews

56%

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100+ Ratings

On the weekend of the big football game at a large Midwestern university, English professor Tommy Turner (Henry Fonda) unexpectedly gets embroiled in a free-speech controversy. When a trustee (Eugene Pallette) learns that Tommy intends to read a letter by convicted anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti in class, he threatens the professor's job. Meanwhile, Tommy's unhappy wife (Olivia de Havilland) is wooed by her visiting college boyfriend, ex-football star Joe Ferguson (Jack Carson).

Elena de la Torre

Cine-Mundial

Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland have achieved two triumphal performances in this delightful movie. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 12, 2019

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The stagebound film has its amusing moments, solid performances and a still timely message about academic freedom.

Rated: B

Mar 27, 2009

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Louis Proyect

rec.arts.movies.reviews

A surprisingly relevant movie on academic freedom in light of Ward Churchill and pro-Palestinian professors being victimized today.

Aug 31, 2008

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ashley h

The Male Animal is an okay film. It is about Homecoming weekend at Midwestern University. Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland give decent performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Elliott Nugent did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the humor and romance.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

The best comedy movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

predictable but enjoyable enough, with actors who are fun to watch. I know the free-speech/academic plot is mentioned first in most reviews, but in my sleepy state I mostly followed the romantic bits.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

This is a highly regarded classic, and I am not sure why I am not enthralled with it. It?s okay, but I just don?t see anything special with it. There is no chemistry between Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland. Fonda is great, but de Havilland gets very irritating, as does Jack Carson. Eugene Pallette and Hattie McDaniel provide excellent support. Otherwise, it?s pretty routine.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

This is a highly regarded classic, and I am not sure why I am not enthralled with it. It's okay, but I just don't see anything special with it. There is no chemistry between Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland. Fonda is great, but de Havilland gets very irritating, as does Jack Carson. Eugene Pallette and Hattie McDaniel provide excellent support. Otherwise, it's pretty routine.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

funny good great cast

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Elliott Nugent

Director

Henry Fonda

Tommy Turner

Olivia de Havilland

Ellen Turner

Jack Carson

Joe Ferguson

Joan Leslie

Patricia Stanley

Herbert Anderson

Michael Barnes

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Synopsis

On the weekend of the big football game at a large Midwestern university, English professor Tommy Turner (Henry Fonda) unexpectedly gets embroiled in a free-speech controversy. When a trustee (Eugene Pallette) learns that Tommy intends to read a letter by convicted anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti in class, he threatens the professor's job. Meanwhile, Tommy's unhappy wife (Olivia de Havilland) is wooed by her visiting college boyfriend, ex-football star Joe Ferguson (Jack Carson).

Director: Elliott Nugent
Producer: Hal B. Wallis
Screenwriter: Stephen Morehouse Avery, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Elliott Nugent, James Thurber
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 1942, Wide
Release Date (DVD): May 8, 2009
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Mono