Finishing School (1934)

Finishing School: Directed by George Nichols Jr., Wanda Tuchock. With Frances Dee, Billie Burke, Ginger Rogers, Bruce Cabot. The trials and tribulations in a private, snobbish girls school.

“The first indication that u0026quot;Finishing Schoolu0026quot; is worth watching is that the Catholic church placed the film on its condemned list for 1934. But it has so much more than that to recommend it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe star of the film is Francis Dee, who plays Virginia Radcliff, the teenage daughter of rich parents who send her off to get educated in the finer aspects of life. The mother–played by Billie Burke–seems to have little use for the daughter and is quite happy to u0026quot;drop her on the doorstepu0026quot; and retire to her social agenda. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCrockett Hall is an exclusive girls school where exclusivity implies a lack of racial diversity and an emphasis on blueblood backgrounds. At first the school seems like a backdrop for a film comedy about coming of age and the harmless hijinks of young women. But Virginia soon learns that Crockett is little more than a prison where the ridiculous rules of etiquette are but a small part of the personality engineering to which the girls are subjected.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eVirginia forges quality relationships with a small clique, including u0026quot;Ponyu0026quot; Ferris, played by Ginger Rogers. Being a fan of Ms. Rogers, I was pleased to find that by this time in her career she is a fully-formed, competent actress. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs the harsh headmistress, Miss Van Alstyne (played by Beulah Bondi), cracks down on the indiscretions of Virginia–especially the indiscretion of being u0026quot;too differentu0026quot;–and we find that this teen comedy has morphed into a significant drama. Francis Dee is more than up to the challenge with her convincing portrayal of a woman who is fighting for her sanity and her life. Indeed, she raises Virginia to the level of heroine.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Finishing Schoolu0026quot; is a stylish film with great acting. It deals with sophisticated issues and gives the viewer an emotional journey.”