The Affairs of Dobie Gillis

1953
Approved
1h 12m

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

808

YOUR RATING

Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van in The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953)

Grainbelt University has one attraction for Dobie Gillis - women, especially Pansy Hammer. Pansy's father, even though and maybe because she says she's in dreamville, does not share her affection for Dobie. An English essay which almost revolutionizes English instruction, and Dobie's role in a chemistry lab explosion convinces Mr. Hammer he is right. Pansy is sent off broken-hearted to an Eastern school, but with the help of Happy Stella Kolawski's all-girl band, several hundred students and an enraged police force, Dobie secures Pansy's return to Grainbelt.

Play trailer2:44

1 Video

7 Photos

Comedy Musical

Pansy is sent off broken-hearted to an eastern school, but with help from Happy Stella Kowalski's all-girl band, several hundred students, and an enraged police force, Dobie secures Pansy's ... Read allPansy is sent off broken-hearted to an eastern school, but with help from Happy Stella Kowalski's all-girl band, several hundred students, and an enraged police force, Dobie secures Pansy's return to Grainbelt.Pansy is sent off broken-hearted to an eastern school, but with help from Happy Stella Kowalski's all-girl band, several hundred students, and an enraged police force, Dobie secures Pansy's return to Grainbelt.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

808

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:44

Watch Official Trailer

Photos7

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
This modest (by MGM standards) black-and-white musical failed to be noted by a contemporary New York Times review. In addition, this was the only monochrome song-and-dance picture in which Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse appeared.

Goofs
Near the end as the four main characters are dancing through the school yard, a camera cord can be seen in the bottom left corner.

Quotes
Advisor: Now, what subjects would you like to study?
Dobie Gillis: Well, I don't rightly know.
Advisor: What are you interested in?
Dobie Gillis: Women.
Advisor: [pauses] Perhaps you'd like to study obstetrics.
Dobie Gillis: No, I'm not *that* interested.

Connections
Followed by The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959)

Soundtracks
You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right
(uncredited)
Written by Al Rinker and Floyd Huddleston
Performed by Barbara Ruick, Bob Fosse, Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van

User reviews21

Review

Featured review

7/10

likable and well made fluff

I have never seen the TV show "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis", so you should keep this in mind when you read this review. I haven't a whole lot of preconceptions about the movie but I also wasn't particularly interested in the concept to actually watch the show the 106,284 times it was shown years ago on Nickelodeon and other cable channels. Why I actually decided to watch this when it came on Turner Classic Movies is beyond me--though I am glad that I did.

While it is undeniable that this movie is complete fluff, it is nevertheless enjoyable fluff. There's lots of singing and dancing and romancing and comedy--a formula very similar to the Doris Day/Gordon MacRae films BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON and ON MOONLIGHT BAY (though these two Warner Brothers films were set in an earlier time period). It's all very light and very likable--even if it turns out that Dobie is a dirty little cheater (see the film to find out what I am talking about).

Of particular interest, by the way, is the earnest and likable style of Bobby Van. It's too bad that he came to Hollywood near the end of the musical craze and that his life was so tragically shortened. He was talented and all I'd previously seen him in were insipid 1970s game shows.