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Cast
Loretta Young
as Abigail Fortitude Abbott
Van Johnson
as Professor Richard Michaels
Rudy Vallee
as John Heaslip
Barbara Lawrence
as Louise Sharpe
Robert Arthur
as Beaumont Jackson
Betty Lynn
as Susan Abbott
Griff Barnett
as Dean Gillingham
Kathleen Hughes
as Rhoda Adams
Henri Letondal
as Prof. Romaine (uncredited)
Geneva Gray
as Bit Part (uncredited)
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1949
Runtime1h 21m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresComedy
Votes2
DirectorLloyd Bacon
WritersRaphael Blau, Mary Loos, Richard Sale
TypeFeature Film
Rating9.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsMother Is a Freshman
About Mother Is a Freshman
Widow Abby Abbott is having serious money problems and has to dip into the family trust in order to pay for her daughter Susan's college tuition. The catch: Abby must also become a co-ed or she can't touch the money. After passing her entrance exams, Abby goes to college and becomes very popular, especially with a handsome English professor whom Susan has a crush on.
Directed by Lloyd Bacon, Mother Is a Freshman leans on a strong ensemble — Loretta Young, Van Johnson, Rudy Vallee — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1949.
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