Pigskin Parade is a 1936 American musical comedy film which tells the story of husband-and-wife college football coaches who convince a backwoods player to play for their team so they can go to the big game. It was written by William M. Conselman, Mary Kelly, Nat Perrin, Arthur Sheekman, Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen, and was directed by David Butler.
The cast includes Stuart Erwin (in an Oscar-nominated performance), Jack Haley, Patsy Kelly, Arline Judge, Dixie Dunbar, Johnny Downs, Betty Grable, Tony Martin and Judy Garland in her feature film debut. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Plot
Due to a misunderstanding, Yale inadvertently invites the small Texas State University to come to Connecticut and play against its football team for a benefit game. Coincidentally, TSU has just hired a new coach, Slug Winters (Jack Haley), who arrives at the college with his wife Bessie (Patsy Kelly) just in time to hear the announcement that the team is to play Yale.
The coach digs in to whip the team into shape, with Bessie's help, she knowing more about football than Slug does. But just before the big game, Bessie causes an accident and the team's quarterback Biff Bentley breaks his leg. All seems hopeless until Slug and Bessie stumble across an Arkansas hillbilly named Amos Dodd, played by Stuart Erwin, who throws a football like no one they have ever seen. They find him tossing melons with his sister, Sairy Dodd (Judy Garland).
The only problem remaining is to figure a way to get the college to enroll the hillbilly so that he can take the place of the injured quarterback. Amos also falls for attractive student Sally Saxon (Arline Judge), bringing out jealousy in her rich suitor Mortimer Higgins (Grady Sutton).
Texas State travels to the game at Yale, which is played in a blizzard. During half-time, The Yacht Club Boys sing their planned entertainment: "We Brought The Texas Sunshine Down With Us". The freezing Yale crowd responds with a barrage of snowballs. Yale is leading 7-6 in the final minutes when Slug accidentally knocks himself unconscious on the sideline. Bessie takes over and sends in a play, which hillbilly Amos runs barefoot for the winning touchdown, To celebrate their victory, everyone sings the "Texas Tornado."
Cast
Stuart Erwin as Amos Dodd
Jack Haley as Slug
Patsy Kelly as Bessie
Arline Judge as Sally Saxon
Grady Sutton as Mortimer
Fred Kohler Jr. as Biff
Johnny Downs as Chip Carson
Tony Martin as Tommy
Dixie Dunbar as Ginger Jones
Betty Grable as Laura Watson
Judy Garland as Sairy Dodd
Si Jenks as Baggage Master
Yacht Club Boys
Carol Adams as student (uncredited) Lynn Bari as Football Game Spectator (uncredited) Muriel Scheck as Dancer (uncredited)