Mr. Belvedere Goes to College is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent. The screenplay written by Mary Loos, Mary C. McCall, Jr., and Richard Sale was based on characters created by Gwen Davenport. It follows on from Sitting Pretty (1948), and had a sequel, Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951). The film focuses on prickly genius Lynn Belvedere (Clifton Webb) who enrolls in a major university with the intention of obtaining a four-year degree in only one year.
Plot
Lynn Belvedere, though the successful author of a scandalous, best-selling book titled Hummingbird Hill (as described in Sitting Pretty), has not benefited financially, as he has had to fight many libel suits as a result. He has been awarded a literary prize from a foundation. One requirement for the $10,000 prize is that he be a college graduate.
To meet that requirement, Belvedere decides to enroll at Clemens University. The president of the university allows him to do so, on condition that he not do anything publicly detrimental to the institution. Belvedere intends to complete the four-year program in a single year, even though he has no formal education. He passes the entrance exams with flying colors because he is a self-taught genius.
He is assigned to share a dorm room with freshman Corny Whittaker and bossy sophomore Avery Brubaker. A fellow student who writes for the school paper, Ellen Baker, wants to interview him, but he declines.
Belvedere gets a job as a food server at a sorority house from student job coordinator Bill Chase. Bill is interested in Ellen, and later at a dinner he introduces her to his mother, who is in charge of the sorority. Belvedere corrects the girls' behavior and etiquette at dinner.
Belvedere is punished for shaving during "Whisker Week": he has to wear a fake beard until further notice. Ellen takes a photo of him in the beard for an article she is writing. The article includes quotes from Belvedere that displease the university greatly, even though Belvedere states they were not intended for publication and plans to sue Ellen and the university. Instead, Belvedere advises Ellen not to publish pure gossip in future and not to submit another, longer article to Look Magazine.
As the relationship between Bill and Ellen deepens, she introduces him to her young son, Davy. She tells Bill that she is a war widow. He is taken aback, but after thinking it over, he decides he loves her, they reconcile, and become engaged.
When Ellen gets a cool reception from Bill's mother, she believes that Mr. Belvedere has told Mrs. Chase about her son Bill (Actually, her cover was blown by chatty Avery Brubaker (Alan Young)). Being mistakenly upset with Mr. Belvedere, Ellen decides to send her article about Mr. Belvedere to Look Magazine. Bill pleads with her not to, but she refuses to listen. Mr. Belvedere tries to talk to her, but she will not let him in her apartment. He climbs the fire escape and sneaks in through a window. Two patrol officers saw him and find him in her apartment and arrest him, believing he is a Peeping Tom when Ellen lies, claiming not to know Mr. Belvedere. A bit later Ellen feels guilty for lying and has Mr. Belvedere released from the city jail. He helps the couple in a way by having Ellen make up with Bill.
Mr. Belvedere does complete his degree in one year, and he is also the class valedictorian. In the final scene, as the President of Clemens hands Mr. Belvedere his degree, he hands the president a rolled up magazine. The president unrolls it to find that it is the latest edition of Look Magazine, with a photo of Mr. Belvedere receiving his degree on the cover, and the lead article shown on the cover is Ellen's. Belvedere then breaks the fourth wall and smiles knowingly at the audience.
^SCHEUER, PHLIP K. (Oct 29, 1950). "Jeff Chandler Finally Gets to 'Act His Age': Rising Young (31) Screens Player Considers Himself 'a Lucky Kid'". Los Angeles Times. p. D3.
Bibliography
Windeler, Robert (1992) [1978], The Films of Shirley Temple, Carol Publishing Group, pp. 246–7
