Temple Tuesday: Shirley at the Swim Gym

In the 1947 RKO comedy, “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer,” Beverly Hills High School was transformed into Sunset High School.



A pivotal scene takes place in the auditorium.



Cary Grant plays Richard Nugent, an artist and playboy, who seems to attract trouble with the ladies. As he gives a speech to the student body, man-crazy teenager Susan Turner (Shirley Temple) is mesmerized.



Right before her eyes, he magically transforms into a Knight in Shining Armor.



After his speech, Susan makes a beeline to Richard and interviews him for the school newspaper. In reality, she is just attempting to find out if he is single and interested in her.



After the interview, an uncomfortable Nugent says goodbye and hurriedly walks away from the persistent teenager.



Once again, the transformation occurs and he becomes a Knight to the adoring teen.



Not sure if that’s actually Cary in the suit? Here you go…



Although this young girl isn’t Shirley, she seems to be just as mesmerized. Cary had that effect on people!



Another scene in the movie takes place in the Beverly Hills High School Swim Gym, which was also used in “It’s A Wonderful Life” (covered in this post).



Nugent is forced to “date” Susan via her sister Margaret, a judge. Advised by Uncle Matt that the crush will only get worse if Margaret forbids it, the reluctant Susan decides to let the two hang out until Susan gets bored by Richard. Here, the couple attend a basketball game at the Swim Gym.





Some more views of the gym:



I was hoping I might have caught a production gaffe with the clock, but no such luck. They renamed Beverly Hills for Sunset, just as they should have for the movie.



The Swim-Gym is still alive and well today:







There are no interior shots as there is a large fence all the way around the high school. There appears to be a major overhaul of BHHS going on; I am hoping that the original main building (shown in the movie) survives, but it is hard to tell. I will need to go back!

See more Shirley and “Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” photos at my main website.

Bedford Falls: Behind the Scenes, Pt. 2

One of my favorite scenes in Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life” is where George Bailey (James Stewart) reconnects with Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) at a dance held at Bedford Falls High School. George is tall and gangly, and not comfortable doing the latest dance craze, The Charleston. Still, his feelings for Mary overcome his shyness and he gives it a whirl. Unbeknownst to both of them, George’s rival (played by “Our Gang”’s Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer) has turned the key that opens up the floor of the basketball court, revealing the pool beneath them. The rest of the dancers see the situation and begin laughing and yelling; George thinks they are cheering them on. As you can guess, the lovestruck duo fall into the pool. This scene has the perfect mixture of sweetness, comedy, and dramatic tension.

Beverly Hills High School’s “Swim-Gym” was designed as a New Deal project by Stiles O. Clements. While the main buildings of Beverly Hills High School were built in 1927, the unique “Swim-Gym” was designed by Clements and built by the WPA in 1939. The gym, now known as the Konheim Athletic Building, contains a basketball court that can be opened to access a 25-yard swimming pool below. The gym has also appeared in Shirley Temple’s “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” (1947) and “Clueless” (1995).



Here are two images that show Reed and Stewart rehearsing The Charleston. I’m sure it didn’t take long for Stewart to have to remove his sweater, as both of them look like they are putting their all into the rehearsal.



This shot shows the two leads relaxing at the piano during a break; not sure who the guy in the middle is [NOTE: Daveland reader Darryl has ID'ed him as Liberty Films co-founder Samuel J. Briskin]:

Want to see this scene? Here you go:



See more “It's A Wonderful Life” photos at my main website.