The Rose Bowl Story

This is an entertaining little gem that seems to have disappeared from TV screens everywhere. I first saw this as a kid on TV each year around New Years Day and seeing it again after many years has rekindled the fun of those simpler times.

The actors in this movie are all familiar faces and everyone plays their roles in a pleasant, relaxed manner except for a teen-age Natalie Wood, whose character is just brimming with youthful enthusiasm. The plotline is simple and transparent but it's fun to just watch it unfold.

The Rose Bowl story is a glimpse back into the postwar past when the "Grandaddy of Bowl Games" was a big and exciting tradition and not the media-fueled extravaganza it has become today.

If you're looking for a nice and relaxing little story as well as a little-seen vehicle for Natalie Wood, this is a good movie to catch in the "bowling season".