The Rose Bowl Story

Set against the pageantry of the Rose Bowl, this film tracks an unlikely romance between a newly crowned Rose Bowl Princess and a hard-nosed but tender college football player. They meet amid parades, training sessions and small-town expectations, and what starts as flirtation grows into a relationship tested by public attention and family opinion. The Burke household adds complications, with parents and siblings offering advice, pressure and comic relief. Scenes shift between locker rooms and social functions, keeping the mood light and occasionally sentimental, as the couple handles misunderstandings and the rituals that surround sports and local celebrity without any big twists or surprises.

Released in 1952, The Rose Bowl Story was directed by William Beaudine, with a screenplay credited to Charles R. Marion. The cast includes Marshall Thompson, Vera Miles, a young Natalie Wood, Jim Backus and Ann Doran, giving the film a mix of established and rising performers typical of early 1950s studio fare.

The movie hasn't lodged deep in popular memory, but it does matter to viewers interested in early screen appearances from Natalie Wood and Vera Miles before they became major stars. It also preserves a slice of 1950s college-football and pageant culture, so it turns up among collectors and fans of period pieces who like to see how midcentury America staged its public rituals.

Contemporary and modern reception is modest, reflected in a small audience rating of 3.0 out of 10. Critics and viewers often point to dated pacing and a lightweight script, while noting the film's focus on youth, family loyalty, reputation and the contrast between private feelings and public roles. It aims for charm over complexity and reads as a gentle romantic comedy-drama rooted in community life.

Reliable box office figures for the picture aren't widely reported, and it wasn't promoted as a major studio event. Trade coverage from the era doesn't record standout grosses, suggesting the film performed modestly and has survived mainly through television syndication, nostalgia markets and the later fame of some cast members.