The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall (1942)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

. . . with THREE concurrent fiancés and a molesting kidnapper, DOVER BOYS may NOT be suitable for younger viewers. Possession might usually be "nine-tenths of the law," but the quartet holding "Dora Standpipe" for most of this animated short end up losing her to a guy old enough to be everyone's grandpa (and a ringer for Hugh Heffner, as well). This geezer is the "strong, silent type," which suits Ms. Standpipe to a T, as she prefers to do all the talking, totally oblivious to anyone else in the room. The Ancient Gent's only pastime is aimless strolling, looking for winning lottery tickets blowing in the breeze. His Life Style will dovetail perfectly with that of Dora and her fellow One Per Centers. Since Dora's old-timer lacks even an ounce of Situational Awareness, she'll be able to have as many irons in her fire as she pleases. As there was no reason to "pull" for anyone among the "losing" quartet, this may be a case of "all's well that ends well." Alternatively, you could call this a case of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

"The Dover Boys at Pimento University" tells the story of three brothers who attend the same university, although they're all very different. Tom Dover is the trio's leader and he might be the muscles too. Dick is a small sharp man who is supposed to be the brains. Larry is the younger of the three and he looks like Dopey from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".They all have a common fiancée, who is Dainty Dora Standpipe, a typical Southern girl, shaped like a candle. They also have a rival. He happens to be Dan Backslide, one of the most hilarious cartoon villains I've seen for a very long time.Backslide kidnaps Dainty Dora while the boys play a silly game of hide-and-seek.The cartoon lasts for about ten minutes, which is surprisingly long for that kind of medium. But the story is well developed and the plot is good from the beginning to the end. The characters are all memorable. The Dover boys are funny, mainly because of their dumbness. Dainty Dora is a two-way clihé: the Southern girl and the damsel in distress. The best performance comes from blue-skinned Dan Backslide, who is a hilarious villain."The Dover Boys at Pimento University" is a hidden classic from Merrie Melodies. Its brown atmosphere, its funny characters and its long and elaborate plot make it an invaluable cartoon from the Golden Age.

For me, the Dover Boys marked the time when Jones left behind for good the "cute" look and made animation art that pushed the known limits.What a hoot. The staged poses of the characters lampooned the stuffy portraiture of the Victorian era, gaining breakneck speed and stopping suddenly...it must have been hard to "time" this film.The sequence in which Dan Backslide steals the "runabout" stands alone in cartoon history--Jones creates an almost 3-D world, and his use of the rubbery single-frame "takes" to highlight the rapid moves was inspired.Of course, the goofy guy in the bathing costume finally wins Dora (he was the only character to exhibit any fluidity, finally freeing Dora to dance along in syncopation). What was the message here-? How the heck would I know-? Was Dan's resemblance to Dick Powell accidental-?

This cartoon is underrated. The humor is subtle yet hilarious. My two kids love it so much that they will drop what they are doing whenever this comes on. The Dover Boys is a takeoff of the damsel-in-distress/Uncle Tom's Cabin scenario. The humor is in the characterizations such as Dan Backslide's unique way of kidnapping the girl or how the heroes ride their bicycles. Perhaps my family's sense of humor is different from most people. Too many contemporary cartoons rely on toilet humor and not something that is well written. But Chuck Jones and the people who gave us these classics will always have a soft spot in my heart. Their work is flawless and timeless. Whenever a show or cartoon crossovers generations without having to explain why, then the artist has done their job. They just don't make them like they use to.