The Band Plays On

Four street kids are caught stealing a car and get sent to an unusual reform school -- the gridiron. Entrusted to the care of Pacific University's head football coach Howdy Hardy (Preston Foster), the youths grow into young sports stars as Hardy's Bombers, masters of the backfield. Tony (Robert Young) and Stuffy (Stuart Erwin) vie for the affections of Kitty (Betty Furness), sister of teammate Mike (Russell Hardie), and Rosy (William Tannen) tries to keep his head in the game while cracking the books. The boys' reformation gets threatened by Mike and Kitty's older brother Joe (Ted Healy), who tempts Tony with the promise of quick and easy dough, sans scruples. After Stuffy and number-one fan Angelo (Leo Carrillo) get injured in an auto accident while trying to steer Tony away from Joe, the Bombers end up banished to the bench. But the boys are determined to get back into Howdy's good graces and back on to the field.