UCLA Faculty Association: Toast to Our Brother

Sunday, October 16, 2022

Toast to Our Brother

Screenshot of Joe E. Brown from the film

In prior posts, we have noted some UCLA student films from back in the day which have been uploaded to YouTube by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.* Some of these films present a light-hearted look at student life in mid-century at UCLA. One of these films is about fraternity life. (Little is said about sororities.) The film presents a positive spin. Everyone is in coats and ties.

Notable in the film is the character played by well-known comedian and Hollywood actor of that era, Joe E. Brown.** There is no explanation as to how the film makers persuaded Brown to act in the film. He plays an alumnus of the unnamed fraternity who talks about the virtues of fraternity life to new members.

Brown did not attend UCLA. But he had a son - Don E. Brown - who did attend, and who was a fraternity member. The son died in the military during World War II in an airplane accident and was honored by the university.*** So perhaps Brown had a warm spot for UCLA as a result.

The 1951 film - A Toast to Our Brother - may be seen at the link below. You won't see a lot of "diversity" depicted in college or fraternity life in this film. The closest the film comes to that subject is mention of the fraternity brothers helping underprivileged kids who are briefly shown and may be Mexican-American.