The West Point Story

Director: Roy Del Ruth Roy Del Ruth

Overview

In this musical, Broadway director Elwin Bixby is hired to help the boys at West Point Military Academy stage a musical. Bringing his girlfriend with him, Elwin travels to West Point only to become frustrated with the academy rules that he must conform to in order to finish the show.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/07/2017
UPC:	0888574475024
Original Release:	1950
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:47:00
Sales rank:	6,046

Special Features

Warner Night at the Movies 1950 short subjects gallery: vintage newsreel; Oscar-Winning sports parade; Short Grandad of Races; Classic cartoon His Bitter Half; Trailers of The West Point Story and 1950's Tea for Two

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Cagney	Elwin 'Bix' Bixby
Doris Day	Jan Wilson
Gordon MacRae	Tom Fletcher
Virginia Mayo	Eve Dillon
Gene Nelson	Hal Courtland
Alan Hale Jr.	Bull Gilbert
Roland Winters	Harry Eberhart
Raymond Roe	Bixby's `Wife'
Wilton Graff	Lt. Col. Martin
Jerome Cowan	Jocelyn
Frank Ferguson	Commandant
Russ Saunders	Acrobat
Jack Kelly	Officer-in-Charge
Glenn Turnbull	Hoofer
Walter Ruick	Piano Player
Luther Crockett	Senator
Russell Saunders	Acrobat
Victor Desney	French Attache
Wheaton Chambers	Secretary
James Dobson	Cadet
Joel Marston	Cadet
Bob Hayden	Cadet
DeWitt Bishop	Cadet
John Hedloe	Cadet
Don Shartel	Cadet
James Young	Cadet
Alan Hale	Bull Gilbert

Technical Credits

John Monks Jr.

Charles Hoffman

Irving Wallace

Roy Del Ruth	Director
Louis F. Edelman	Producer
John Monks Jr.	Screenwriter
Charles Hoffman	Screenwriter
Irving Wallace	Screenwriter
Edwin DuPar	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

If one is willing to suspend one's disbelief sufficiently, The West Point Story can be a very entertaining little musical trifle. The premise -- that a Broadway producer simply has to build his next big musical around a military cadet with a great voice but no experience and no desire to forego his military career for the stage -- is far-fetched enough; but that a very grown-up James Cagney would agree to become a lowly "pleb" cadet in order to direct the institute's spring show and steal the lad away for Broadway is even harder to accept. Fortunately, West Point has a stellar cast on hand to smooth over the very bumpy spots in the script. Cagney is in great form, clearly having a grand time eating up the scenery and carrying the film, and getting the chance to stop things with the climactic paean to "Brooklyn." Virginia Mayo looks absolutely sensational as his brassy long-time fiancée, Gordon MacRae sounds absolutely sensational as the much-wanted cadet, and Doris Day simply is absolutely sensational as the Hollywood star who falls for MacRae. Add in an impressive cane-and-hats dance number for Gene Nelson and a snappy Jule Styne score with some of Sammy Cahn's better lyrics, and the result is a picture that's quite engaging -- as long as it's singing.