Flirtation Walk

Even with Ruby Keeler's tinny voice and the fact she doesn't dance a step, Flirtation Walk is an utterly charming musical from the Thirties with Dick Powell at the height of his lyric tenor period.

West Point's image has done very well by Hollywood. The West Point Story and The Long Gray Line are the other two big films about the U.S. Military Academy on the Hudson. But this was the first film of a grand tradition.

Dick Powell is an army private stationed out in Hawaii who's assigned by his sergeant Pat O'Brien to be a driver for Ruby Keeler, daughter of General Henry O'Neill. She's got a boyfriend in her Dad's aide John Eldredge. But on a moonlight night in Hawaii, the old boy/girl thing happens.

Powell receives a rude awakening the next day when he's made to realize the difference in class between officers and enlisted men. Something like the rude awakening John Agar got in Fort Apache when he was courting Shirley Temple even though he was an officer, albeit a newly minted one from an enlisted man's family. So Powell decided he's going to become an officer and sets about applying for West Point.

The next half of the film is set in West Point and in Powell's final year, Henry O'Neill becomes the Academy Superintendent bring of course Keeler and Eldredge come with him. Here we have the same plot device that was later used in The West Point Story, breaking precedent in having a woman in the Hundred Nights show for the graduating class. Who do you think the woman that the cadets want?

Allie Wrubel and Mort Dixon wrote two nice numbers that are used in the musical show, Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name and Flirtation Walk. Powell sings them well although he didn't need Ruby's thin voice doing the reprise. During the Hawaiian portion of the film Powell sang Aloha Oe. Why Ruby wasn't given any dance numbers is beyond me since that was her strength as a performer.

I should also mention Ross Alexander, who came to a tragic early end three years later, as Powell's roommate at the Point. He was a funny guy and had a nice career going in playing best friends to the hero in film. A sad waste.

I think you'll like the characters created and directed by Frank Borzage in this very charming film.

'Scrapper' Thornhhill (Pat O'Brien) is an Army sergeant stationed in Hawaii struggling to get his men into shape. One of those men is the singing Dick 'Canary' Dorcy (Dick Powell). General Fitts is visiting for a couple of days. Dick is assigned to drive his daughter Kit (Ruby Keeler).

This is a romance musical taken place around the military. It is the in-between war years and this is a pro-military film. Dick Powell is too old to be a new recruit. He is 30 and looks older if only he doesn't do the double-chin face. The music is not my taste. It has some light humor and drama. This is mostly fine.

Flirtation Walk was an okay film. It is about a private stationed in Hawaii who gets involved with the general's daughter. Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler gave fairly decent performances, but the screenplay is a little slow in places. I thought frank Borzage did an alright job directing this movie. This film back in 1934 was a big hit, mostly because of the popularity at the time of Powell & Keeler, but it's pretty predictable by today's standards. Overall, it has some very nice musical performances, and the photography was well shot, which is reflected by the film being nominated for two academy awards, one for sound and one for best picture. I wouldn't watch it again, and would only recommend to those who favor musicals and romances.

'Flirtation Walk' may not be a great film, but it entertains and charms and it is difficult not to like. Flawed? Yes. Worth watching? Absolutely, with the many good points nearly making up for the few points that don't come off quite so well.

Coming off least is the story, which even for a musical-comedy is formulaic and extremely simplistic. Sadly, Frank Borzage tends to make heavy weather of it, meaning that 'Flirtation Walk' is not quite as light-on-its-feet as it could have been and the patriotism present in some of the film is a little too overt and heavy-handed.

However, 'Flirtation Walk' while not lavish still looks handsome and colourful as well as skilfully photographed. The songs are very tuneful and very easy on the ear, the best of them being the witty and clever "Mr and Mrs is the Name". The script is smart and amusing, if a little too frothy in places.

Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell are immensely likable and their chemistry is incredibly charming and a large part of the film's appeal. Despite the story being less than perfect, it has enough pep and zip to keep things moving at a bright and breezy pace, and the penultimate scene is very moving. Pat O'Brien similarly brings sympathetic emotional impact.

In summary, the story is flawed but the charm and likability (especially from the performances and chemistry of the two leads) is immense. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Flirtation Walk is a 1934 musical starring Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Ross Alexander, Pat O'Brien, John Eldredge, and Henry O'Neill.

Powell plays Dick Darcy, a private stationed in Hawaii. He meets the general's daughter Kit (Keeler). The two fall for one another, but she's engaged to another (Eldredge). They break up.

A few years later, they meet again, this time at West Point. Kit is still engaged, but very happy to see Dick. Feeling used by her, Dick rebuffs her and hurts her feelings.

Dick has to write and appear the annual show, and the other cadets want Kit to play the lead. Dick refuses as women are not allowed, but the cadets appeal to her father, who gives the okay.

I love Dick Powell. I'm not such a fan of Ruby Keeler, who was certainly very pretty and did some good films with Powell. I did not find this a scintillating musical. The music was dull, and the story was flat.

I actually watched this to see if I could do what no one else has been able to - find Tyrone Power, who was a cadet in this film.

The only reason he is listed on IMDb is that he became famous as he was not a featured cadet. He was an extra, probably answering a call for young men to be extras at West Point. He cannot be spotted.

By the way, he and Linda Christian lived directly across the street from Dick Powell and June Allyson on Copa D'Oro in LA.

Dick Powell had such a beautiful voice, but it wasn't used a lot or to great advantage here. In short, this can't hold a candle to "42nd Street" or "Dames," or other musicals of the era.