Red Salute

This independent film released through United Artists was Barbara Stanwyck's first venture into comedy. According to a biography of her she made this one immediately after splitting from husband Frank Fay and she was staying with Zeppo Marx and his wife.

Reading the blurb about Red Salute I can hardly believe that anyone got so worked up over this rather innocuous screen comedy. Actual fistfights occurred in the audience and the American Communist Party picketed this film probably bringing in a few more bucks at the box office as a result.

Stanwyck is an army brat, daughter of General Purnell Pratt and she's committed the foulest of sins according to him, she's in love with a Communist student Hardie Albright. But the army has the goods on him, he's not a US citizen and can be deported for something if they can find some kind of charge like inciting to riot. Mere free speech won't do it, there's that First Amendment you know.

Through a series of comical and drunken accidents she and enlisted man Robert Young leave together and even hijack a trailer from its owner Cliff Edwards. Truth be told Edwards would like to get away from that harridan of a wife he married Ruth Donnelly.

After this it becomes one of dozens of imitation films of It Happened One Night. That time on the road with Young with Cliff Edwards crooning I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now make Stanwyck see the error of her ways even if she won't admit it.

Red Salute is a pleasant and innocuous sort of film, a much better view of radical student politics of the 30s is found in The Way We Were. I also couldn't help thinking that if Albright avoided deportation he'd be in front of the House Un American Activities Committee in a dozen years.

A sequel film with that as a premise might have proved interesting.

Just as cute and with an incredibly similar storyline and banter style as It Happened One Night, Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Young head up the cast of this adorable romantic comedy Red Salute. For some reason It Happened One Night swept the Oscars and no one's ever heard of Red Salute. Maybe this one didn't become a classic because it pokes fun at the fear of Communism; but then again, Frank Capra's comedy makes fun of wife-beating.

In this one, Barbara Stanwyck is in love with a man her father disapproves of. She's spoiled and rich, and to prevent their marriage, her dad, Purnell Pratt, tries to trick her into going to Mexico. She meets Robert Young, who's also broke and trying to find his way home, so together, they hitchhike their way back to the US. Sound familiar?

As much as I love Claudette Colbert and think she's two tons of adorable, I like Red Salute better. It's just as funny, clever, and silly, but it doesn't have the sting of winning five undeserved Academy Awards lurking in the background. Try this one out when you're in the mood for a cute romantic comedy in the afternoon.

This is another take off on the Escape Bride - aka Night Bus aka It happened One night - incidentally the first of the series pre-dating the short story (so probably the story itself was a rip-off) - of British Movie - Jessie Matthew's 'There Goes The Bride' (1932) - so one year senior to the short story.

I will for the time being overlook the propaganda (anti red) aspect - that is because unlike any other movie industry, of any other country (and I would not exclude even the 3R from the list) , Hollywood had always been the proxy for Government policies, and had been making movies to mould the public sentiment towards it. In fact it is quite unfortunate - but the Government wanted it - that the "anti-war" sentiment of the Student leader had been ridiculed in the movie - for the historians - probably the assassination of the Socialist and Antiwar icon, Jean Jaurès, (who in fact preached exactly what the Villain, Arner, was preaching) culminated in WW-1. Probably - or most likely - had he not been assassinated, the WW1 - and its result, rise of Nazis and WW2 itself was avoidable. But those are wishful thinking, with the Governments as war-hawks, financed by armament manufacturers, moulding the population through all media, may be he would have failed in long term. I will, despite my stron opposition to it, overlook this transgression, and with that, the movie in fact is quite enjoyable. As predecessor to It Happened One Night - naturally it calls for comparison. Even in that - I won't really say this wasn't in contention. But that is my opinion - I personally prefer the 'B' star, Young over superstar gable, and Barbara anyway is better looking than Colbert - and none of the two are deficient in acting faculty either. Even the suffering father, Purnell Pratt, was quite charming, as much as Walter, and probably a bit more, due to his not being as rumbustious as Connolly. Only the unwanted fiance Hardie Albright (as Leonard Arner) was a bit disappointing - here he had meatier role, but that weakness were more than compensated by Cliff Edwards (as P.J. Rooney).

Well - over all another too underrated - definitely watchable movie - just one have to adjust for the misplaced prejudice.

Barbara Stanwyck portrays Drue van Allen, the spoiled college brat daughter of General van Allen. Drue dabbles in leftist politics, sponsoring the commie lecturer, Arner (played by Hardie Albright), chiefly for the agitation value it has for her father. Robert Young plays Jeff, a red-blooded young American soldier who can't seem to stay out of the guard house. General van Allen (Purnell Pratt) encourages Jeff's interest in Drue despite his less than perfect military record in an effort to steer her clear of the foreign leftists under whose sway she has fallen. In a series of misadventures, Jeff goes AWOL and he and Drue wind up in Mexico via a stolen travel trailer. Romance ensues and Drue and Jeff put aside their political differences. They return to the USA, Jeff returns to duty, the commies are routed, and everybody lives happily ever after, at least until WWII.

In several ways this simple little film seems to presage "The Way We Were." It won't make anybody's all-time favorites list, but Stanwyck and Young go well together and are pleasant to watch.