Flirtation Walk – 1934
Flirtation was a cute and enjoyable film that fit right into the style of the 30s. It starred Dick Powell as Richard “Canary” Palmer Grant Dorcy, an enlisted man in the U.S. Army. He is a moron. Opposite him is Ruby Keeler playing the part of Kit Fitts, the manipulative and self-centered daughter of the General. Together, they make for a delightfully romantic couple who must overcome class differences and the social conventions of the day to be together. Their story is set against the backdrop of two iconic places: the Hawaiian Islands and West Point Military Academy.
Now, you may ask why I call our main protagonist a moron. Let me explain. We first meet him as he is making fun of his superior officer behind his back. That, in itself isn’t so bad, but when he realizes that the officer is standing right behind him, listening to him, Dorcy doesn’t stop. He continues to make fun of him to his face. Of course, this lands him in hot water.
Then when the General’s daughter shows up, and manipulates him into disobeying orders, using the old “My father is the General, and you have to do what I say,” line, Dorcy is dumb enough to go along with it. The two have a romantic escapade, complete with a well-choreographed Hawaiian luau. They fall in love, despite the fact that Kit is somewhat promised to Lieutenant Biddle, played by John Eldridge.
Then rest of the movie follows Dorcy as he makes one bad decision after another because he is so crazy about Kit. He tries to go AWOL and is talked down by his best friend, Scrapper Thornhill, played by Pat O’Brien, along with the stereotypical dumb grunt, Sleepy, played by Guinn Williams. Then he decides to win Kit back by going to West Point Academy, not to excel, but to impress her. While there, he meets new friends like Spike, played by John Arledge, and Oskie, played by Ross Alexander. One bad decision after another, all concerning Kit, culminates in Dorcy nearly getting kicked out of the Academy the night before graduation.
But remember, this is Hollywood in the 1930s, so whatever happened, love would conquer all. The happy couple ended up together in the end mostly because of the officer who was supposed to be the bad guy, Lt. Biddle. He was eventually man enough to realize that Kit loved Dorcy instead of him, and graciously stepped aside, allowing the two lovers to be together.
The film was presented as a musical, spouting 6 musical numbers. But I liked how the numbers were actually worked into the story. They were not gratuitous or part of the story, but at least they came at appropriate times. There was a song at the luau, and several when Dorcy was put in charge of writing a play to be performed by the Cadets of West Point. The tunes were light and fluffy, giving the film a pleasant air and a fun atmosphere.
But it was that light-hearted aesthetic which made the movie fun to watch. Yeah, the leading character was an idiot, but it was ok because the film wasn’t too serious or dramatic. The luau scene was elaborate and fun, and had the distinction of being filmed on the biggest set ever constructed at Warner Brother Studios at the time. And the scenes filmed at the real West Point Academy were visually interesting with the handsome cadets all marching in their pristine uniforms.
Powell, who was a very popular crooner in the 30s was handsome and fresh-faced. As it turned out, he was also a very capable actor. Keeler was a little one note, and though she was also known as a singer, I wasn’t impressed with her voice when put next to Powell. Fortunately, her singing was kept to a minimum.
If I had any real complaints, it would be the old movie trope in which men turn into cartoonish, blithering idiots whenever a pretty girl walks into the room, as if they had never seen an attractive woman in their lives. Sure, Keeler was pretty, but really… oh well.