The West Point Story

Too bad so much talent in so stupid a movie. Granted, most musicals are unrealistic, but this is down right stupid. So may implsuabilities, its pitiful. What place can have dozens of non dancers who can dance like pros...?? What stupid plot devices just to do a song or number. How can one come into a show like Doris Day does at the last minute with no rehearsal????? When the Gene Nelson character hurts his leg and can't go on, Cagney takes over in a minute with Nelsons costume. Nelson is over 6 feet and Cagney at least 10 inches shorter, but the costume fits perfectly. Just a few of unrealistic happenings. Poor excuse of a musical and all should have been ashamed. Also, the Gordon Macrae character fall in love with the Day character in a minute and they want to marry!!!!! Come on....The only plus is a couple of musical numbers. By the way, whats the show supposed to be about that West Point is producing. Oh, and all the rear projection is really annoying. Why not just take thee cast there and make it more realistic setting wise. Dumb filmmaking.

source: The West Point Story

Trailer—The West Point Story

This one was a real disappointment. I mean with James Cagney, Doris Day, Virginia Mayo and Gene Nelson how could they go wrong! Somehow they did. Cursed with a dumb screenplay, clutzy direction, far too many stock shots of West Point and pretty sloppy rear screen projections, WEST POINT STORY just doesn't make it. Cagney is great as always, as is Doris Day, (and that the Academy has never seen fit to give her an honorary Oscar is a real crime!), but the songs they have, by Sammy Kahn and Julie Styne, no less are instantly forgettable. And to put the icing on the cake, the thing is filmed in not so glorious black and white!!! I can't believe that Jack Warner couldn't have sprung for color, but there you are! (Remember, this is the same man who passed on Julie Andrews for MY FAIR LADY!) Anyway, see it for Cagney and Doris, but otherwise give it a pass. A five..not horrible..not great...just "Bleh!"

Decent Gene Nelson hoofing, plus DD's boogie woogie bit about sheep and the song and dance tribute to Brooklyn by Cagney/Mayo form three tasty ingredients in a large stew of boredom. And if I had to hear about that friggin kissing rock one more time I'd have hurled all over my date! C minus.

There's a lesson to be learned here: no amount of talent can save a musical production weighted with a lame script and mediocre songs. Talent is abundant in this film, with no less than five terrific stars above the title. Yet, song after song, number after number, the picture just seems to sit there, limp and lifeless. A nice try, but "The West Point Story" remains only a fairly watchable, average film. Yet, there's no denying the bountiful talent of Cagney-Mayo-Day-MacRae-Nelson.

Jimmy Cagney reunites with his White Heat co-star Virginia Mayo in a very different kind of movie - a musical comedy about a Broadway director who goes to the West Point military academy to put on a show. Cagney is the Broadway director and Mayo is his singing and dancing girlfriend. The two have a banter and chemistry that I enjoyed a lot. Doris Day is Cagney's movie star protégé he ropes into helping with the show. She falls for West Point cadet Gordon MacRae and the two sing quite a bit. It's an enjoyable film, although the songs are mostly forgettable. I think this was meant as more of a showcase for rising stars Day and MacRae but it's Cagney and Mayo who keep the film interesting. Added bonus is seeing Alan Hale, Jr. act alongside Cagney. Jimmy was in several movies with Alan Hale, Sr. who died earlier this same year.

Average musical where James Cagney goes to West Point to get graduating senior Gordon MacRae out of the military so that he can pursue a show business career. Virginia Mayo and Doris Day are 2 ladies or cohorts in this scheme and go know that Day falls for MacRae causing many complications. As always, the musical productions are nicely staged as Cagney dances away 8 years after his Oscar-winning turn in "Yankee Doodle Dandy." There is some uneven moments as Cagney is castigated for being out and then is promptly honored. In fact, he gets "honored" several times in the film and it can be annoying. The songs Military Polka and the ending Brooklyn are memorable. Mayo and Cagney proved that they could dance up a storm here. When Day gets excited with Cagney, would she ever think that 5 years later the two of them would be in probably the best picture of their respective careers-"Love Me or Leave Me." Due to the weak plot, some may have wanted to leave West Point prematurely.

In a blatant attempt to recapture the spirit of James Cagney's 1942 hit "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (the trailer even promises this to be "the dandiest Yankee Doodle of them all!") comes a highly-concocted story from Irving Wallace about a down-and-out-showman staging a musical revue at a military academy. Corny in the extreme, but hoofing Cagney's still got the goods; his dance routines liven up the pace of this puff-piece, though they don't exactly make it a memorable vehicle for any of the stars. Virginia Mayo and Doris Day are the gals on hand, and Day's fans will surely be disappointed by her weak musical material and the fact she gets the short shrift in favor of Mayo (who has the better role and yet still projects all the personality of a fashionable mannequin). ** from ****

When previewing a performance for the musical show being put on, Cagney says "Wouldn't hiss, wouldn't cheer." That about sums it up perfectly, except that I am hissing - some. This movie musical about Cagney helping West Point cadets put on a musical revue, simply just lays there. Despite his energetic presence and the talents of Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, and Virginia Mayo, it comes across as lifeless. The musical numbers are upbeat and Cagney uses his whole body to show disgust for incompetent amateurs (if you've seen it, you know what I mean,) but the songs are not original or grand enough to really stand out. It may seem pleasant enough at the time, but after nearly two hours, you feel worn out. See another Doris Day or James Cagney film first.