Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

John T. Ryan MUCH LIKE THE proverbial knight who hops on his horse and attempts to ride out into all directions at once, this film tries too hard to please its audience in too many ways. Rather than opting for one main genre (i.e., musical comedy), its mission in celluloid life appears to have intended as multi-genre comedy, musical, drama, service picture and show biz behind the scenes saga/tribute.THE CAST WAS superb. It reunited stars James Cagney and Virginia Mayo from their success of the previous year in WHITE HEAT; although the pairing was hardly to be considered neither as intense nor nearly as memorable. it also served as a re-teaming of Doris Day and Gordon Mac Rae; who apparently were intended to be a team.ALSO PROMINENT IN he cast is "Skipper" (himself), Alan Hale, Jr.; who does some great on screen support in dramatic and comic relief. It is in fact as noticeable of a screen appearance that he had during a long career in both the movies and television.WITH THE EXCEPTION of what appears to be an excessive application of the art of the Rear Screen Projection. Cagney & Mayo are seen in what seems to be an eternity of walking/talking with the West Point campus shown behind them.SOME ENJOYABLE PERFORMANCES turned in by Gene Nelson, Roland Winters and an unbilled Frank Ferguson are worth mentioning. Added to a typically "anonymous" Warner Brothers stock company providing the needed support.AS FOR OUR recommendations, we say see it, once anyway. It will definitely amuse, if somewhat confound.

vincentlynch-moonoi The Pros: It's sorta fun! Cool watching James Cagney strut! Cons: The plot is far-fetched. But okay, this is a film to savor for the (as usual) slightly over-the-top performance of James Cagney, particularly in regard to his dancing. There's something unique and special about Cagney's hoofing. A Fred Astaire he ain't, but he's still darned entertaining. A friend of mine from Pakistan, having once watched a Cagney film, said he just didn't get it. Why did Americans think he was such a great actor? I didn't (and still don't) know how to answer. But Cagney was something special.Virginia Mayo is swell as Cagney's love interest. Gordon MacRae fine (and in fine voice) as the talented West Point Cadet. If you're watching for Doris Day, you might be a little disappointed. She's not even in the first third of the film (except for a photo in a frame). Alan Hale, Jr. is "cute" as a cadet who plays a princess, but apparently the studio didn't think he could talk well...he has few lines, despite his character being somewhat important to the story (he pales in comparison to his dad, but is likable enough).For quite a bit of the movie, it is lacking in...something. And then as you move into the second half of the film you realize what WAS lacking, but has suddenly developed...having a "heart". The music here is not particularly great, considering it's a musical, although there is one wonderful patriotic number. The dancing is somewhat better, and, as mentioned previously, watching Cagney dance is a wonderful experience because he did it differently...and he has one particularly good dance number (despite his voice) later in the film (in a zoot suit, no less).This is an entertaining film, though not a great film. Nice to see camera work actually done at West Point, although my guess is the stars went through their paces in Hollywood. Worth a watch, but perhaps not one for your DVD shelf.

edwagreen 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.

slymusic Starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, and Alan Hale, Jr., "The West Point Story" is a very enjoyable musical comedy, even if the plot is somewhat convoluted. It's about a Broadway song & dance man named Elwin "Bix" Bixby (Cagney), who lately has been down on his heels, if you'll forgive the pun. Bix and his tart-tongued but faithful assistant Eve Dillon (Mayo) make a trip out to the famous military academy at West Point in order to help cadets Tom Fletcher (MacRae) and Hal Courtland (Nelson) put on their spring musical known as the 100th Nite Show. Tom is a great singer and Hal is a marvelous dancer, but the show definitely needs some doctoring up. For one thing, there are to be no women in the show; all the female parts are to be played by the male cadets(!!). The crafty Bix solves that problem by finagling spots in the show for not only Eve but also a successful Hollywood star named Jan Wilson (Day).My favorite scenes from "The West Point Story" include the following (DO NOT read any further if you have not yet seen this film). Bix is quite amusing with all his kinetic energy as he jumps up & down to voice his displeasure at a dance routine, or when he decks a theatrical producer (Roland Winters) in order to close a deal. At the cadets' Saturday night hop, Jan thrills the dancing crowd with her lively, bouncy, head-bobbing rendition of "The Military Polka". Hal does an unbelievably fascinating dance (featuring a fine orchestral accompaniment) before getting pelted with straw hats. The West Point glee club sings "The Corps" as Tom solemnly recites a patriotic monologue about the history of West Point and of the heroic Americans who dreamed to make this outstanding military academy a reality. Bix and Eve are a singing/dancing sensation with "It Could Only Happen in Brooklyn", and they are equally wonderful with the quirky "By the Kissing Rock", of which Tom Fletcher & Bull Gilbert (Hale) only give an adequate performance moments earlier. And finally, upon Jan Wilson's first appearance in this movie, she sings the delightfully swinging novelty number "Ten Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Sheep".Featuring music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn, "The West Point Story" was apparently an attempt to recreate the success of James Cagney's Oscar-winning performance in the musical "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942), but at this I don't think the film succeeded. Nevertheless, despite the incomprehensible plot and the inappropriate romance between Jan Wilson & Tom Fletcher, I still find "The West Point Story" to be highly entertaining. I especially admire the delightful performances of James Cagney, who gives his role of Elwin Bixby every bit of the gusto it needed, and Alan Hale, Jr. as "Bull" Gilbert. (Who would have thought that a skipper would begin his seafaring career portraying a princess in the musical theatre?!)