Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302787016
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6302787017
Label: MGM (Warner)
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Running Time: 98
Studio: MGM (Warner)
Theatrical Release Date: 1934-12-01

Customer Rating:
Summary: "No Horse, No Wife, No Mustache"
Comment: Dick Dorcey (Dick Powell) has a wise mouth and he doesn't hesitate to show it off to Sgt. Thornhill (Pat O'Brien), who he affectionately calls "Scrapper." Why is Dick in the army then? That's a good question. He doesn't like authority and gets himself into plenty of trouble, but he aspires to be an officer. His surroundings don't make it easy. Kathleen Fitts (Ruby Keeler) is on the base to visit her high-ranking father, and Dick is assigned to chauffeur her around. Feeling adventurous, she orders him to break many rules in favor of showing her the real Hawaii. She also saves him from punishment, but he tries to cut himself off from further problems by shipping himself to West Point for training. There, he rises steadily toward his dream, but he can't escape fate in the shape of a beautiful woman.

Flirtation Walk is quite a bit different than the typical Warner Brothers musical. The pacing is much less snappy and frantic, which gives director Frank Borzage a chance to stretch his legs. The visuals are fantastic; Borzage makes Hawaii look lush and languid with his soft lighting and stylish directing. He makes the most of his actors. Powell is cocky and funny, but still as likable as in previous films. Keeler is a breath of fresh air in this film; she finally proves that she can act after all. She can sing too! O'Brien is stalwart and likable, and Ross Alexander as Dick's army friend is hilarious and enjoyable.

The musical numbers are not as exciting as Busby Berkeley's, but they're pleasant. The first actually resembles Berkeley's style. It takes place in a Hawaiian luau where the natives form circles and are watched from above on a hill. Later, songs like "Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name" and "Flirtation Walk" are staged as scenarios, each with their own merits. Powell is an expert at playing his lyrics as he sings them, and Borzage's visuals are a wonderful companion. This is yet another Borzage film that has been neglected over time; here is hoping it will see a DVD release in the future.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Thin Plotting
Comment: Dick Powell stars as an Army private stationed in Hawaii who becomes tangled up with a general's daughter (Ruby Keeler) involved with another man. When things end badly and he is accused of not behaving like a gentleman, he transfers to West Point so that he can become an officer (and a gentleman) while also forgetting her. Of course, she re-enters the picture and his successful training is placed in jeopardy. The plot is pretty thin, which was often the case in the Warner Brothers musicals of the Thirties. Although the often co-starred Powell and Keeler are comfortable with each other, riveting they are not. They play their roles earnestly, as does the rest of the cast, which includes Pat O'Brien as Powell's proud former sergeant and Ross Alexander as Powell's fellow cadet. The songs are generally forgettable, and apart from the marching in formation, there's little here visually to distinguish the film, unlike so many of the studio's other Thirties musicals. The film seems to lack energy and charisma, building little momentum or interest. It passes the time, but does little else.

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