“Doris Day and Gordon MacRae make a fine pair of lovebirds. Dancing cadet Gene Nelson taps out some neat numbers. Put ‘em all together and you have a bright, brisk show.” - Motion Picture Magazine

“The tunes are topnotch, catchy, and plentiful, with Doris Day and Gordon MacRae cooing the lyrics exceptionally well. The story is overlong and dated with corny situations that make the running time seem twice as long…Doris Day and Gordon MacRae register well as a singing team and help put spark into the new music.” - Film Bulletin

“Fresh treatment and new twists to the musical formula make The West Point Story worthwhile entertainment.” - Variety

Directed by  

Produced by

Written by



Starring






Music by






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Release date(s)   

Running time

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Box-Office Gross (USA)

Roy Del Ruth

Louis F. Edelman

Irving Wallace
Charles Hoffman
John Monks Jr.

James Cagney
Virginia Mayo
Doris Day
Gordon MacRae
Gene Nelson
Alan Hale Jr.

Sammy Cahn
Ray Heindorf
Hugh Martin
Frank Perkins
Jule Styne
Howard Jackson

Sidney Hickox

Owen Marks

Warner Bros.

December 22, 1950

107 minutes

United States

English

$3,600,000

Doris is teamed with Gordon MacRae again, in this story of a Hollywood Star (Doris) and a West Point Cadet (Gordon). Gene Nelson is again along for the ride and some dances, along with Virginia Mayo. This is the first time James Cagney co-stars in a Doris film, but it won’t be the last. The major songs from the movie were: “You Love Me” and “I Only Have Eyes For You”.

James Cagney delivers a very different performance as a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer/director. He plays out-of-work director Elwin "Bix" Bixby, who reluctantly accepts a job from producer Harry Eberhart (Roland Winters) to stage a show at West Point written by Harry's nephew Tom Fletcher (Gordon MacRae). Harry thinks Tom's show could be a Broadway success if he would only quit West Point. Bix travels to West Point, with his girlfriend, Eve (Virginia Mayo), in tow, to whip the show into shape. But Bix is frustrated by the academy's rules, which interrupt his rehearsal schedule. In frustration, Bix hits a cadet. In order to continue to work on the show, Bix must become a cadet himself, and deal with the attendant hazing that entails.

His bright idea to save the show is to coerce a "friend in the business" to work on the production. Enter Jan Wilson (Doris Day), who is brought out to play the female lead role in the  production. Tom falls in love with her, but complications of show business vs. military rules cause problems. As in most Hollywood Musicals, there is, of course, a happy ending.


Movie Quotes

Eve Dillon: I've been "taking 10" since I've known you watching you fight your way to the bottom!
Elwin 'Bix' Bixby: I don't fight, Baby. I'm a lover!

Eve Dillon: You heel! Can't even pay a hotel bill! In debt up to your ears, and it's horses! Horses every second you're awake! Horses, horses, horses!
Elwin 'Bix' Bixby: I don't drink or smoke.

Eve Dillon: I accepted their invitation for you to become a cadet.
Elwin 'Bix' Bixby: You what?
Eve Dillon: You heard me!
Elwin 'Bix' Bixby: And I just accepted an invitation for you to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel! Now, who goes first?


Songs

"Alma Mater" - Sung by a chorus during the opening credits

"It's Raining Sundrops" - Sung by a chorus, Danced by James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, chorus

"One Hundred Days Till June" - Performed by Gordon MacRae and chorus

"By the Kissing Rock" - Performed by Gordon MacRae and Alan Hale Jr.
Also performed by James Cagney and Virginia Mayo (dubbed by Bonnie Lou Williams)
Reprised by Gordon MacRae and Doris Day

"Long Before I Knew You" - Performed by Gordon MacRae Danced by Gene Nelson

"This Is the Finale" - Danced by Gene Nelson Performed at end by the entire cast

"Ten Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Sheep" - Performed by Doris Day and chorus boys

"The Military Polka" - Performed by Doris Day, chorus, and Gordon MacRae Danced by Doris Day, James Cagney and chorus

"You Love Me" - Performed by Gordon MacRae twice

"The Corps" - Sung by a chorus

"The Toy Trumpet" - Danced by Gene Nelson and chorus

"Semper Fidelis" - Marched by cadets

"B'klyn" - Performed by James Cagney and chorus

"It Could Only Happen in Brooklyn" - Performed by James Cagney Danced by Virginia Mayo and James Cagney


Trivia

The film received two award nominations in 1951. Ray Heindorf was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and John Monks Jr., Charles Hoffman and Irving Wallace were nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for Best Written American Musical. - IMDB (Internet Movie Database)

Movie Images

Movie/Song Clips