After James Cagney won his Oscar for Yankee Doodle Dandy, he acted in a few other show biz films to continue to show off his tap dancing talents. His performance in The West Point Story was so awful, I can only suppose he was sick and tired of being cast in musicals and wanted to embarrass himself so much the studios would never cast him in one again. His character was supposed to throw frequent temper tantrums, but he spent the entire film over-acting, over-gesturing, and over-yelling. If I wasn't convinced of his ulterior motives, I would have felt very sorry for him.
In the movie, James Cagney is a washed-up theater director put in charge of a rinky-dink variety show at West Point. He brings his best gal, Virginia Mayo, along, but despite his horrible treatment of her and the sudden appearance of dozens of handsome uniforms, she only has eyes for Jimmy. It doesn't make any sense, but neither does the rest of the screenplay. The romances are contrived and uninspired, and the obstacles are resolved in unrealistic, far from poignant paths.
When James Cagney "sang" the production number "B'klyn," my mom and I groaned and buried our heads in our hands. "I'd rather listen to 'The International Rag'!" my mom lamented, referencing our favorite love-to-hate song from Call Me Madam. Even with Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, and Virginia Mayo rounding out the supporting cast, there isn't even one good number to make the movie worthwhile. There's no reason for you to rent this one, unless you have a low opinion of James Cagney and want to keep it that way.
In the movie, James Cagney is a washed-up theater director put in charge of a rinky-dink variety show at West Point. He brings his best gal, Virginia Mayo, along, but despite his horrible treatment of her and the sudden appearance of dozens of handsome uniforms, she only has eyes for Jimmy. It doesn't make any sense, but neither does the rest of the screenplay. The romances are contrived and uninspired, and the obstacles are resolved in unrealistic, far from poignant paths.
When James Cagney "sang" the production number "B'klyn," my mom and I groaned and buried our heads in our hands. "I'd rather listen to 'The International Rag'!" my mom lamented, referencing our favorite love-to-hate song from Call Me Madam. Even with Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, and Virginia Mayo rounding out the supporting cast, there isn't even one good number to make the movie worthwhile. There's no reason for you to rent this one, unless you have a low opinion of James Cagney and want to keep it that way.