Salute (1929)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Writers:

James Kevin McGuinness (dialogue)
John Stone (writer)

Release Date:

1 September 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

Hear! See! The Army-Navy Footbal Classic in this All Talking Fox Movietone

Plot:

West Point Cadet John and Annapolis Midshipman Frank focus their fraternal rivalry on the big Army-Navy football game.

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Male Female Relationship | Grandfather | United States Military Academy | Annapolis Maryland

Cast

George O'Brien	...	Cadet John Randall
Helen Chandler	...	Nancy Wayne
William Janney	...	Midshipman Paul Randall
Stepin Fetchit	...	Smoke Screen
Frank Albertson	...	Midshipman Albert Edward Price
Joyce Compton	...	Marian Wilson
David Butler	...	Navy Coach
Lumsden Hare	...	RAdm. John Randall
Clifford Dempsey	...	Maj. Gen. Somers
Ward Bond	...	Midshipman Harold

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

U.S. Naval Academy - 121 Blake Road, Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Company:

Fox Film Corporation

Movie Connections:

Featured in Directed by John Ford (1971)

Soundtrack:

Dixie's Land

Perhaps its all one big joke

Okay, I'm watching all of John Ford's movies in order right now. I just finished watching Salute, and I will say one of two things happened during the making of it. Either John Ford was briefly sucked into another dimension or Ford is playing a big joke on all of us.

If I had seen this movie on TCM without seeing the credits I think I would have assumed that it was some rarely seen B-movie directed by someone I'd never heard of, but this was Fox's biggest grosser of 1929.

I really can't explain what is going on in the movie. It really is almost plot less with little vignettes of new recruits lives at the naval academy. It was really cool to see John Wayne and Ward Bond in the earliest speaking roles I have seen, but they really weren't actors then and their line readings are so stilted, but not just those two everybody talks bizarrely. Not to mention Stepin Fetchit who has to be the most bizarre character I've ever seen.

I mean there is the whole setup of these to brothers being in the military, but all that ever happens is that they play football.

Somehow this movie felt like it was a home movie that was released accidentally, I really can't see John Ford directing John Wayne to throw a pie at someone's face.

My conclusion is that John Ford and the crew must have gotten drunk, Ford passed out they kept the cameras rolling, all of the actors filmed their improvisations, then Ford woke up and edited together in something that might vaguely resemble a movie.

I can't rate this because I'm not sure if its a work of genius or the accidental work of a sleeping man., or maybe I was right in the beginning...its all one big practical joke on the audience.