Flirtation Walk (Warner Bros.) (1934)

FLIRTATION WALK Short story of the screen’s first military musical, starring Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell, produced by First National, and coming to the ................ Theatre. Fictionized by FRED E. RUSLANDER HE news that another general was about to inspect the United States troops in the Hawaiian islands brought no joy to the soul of Sergt. ‘‘Serapper’’ Thornhill. That grizzled veteran had no particular respect for gen erals anyway. Serapper maintained that anyone could give orders—it was: men like himself who ran the Army. He was top sergeant—to him there was no higher honor. He ruled with an iron fist and a wealth of invective. His men respected his ability as much as they dreaded his ever ready fists. Because he returned the affection the sergeant felt for him, Private Diek “Canary” Dorey took the occasional physical assaults with which the Scrapper enforced his orders with real good nature. But the lad, a cheerful, smiling, singing soldier, did not like the order his superior brought to the mess room one night. He was to chauffeur the car General Fitts and his daughter would use during. their stay on the Island. Nevertheless, he was there when the ship docked, and had the thrill of his young life whén Kit Fitts, radiant in all ‘ther 19 year old beauty, rushed down the gang plank. He ecouldn’t take his eyes away from her, and finally, feeling the intensity of his gaze the girl turned and looked at him. For a moment they stared at each other, and then suddenly the daughter of the general grinned at Private Dick Dorey. Even the fact that Lieut. Biddle, her father’s aide and her own ardent suitor was to be her escort could not reconcile Kit to an official reception the first night of her visit to Hawaii. She had dreamed of this moment. Lieut. Biddle, she conceded, was a nice boy, but he was a “stuffedshirt.” Kit had known him since they were children. He was too much a part of her everyday life to be a romantic interlude. Consequently she had no compunctions about being late, and, when she entered her car, ordered Dick to take her on a tour of the island. As he drove along the top of a hig cliff, Dick discovered that the girl was even more beautiful than she had appeared in the morning. Gradually he lost his fear of consequences for taking her on a ride not included in his orders. The softness of the moonlit island created a feeling of friendliness, and soon they were ealling each other by their first names. As they approached a native village, haunting strains of music reached their ears. Dick turned to the girl. “Come on; Kit,” he said. “I’m taking you to your first luau— an Hawaiian feast in honor of love.” Kit smiled happily. es x Over the cocoa-palm fringed shores of the lagoon swept the blood red splendor of the Hawaiian moon. The rhythmic booming of gourd drums rose over the sound of plaintive, haunting melodies, sung by a _ hundred blended voices. Lithesome, swaying girls, scores of them, danced from the forest to a log fire blazing in the center of the clearing. Suddenly a native approached and said a few words to Dick. “What did he say?” Kit asked. “He wanted to know if you were my wife or sweetheart,” Dick answered. “You needn’t be so_ positive about pouted. “Sing for us,’ the native begged in English. Dick tried to refuse, but Kit would have none of it. Dick advanced to the fire, the native orchestra began the introduction of one of the island’s oldest traditional love songs. The boy’s clear sweet tenor voice arose, and Kit sank down at the foot of a tree, gazing at him, entranced. His song finished, Dick seated himself beside her. Couples, arms encircling waists, slipped silently into the sheltering darkness of the forest. Kit looked up. “Maybe we’d better talk—or something,” she said. The fire in the background dimmed as Kit turned her face toward him. “Tm afraid,’ she whispered, “Ym running out of orders.” She lifted her lips to his. Dick started to kiss her, timidly. After all, she was his general’s daughter—he a mere _ private. But as their lips met, uncertainty vanished. Clinging to each other, they could not hear the chuckle of the Man in the Moon as once again he looked down on a seene so old, but always so new —the birth of love between a man and a maid. * * * A beam from the flashlight in the hands of Serapper startled them and Kit scrambled to her feet, to confront Lieut. Biddle. “As I live, the Forgotten Man,” she said, as Biddle glowered. “Take your car back to the Barracks and report to my quarters,” he barked at Dick. Dorey was sitting on the porch of Lieut. Biddle’s quarters when Kit and the officer returned. An hour later he was in his own room, telling Scrapper about the whole affair. “Tm not facing any court-martial, Scrapper,” he declared. “I’m clearing out of here—tonight. Deserting!” The older man grabbed him. “Took here, you young fool, if you do that I’ll personally head a searching party and fill you full of lead. I raised you as a private and I’ll bury you as a deserter if I have to.” “Tt’s okay by me,” said Dick. denying it,” the girl Scrapper shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the room. He headed toward General Fitt’s headquarters and a few minutes later was facing Kit. “That boy’s in love with you, Miss,” Serapper told her. “And I don’t want him to do anything serious. He’s like my own son.” Kit looked serious. Then she sent for Dick. “What’s the idea of risking court martial over me?” she demanded. “Who gave you the right, Private Dorey?” “No-body,” Dick said, aghast, “but I—I love you and I thought you—felt the same way—about me.” Kit looked into Dick’s eyes. She knew the night had best be forgotten. She realized the barriers between them. Suddenly her brain triumphed over her heart. “That’s nonsense,” she said. “T want you to forget what happened last night. It was a mistake—forget it.” When Dick returned to Serapper’s headquarters he found Biddle waiting for hin. “Well, Lieutenant,” the boy asked, “do I go to Court with you?” “We can’t expose the young lady’s name to court inquiry,” Biddle replied. “We’ll let our personal differences drop as well, since they also involve the young When Ruby Ruled West Point Lieut. Biddle, and his daughter Kit, who had grown even more beautiful than she had been three years before, stood in review before the cadets corps. — Kit stared, in amazement, at the regimental commander, and a look of delight swept across her face. As soon as the review was ended, she hurried away to seek the transformed awkward boy she had ordered about in Hawaii. “Tsn’t this the same chap I met—in Hawaii—about three years ago?” she asked. Dick gave a courteous salute, then his chin set, and he looked squarely into her eyes. “Pardon, Miss,” he declared. “Ym afraid there’s been a mistake.” Bowing, he turned from her to his room mate. “lm going to my room” he said, as he walked away. Kit stood, stunned and humiliated, and, under the gaze of a hundred cadets, her eyes filled with tears. Kit had captured West Point. Cadet after cadet looked into her eyes and surrendered. The Hundredth Night play, always presented 100 nights before graduation, had always been barred to the fair sex. No girl or woman had ever been allowed to participate in it. Yet the Committee decided to invite Kit to take the feminine lead, even though it was She was Superintendent of the Academy; and her heart warmed to every cadet, and particularly to Dick—so she ordered a mass marriage and provided the girls—(Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell and the cadet chorus in a scene from “‘Flirtation Walk,” the first military musical ever screened, which will open at the Theatre on .......... lady. If you were an officer and a gentleman, you’d understand more clearly what I mean.” He turned on his heel and left. * ae * In the Phillipines, China, and in other countries where the next three years found him, “Scrapper” Thornhill heard good news from Dick. Scrapper bragged of him to his men, and determined that nothing would prevent him from being present when the boy graduated, so that he might fulfill an ancient promise. “Some day,” the doughty Sergeant had declared, “I’ll be taking orders from you—and I’l] like at.” He was thinking of these things as he approached the headquarters of his commanding officer. He wanted leave of absence —which he had denied himself for four years. Serapper left the Colonel’s office smiling to himself. He was going to West Point, to see the lad he had thrashed and drilled, bullied and loved, become an officer in the United States Army. * * & General Fitts, named superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, still accompanied by his aide, necessary to depose Dick as chairman to bring it about. Kit was amused, and was about to decline until a cadet inadvertently mentioned that Dick had opposed the proposition. Then she accepted. Flirtation Walk is a wooded lane that is the epitome of romance to every girl who strolls down it with her cadet. Both Flirtation Walk and the Kissing Rock at one end, are parts of the West Point tradition. Here Dick, at the urgent request of the girl, had led Kit. The girl was humble —the lad aloof. “Can’t you see I haven’t forgotten—I couldn’t forget?” she whispered. “You told me I made myself ridiculous three years ago—you’re making yourself ridiculous tonight,” he declared. Kit turned white. “Bid was right,” she retorted. “Even if you become an officer, you'll never become a_ gentleman.” z Sobbing, she ran from him, back to her home. % * * Kit had announced her engagement to Biddle. Dick, directing rehearsals for the play, saw Kit daily, and re sentment embittered both their hearts. Dick had written a travesty on life at West Point. He had created a girl superintendent of the Academy, who in love with Love, had ordered all the cadets to be married forthwith, and had supplied the necessary girls. The show was a success—even more so than the author and tne players had anticipated. For when Dick drew Kit into his arms in the fervent embrace that accompanied the slow dropping of the curtain, Dan Cupid, himself a spectator, chuckled silently. It was two o’clock in the morning when Kit, responding to repeated peals of the doorbell found Dick on her doorstep. “T got the invitation to your wedding after I returned from the show tonight. When did you mail it?” he asked. “This morning—” Dick turned and faced her. “T love you—You love me— listen,” he said. “After examinations Vl be an officer myself. Vl be able to tell you things I can’t until then. IT’ll be able to tell you how much I love you, how I regretted that night on Flirtation Walk—(his arms drew her close to him, as she ceased resisting) Oh, darling—” Standing in the doorway, his face white as chalk, was Lieut. Biddle. “It was fortunate that it was I—instead of the Superintendent —who discovered you, Dorey,” he declared. “Your confessed action is grounds for immediate dismissal from the Academy. That dismissal would come after a hearing before the board. We don’t want that for Kit’s sake, do we?” “I suppose—I might resign from the Academy.” “Yes, you might.” “Very well, sir. Thank you for your fairness.” Dick saluted, turned on his heel and walked away. * * * There was no happier man in the world than Sergeant “Serapper” Thornhill as he walked up the path leading to the dormitories. He had come all the way from China to see his boy graduate, and he could hardly conceal his excitement as he watched the immaculate cadets greet friends and relatives. Entering Dick’s room, he embraced the boy, and the old Serapper was much embarrassed to find tears popping out of his eyes. Suddenly he noticed that Dick was not in uniform. “Why?” he asked. “lm not going to graduate, Serapper,” Dick said. “I’m not going to be an officer.” The tears were hot in his eyes as he tried to grin at the astounded Sergeant. “I could’ve made the grade as an officer all right,” he continued, “but I couldn’t quite make the gentleman part.” Lieutenant Biddle entered Dick’s room while the old Scrapper was still gazing at him. “T have just come from the Superintendent’s office—your resignation was not accepted,” he declared as he offered his hand to Dick, who stood, unable to believe his ears. “Kit gave me back my ring last night. She says you love each other. I’m stepping out. That’s all. Good luck,” % * % Kit and Scrapper stood together, arm in arm, as the cadet troops swept across the parade grounds. Dick, leading the corps, raised his sword in salute. It was the final activity of the graduation exercises. Dick was an officer. The two who loved him most watched the marching line with delight. Near them stood a little girl, gaping with wide open eyes at the grizzled veteran. “Look mamma,” she _ ealled, tugging at her mother’s skirt. “Look—that man is crying.” Page Nineteen