The West Point Story Page #3

But long before I kissed you

I knew

- This is going to be fun.

- You think we have a show?

You got a few good jokes, a few

good songs, but a show, I don't know.

It's gonna be a lot of hard work. Hal?

- Yes, sir?

- I like your dancing. Nice style.

- Thank you, sir.

- Don't let the Army flatten those arches.

You got a lot of voice.

Lot of voice. Like to talk about it sometime.

Good jokes, songs.

You did the material yourselves?

Yes, sir, Hal and I.

What happens to the show

when it closes?

- Nothing.

- They put it in the archives.

- Any chance of a fella getting it?

- Not a chance, it's West Point property.

- How about buying it?

- It's not for sale, sir.

I'm afraid I gonna have to call time

on you again.

- First call for supper.

- More supper.

I want you guys at the gymnasium

promptly at 4:
00 tomorrow. Four o'clock.

In the Army, sir, it's 1600.

Sixteen hundred, 1650,

I won't give you a cent more.

Be there at 4:
00.

After reading this book

and hearing this score...

...I think these kids

have really got something.

You know, this story is charming.

A Brooklyn GI in Europe

falling in love with a girl...

...who turns out to be a royal princess.

Romantic, isn't it?

Sets me on fire.

And that Bull Gilbert

is such a fascinating wench.

Then the princess comes to America,

to West Point...

...to see her GI, who is now a cadet.

But because she's a princess

and he's a commoner...

...the romance gets the cadet

into trouble.

However, being royalty,

she asks for amnesty and gets it.

Right out on the stage?

- Amnesty means a pardon.

- No.

Then she gives up being a princess,

moves to Brooklyn with her GI...

...and lives happily ever after. Cute?

If you ask me,

the whole plot needs amnesty.

He gets out of trouble

because she's a princess.

What gimmick is that?

Nobody's gonna believe it.

The tunes are good and that boy Tom...

Tom's great.

That Gilbert is a cute hunk of cadet,

but he's no princess.

Why not use a real girl? A local.

A daughter of one of the officers, maybe,

to play the part?

There are to be no females

in this show.

One woman couldn't hurt.

That's what Adam said, Eve.

No, no, no!

No!

How many times you guys have to be told?

This is a march tempo.

Don't you guys know how to march?

All right, come on, give me a pickup.

And go.

And go!

Now, you got the idea?

Try it. Once more.

Hit it.

Sorry we were late, sir.

It's about time you prima donnas

got here. What's the excuse?

- Lacrosse practice, tried to get here.

- I had mathematics.

I was attending intercollegiate

student forum on geopolitics.

- You see, sir...

- Don't "sir" me. I'm a civilian.

And you, princess, the beauty parlor?

Problem in fluid mechanics, sir.

The 300-ohm resistors and the venturi tubes

are giving me trouble.

- That's a new one.

- Mr. Bixby, I'd like to explain, sir.

We have to do this show

on our spare time.

- Rules and regulations.

- Rules and regulations.

All I wanna do is get a show on

and get out of here.

All right, girls, places.

Fast, fast. Come on.

Hit it.

No, no, no!

Quiet. Quiet. Quiet!

This is murder!

Murder.

Call a rehearsal and 50 percent

of the company's absent.

Punishment chores, studying for a quiz...

...lacrosse, venturi tubes.

I've heard a great deal

about the discipline in this joint.

You're supposed to be famous for it.

Well, I haven't seen a sign of it

in connection with this show.

There's more discipline

in a broken-down burlesque troupe...

...than you have up here with all your

salutes, your "Yes, sir"s, your "No, sir"s...

...your fancy uniforms and parades.

Discipline in the theater

means being on time.

Getting the job done.

Rehearsal is called for 2:00,

it's not 2:
01 or 2:02.

If an actor is late, he apologizes

to the entire company.

If he's late a second time, he's fired.

Now, two of you men have taken

the trouble to put together a good show.

A show worthy of Broadway.

Well, if it's worth doing at all,

it's worth doing well.

And if it weren't...

...I wouldn't have stayed here 24 hours.

So from here in...

...punishment chores can wait,

studies can wait, lacrosse can wait.

And we'll throw out

some rules and regulations.

Rehearsal is called, you'll be on time.

You'll know your words

and you'll know your routines.

You're gonna work harder

than you've ever worked.

I'll show you what discipline is.

Because I don't like this brass-hat factory,

and I never expect to like it.

Tell him not to go away mad,

just go away.

Quiet. Quiet!

The next guy that opens his kisser

gets thrown out of the theater.

That's final.

That goes for each and every one of you.

- Is he always this violent?

- The Army did it to him.

It started when he asked

for a size 8 shoe...

...and they gave him a 12.

Never been the same since.

Catch me on this.

And, princess,

you and the rest of the girls watch.

We'll take that again.

See what I mean?

Discipline.

Gentlemen, this conduct of Mr. Bixby's

cannot be tolerated.

But, sir, the men don't seem to feel

it's entirely Mr. Bixby's fault.

It takes time for an outsider

to get to know West Point.

That I can understand,

but this request is very unusual.

Unusual, yes, colonel,

but not without precedent.

George M. Cohan did it

to get material for a play.

Damon Runyon

for some newspaper stories...

Gentlemen, I'd like to read you some excerpts

from Mr. Bixby's record in the Army.

"During four years of active service,

Elwin Bixby fought two wars...

...one against the enemy

and one against the Army.

He'd gripe from reveille to taps.

He was insubordinate to all ranks...

...and he went AWOL so many times,

it was impossible to keep count.

In Africa, he sold a B17 to an Arab

for a crate of eggs.

He swiped mattress covers

and pillowcases from QM supplies...

...and sold them to Arabs

for Sunday suits.

And after being missing for two weeks,

he was found in residence in a harem."

This was quite a man.

"He was ordered court-martialed five times,

always bluffed his way out.

But his courage was incredible.

In Italy, he saved his company...

...from being trapped

by superior enemy forces.

In France, when action became dull,

he went AWOL...

...and joined the French underground.

He was wounded twice.

He was awarded

the Distinguished Service Cross...

...the Silver Star

and the Mdaille Militaire.

He was finally promoted

to the rank of sergeant...

...but for an infraction of a rule,

was broken back to private...

...on the day of his discharge."

A very interesting career.

You are at the

United States Military Academy.

You take a sock at a cadet...

...you're taking a sock

at the United States government.

Now you're barred from the post.

Come in.

- I have news for you.

- What did they say?

- Are they gonna let him stay?

- That depends.

They took the case

to the commandant's office.

He was pretty reasonable about it.

He realizes that punch-happy over there

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