''Red Salute'' (also released as ''Arms and the Girl'') is a 1935 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Sidney Lanfield Sidney Lanfield (April 20, 1898 – June 20, 1972) was an American film director known for directing romances and light comedy films and later television programs. The one-time jazz musician and vaudevillian star started his first directing job ...

and starring

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

and Robert Young. Based on a story by Humphrey Pearson, the film is about the daughter of a US Army general who becomes involved with a suspected communist agitator.

Plot

Drue Van Allen, the daughter of an American general, is in love with communist graduate student Leonard Arner. When Leonard is ejected from a college campus for speaking to the students, a newspaper photographer takes a picture of him in Drue's car and prints it on the front page. When Drue ignores her father’s advice, he tricks her into boarding an airplane bound for Mexico, supposedly to see her aunt Betty off, then locks her in. She is stuck in Juarez with no money to get home. After a rowdy soldier, Jeff overhears a border policeman warn her not to try to cross into the US, Jeff, whom she nicknames "Uncle Sam", strikes up a conversation, telling her he thinks she should be shot. Despite their disdain for each other, they run up a large bar bill, but neither has any money. They skip out and drive away; then Drue tells him he has stolen a government car. When they reach a border crossing, Jeff tries to stop, but Drue presses the gas pedal and they speed into Texas. They manage to evade their pursuers, but crash into a tree. They later kidnap P. J. Rooney, an easy-going, henpecked husband, to ride in his homemade trailer. He is glad to get away from his wife, Edith. They eventually con Baldy, a caretaker, into believing they are friends of his employer, Colonel Turner, and letting them stay in Turner's house. After Jeff and Drue dance, he tells her he now loves her; after thinking it over, she kisses him before they turn in for the night, in separate rooms. She later sneaks out and tries to drive away, but the authorities show up and arrest them both. General Van Allen gets Drue out of jail. He is worried about a newspaper story reporting that Drue and Leonard are going to get married and also about information he received from an immigration official that Leonard is not a citizen, but rather a suspected "paid propagandist" in the country on a student visa. When the general realizes that Drue has feelings for Jeff, he sends for Jeff. After speaking to him informally, the general sends him down to a meeting at which Leonard is supposed to speak. Jeff pretends to have changed his opinion to get Arner to let him talk to the audience. He starts out agreeing with Leonard's position, then shows people what he really stands for. A riot breaks out, and Arner is taken into custody for deportation. Drue realizes she is in love with Jeff. They get married and honeymoon in P.J.'s trailer.

Cast

as Drue Van Allen * Robert Young as Jeff "Uncle Sam" *

Hardie Albright Hardie Hunter Albright (born Hardie Hunter Albrecht; December 16, 1903 – December 7, 1975) was an American actor. Early years Albright was born on December 16, 1903, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, to traveling vaudeville performers. He made his ...

as Leonard Arner *

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standar ...

as P.J. Rooney *

Ruth Donnelly Ruth Donnelly (May 17, 1896 – November 17, 1982) was an American film and stage actress. Early years and family Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Donnelly was the daughter of Harry Augustus and Bessie B. Donnelly. Her uncle, Freder ...

as Mrs. Edith Rooney * Gordon Jones as Michael (Lefty) Jones * Paul Stanton as Louis Martin *

Purnell Pratt Purnell Pratt (October 20, 1885 – July 25, 1941) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1914 and 1941. He was born in Bethel, Illinois and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography * ''The Great D ...

as General Van Allen *

Nella Walker Nella Walker (March 6, 1886 – March 22, 1971) was an American actress and vaudeville performer of the 1920s through the 1950s. Biography The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walker, she was born and raised in Chicago. In 1910, she marrie ...

as Aunt Betty * Arthur Vinton as Joe Beal *

Edward McWade Edward McWade (January 14, 1865 – May 17, 1943) was a writer, stage actor and an American film actor. Biography McWade was born in Washington, D.C., on January 14, 1865. His father was notable stage actor Robert McWade Sr. (1835-1913) and ...

as Baldy *

Henry Kolker Joseph Henry Kolker (November 13, 1874 ome sources 1870– July 15, 1947) was an American stage and film actor and director. Early years Kolker was born in Quincy, Illinois. Career Kolker, like fellow actors Richard Bennett and Robert Wa ...

as Dean *

Henry Otho Henry Otho (February 6, 1888 – June 6, 1940) was an American actor. He has worked in ''The Big Stampede'' (1932), ''Mary Stevens'' (1933), ''Hard to Handle (film), Hard to Handle'' (1933), ''The Mayor of Hell'' (1933), ''Baby Face (film), Bab ...

as Border Policeman *

Allan Cavan Allan Cavan (March 25, 1880 – January 19, 1941) was an American film actor. He appeared in 145 films between 1917 and 1941. Cavan was the son of Mrs. Averila Cavan, and he had a brother, Carl. He began working on films with Sam Goldwyn S ...

as Army Officer *

Ferdinand Gottschalk Ferdinand Gottschalk (28 February 1858 – 10 November 1944) was an English theatre and film actor. He appeared in 76 films between 1917 and 1938. He was born and died in London, England. He made his first appearance on the stage in Toronto ...

as League Speaker *

Selmer Jackson Selmer Adolf Jackson (May 7, 1888 – March 30, 1971) was an American stage film and television actor. He appeared in nearly 400 films between 1921 and 1963. His name was sometimes spelled Selmar Jackson. Jackson was born in Lake Mills, Iowa an ...

as Army Officer *

David Newell David Alexander Newell (born November 24, 1938) is an American television actor known primarily for his portrayal of Mr. McFeely, the delivery man on ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood''. He also worked in the public relations department of Fred R ...

as Student

Production

The original working title of the film was ''Her Uncle Sam''. The film was made to cash in on the rise of radicalism in US colleges in the 1930s. Filming started in June 1935. The film features the song "

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" is a popular song. The music was written by Harold Orlob, the lyrics by Will M. Hough and Frank R. Adams. Orlob worked for Joseph E. Howard generating songs for Howard's productions and Howard presented the song a ...

", sung by Edwards. It was one of the first anti-communist movies made in the US. This saw it re-released in 1948 with the rise in anti-communist feeling. The film is also known by its reissue title ''Her Enlisted Man''.

Critical response

Writing for ''The Spectator'' in 1935,

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

praised the film, describing it as "one of the best comedies of the screen since ''

It Happened One Night ''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 pre-Code American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries ...

''", and characterizing the acting of Stanwyck and Young as "admirable performances". (reprinted in: )

References

External links

* * (incomplete) {{DEFAULTSORT:Red Salute 1935 films 1930s romantic comedy-drama films American romantic comedy-drama films 1930s English-language films American black-and-white films Films set in Mexico Films set in Washington, D.C. Films produced by Edward Small 1935 comedy films 1930s American films