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Leathernecking

Leathernecking
LeatherneckingFilmPoster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Edward F. Cline
Fred Fleck (assistant)
Produced by William Le Baron
Louis Sarecky (assoc.)
Written by Alfred Jackson
Jane Murfin
Based on musical comedy play, Present Arms
by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and Herbert Fields
Starring Irene Dunne
Eddie Foy Jr.
Music by Victor Baravalle
Oscar Levant
Sidney Clare
Cinematography J. Roy Hunt
Production
company
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • September 12, 1930 (1930-09-12) (Premiere-New York City)
  • September 22, 1930 (1930-09-22) (US)
Running time
79 min.
Country United States
Language English

Leathernecking (1930) is an American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline, from a screenplay by Alfred Jackson and Jane Murfin, adapted from the Broadway musical comedy Present Arms, by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and Herbert Fields.

Although based on a musical, it used only two of the original Rodgers and Hart songs from the Broadway hit, along with original songs, including three by Oscar Levant and Sidney Clare. An early part-color feature film with a Technicolor insert, this film was Irene Dunne's film debut, although no copies of it are thought to exist.

Chick Evans is a Marine private in Honolulu, Hawaii. He falls for society girl Delphine Witherspoon, and begins to scheme as to how to win her over. His first plan involves impersonating an officer in order to get invited to a society party. However, when his Marine buddies decide to crash the party as well, his real rank is revealed, and so having the opposite effect on Delphine as he had planned.

Despondent, he bares his soul to a mutual friend, Edna, who arranges to have the two reunited on Delphine's yacht at sea. However, this meeting goes terribly wrong as well, and a desperate Chick convinces the yacht's captain to fake a shipwreck in order to give him time to win Delphine over. Unfortunately, a real storm arises and the ship is actually wrecked, coming to rest on a desert island. While on the island, Chick's persistence pays off, and he gets the girl. Not only that, on their return to Honolulu, he is hailed as a hero and promoted to captain.

(Cast list as per AFI database)

"You Took Advantage Of Me" and "A Kiss For Cinderella" were written by Rodgers and Hart. The other songs were written by Oscar Levant and Sidney Clare, except for "All My Life", which had words and music by Benny Davis and Harry Akst.


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