I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A shame really. With the talent, how could one go wrong with Doris Day, James Cagney, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson and Virginia Mayo, 'The West Point Story' could and should have been really good, even if not an instant classic.Well something did go wrong, because 'The West Point Story' (despite being called 'Fine and Dandy' here, being British it is being referred to by its English, and original, title, just wanted to clarify to save any confusion) was a heavily problematic, lacklustre effort that doesn't even utilise its talent very well (even though they still come off well). Not an awful film, but not a particularly good one but more of a difficult to rate film for me.The best thing about it is Cagney, who may not be exactly subtle (which came across to me as making the most out of, and doing at least something with, his material), but brings a tremendous amount of energy which is a marvel to watch. So much so that it makes one frustrated that that energy doesn't come over in most other elements. Day and MacRae also don't come off too shabbily. Day is fresh and endearing and one cannot get enough of her voice that shines even in not so great material. Meanwhile, MacRae shows off his warm baritone voice to perfection and is a charmer on screen, when he and Day are on screen they are irresistible.Mayo and Nelson deserved better (as did Day and MacRae) but do a lot with what they have. Mayo is luminous, snappy and saucy, while Nelson's dancing is as dazzling as ever. The songs are pleasant enough and sung beautifully.Against all that, of the songs there isn't one that stands out and it is crying out for a show-stopper. Likewise with having a show-stopper of a dancing sequence for Nelson, he dances really well and the choreography is witty and graceful but at the same time there is nothing extraordinary or memorable. As said though, Day and MacRae do sound wonderful and the songs suit their voices, one just wishes that the overall standard was more inspired.Nothing against black and white (there is a very big group of great films and even masterpieces in black and white), but 'The West Point Story' also cried out for Technicolor. The sets do look shoestring-budget cheap with obvious rear projection and the cinematography is dull. Roy Del Ruth is the sort of director who could do this with his eyes closed and despite some energetic moments in some of the choreography elsewhere this was a real going through the motions effort from him.Script goes overboard in the silliness and feels very limp too. Worst of all is the story, which is pedestrian in pace, takes silliness and contrivance to very high degrees and is filled with inconsistencies, dumbness and improbabilities, with very forced subplots and parts that don't really go anywhere. Day is also rather underused with a character that is given short shrift too much.Overall, very difficult to rate but generally very disappointing. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Cagney plays Elwin "Bix" Bixby, a formerly successful showman with a very bad temper, reduced to staging the numbers at a hole-in-the- wall Manhattan nightclub, assisted by his long-suffering fiancée, Eve (Virgina Mayo). Bix is more or less blackmailed into accepting a job directing the 100th Night show at West Point by a Broadway producer. The catch? The producer wants Bix to persuade his nephew, Tom (Gordon MacRae), the star and co-writer of the show with his friend Hal (Gene Nelson), to give up the Army for a singing career. So Bix (who hates West Point, based on past Army experiences) ends up at the Academy along with Eve, directing the show but temperamentally at odds with the lifestyle.Somehow the solution to this is to make him a cadet (don't even ask, it makes no sense). And in the course of events, he persuades a movie star acquaintance, Jan Wilson (Doris Day), who is on a press junket in New York City, to travel up the Hudson to attend a formal dance at the Point as Tom's "drag." I forget why, but who cares? The plot just gets more incomprehensible as the show goes on, but the fact is, this movie is still a lot of fun. I disagree with some of the people here because I think the original songs by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn are terrific. None were hits, but there are just a lot of really good songs here. And the arrangements are in the best Ray Heindorf style. Cagney is fantastic, more dynamic and committed than 10 other actors. The singing, by Day and MacRae, is top-notch, and Doris in particular elevates every scene she's in, she's like a human antidepressant. Gene Nelson, an excellent dancer, has a few good numbers, and Virginia Mayo is sincere and funny as Cagney's girl and a very good dancer as well.If you choose to focus on the positives and if you can manage to ignore some of the plot holes, you should have a good time with this one.

Average musical where James Cagney goes to West Point to get graduating senior Gordon MacRae out of the military so that he can pursue a show business career.Virginia Mayo and Doris Day are 2 ladies or cohorts in this scheme and go know that Day falls for MacRae causing many complications.As always, the musical productions are nicely staged as Cagney dances away 8 years after his Oscar-winning turn in "Yankee Doodle Dandy."There is some uneven moments as Cagney is castigated for being out and then is promptly honored. In fact, he gets "honored" several times in the film and it can be annoying.The songs Military Polka and the ending Brooklyn are memorable.Mayo and Cagney proved that they could dance up a storm here. When Day gets excited with Cagney, would she ever think that 5 years later the two of them would be in probably the best picture of their respective careers-"Love Me or Leave Me."Due to the weak plot, some may have wanted to leave West Point prematurely.

James Cagney wrote in his autobiography that the only films he watched in his retirement years continually were the musical ones. He regretted he didn't do more of them. So do I, so should we all.While The West Point Story isn't the greatest film Cagney ever did at Warner Brothers, it's far from the worst and I find it charming and entertaining. This was his second film with Virginia Mayo and quite a contrast it was after White Heat. The lovely Ms. Mayo also got to show what a good dancer she was both with Cagney and Gene Nelson.The singing is carried in this film by Doris Day and Gordon MacRae. Usually folks don't think of Gordon MacRae as Doris's most frequent leading man, but in fact he did four films with her. He had a wonderful baritone voice and he could easily adapt to light musical fare like The West Point Story or do operetta like The Desert Song which he did a few years later. It's too bad for MacRae that he did not come along 20 years earlier and could have done a few of those operettas the way Nelson Eddy did.Gene Nelson was a fine dancer who when musicals went out of vogue, turned to directing. Another talented performer who came along a little too late. He never got the credit for being the fine dancer he was.The plot is simple, James Cagney and Virginia Mayo once a good pair of top choreographers are reduced to seedy nightclub work. Cagney gets an opportunity to go to West Point to help put on the annual 100th night show the graduating class does. The catch is he has to try to lure Gordon MacRae to the bright lights of Broadway for his producer uncle Roland Winters. From there the plot evolves.And it's a nice story with good musical numbers even though Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn got no hits out of the score. Still the songs are well integrated into the plot.I think people will enjoy watching The West Point Story.