''Dress Parade'' is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film produced by

William Sistrom William "Billy" Sistrom (19 March 1884 – March 1972) was an English film producer who worked in the United States. Biography Sistrom was born in Lincolnshire, England. He began work with Universal Pictures. Later he joined RKO Pictures in ...

and Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by

Pathé Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest film equipment ...

. The film stars

William Boyd William, Willie, Will or Bill Boyd may refer to: Academics * William Alexander Jenyns Boyd (1842–1928), Australian journalist and schoolmaster * William Boyd (educator) (1874–1962), Scottish educator * William Boyd (pathologist) (1885–1979), ...

and Bessie Love, and was directed by Donald Crisp. Although it is based on a story by Major Robert Glassburn, Major Alexander Chilton, and Herbert David Walter, the plot is essentially the same as ''

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

'', produced at MGM in 1928. ''Dress Parade'' is preserved at the

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA, formerly abbreviated as BAM/PFA) are a combined art museum, repertory movie theater, and archive associated with the University of California, Berkeley. Lawrence Rinder was Director from ...

and the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the a ...

, and has been released on home video by Grapevine Video.

Production

For authenticity, many scenes were filmed at

. Actress Bessie Love was so impressed by her time on location that she penned an unpublished novel based on her experiences, ''Military Mary''.

Plot

Civilian Vic Donovan (Boyd) visits

, and falls for beautiful Janet Cleghorne (Love), daughter of the commandant (Geldart). He successfully wins an appointment to the Academy, where he and Stuart Haldane (Allan), another cadet, vie for Janet's affection. Their competition escalates, nearly resulting in Haldane's dismissal, but Donovan takes responsibility, and Janet falls in love with him.

Cast

as Vic Donovan * Bessie Love as Janet Cleghorne * Hugh Allan as Stuart Haldane *

Walter Tennyson Walter Tennyson (1899-1980) was a British actor and film director of the silent and early sound era. Selected filmography Actor * '' The Call of the East'' (1922) * '' The Virgin Queen'' (1923) * '' Women and Diamonds'' (1924) * ''Reveille'' (1 ...

as Dusty Dawson * Maurice Ryan as Mealy Snodgrass * Louis Natheaux as Patsy Dugan *

Clarence Geldart Clarence Geldart (June 9, 1867 – May 13, 1935) was an American film actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1915 and 1936. He was sometimes credited as C.H. Geldart or Charles H. Geldart. He was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and died i ...

(as Clarence Geldert) as Commandant

Release and reception

The film received positive reviews, and the performances of Boyd, Natheaux, and Allen were especially praised. The film was screened to War Department officials in Washington, D.C. Adjutant General Lutz Wahl was a fan of the film, and wrote a letter to his commanding officers to support the film's success in local theaters in any way they could. In Los Angeles, a military-themed parade with star William Boyd led to a showing for 200 troops, and in Providence, Rhode Island, an army band played in the lobby of a theater.

References

External links

* * * * *
Still of Bessie Love and Hugh Allen
(incorrectly labeled as William Boyde) 1927 romantic drama films 1927 films American black-and-white films American romantic drama films American silent feature films Films directed by Donald Crisp Films set in the United States Military Academy Pathé Exchange films Surviving American silent films 1920s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent American drama films {{silent-romantic-drama-film-stub