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5.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Flirtation Walk remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for 1930s musicals where everyone is incredibly polite and the stakes are somehow both life-or-death and completely trivial, then sure, go for it. If you prefer movies that actually resemble real human interactions, you will probably be clawing at the walls by the halfway mark.
It’s a strange beast, this one. You’ve got Dick Powell doing his usual charm offensive, and Ruby Keeler looking like she’s trying to figure out where her next tap step is supposed to land. The chemistry is… well, it’s certainly there, though it mostly feels like two people reading from a very strict manual on how to be in love.
The first act in Hawaii feels like it was filmed in a different movie entirely. The production design is aggressively tropical, and there’s this weird, dreamy filter over everything that makes the whole thing feel like a postcard someone forgot to mail. It’s almost too bright.
I found myself getting distracted by the background extras who aren’t really doing much of anything. Some of them just stand there, swaying slightly, like they’re waiting for a bus that never comes. It’s oddly hypnotic in the wrong way.
Once we get to West Point, the movie actually finds a bit of a pulse. There’s something inherently funny about soldiers taking a musical play so seriously. You’d think they were planning a strategic invasion, not a cabaret night. The transition from the tropical romance to the stiff, academic setting is jarring, but it honestly gives the movie a much-needed kick.
Ruby Keeler is doing a lot of work with just her eyes here. Sometimes it feels like she’s trying to signal for help. It’s charming, in a slightly desperate way. The musical numbers are huge—like, absurdly huge—and they take up so much space that the actual story just sort of hides in the corner until the music stops.
It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s definitely not subtle. But there’s a weird, bubbly energy to it that you don't really see anymore. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a heavy dessert. You’ll be full by the end, maybe a little sick of the sugar, but you won't regret eating it. Probably. 🎵
IMDb 5.6
1932
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