The Duke Of West Point (1938)

A brash American (Louis Hayward) raised in England is sent by his father (Jonathan Hale) to West Point. With his arrogant manner and tendency to disregard tradition, he's not very popular with his fellow cadets. Directed by Alfred E. Green (THE JOLSON STORY), Hayward's character is difficult to warm to with his smug superiority and a continual smirk on his face. You know it's just a matter of time before he gets his comeuppance and it's a doozy. The film is overlong and the lengthy ice hockey game that dominates the film's conclusion seems an anti-climax. On the other hand, I'm not an ice hockey fan but if you are then there's every chance you might find it thrilling. Still, as far as West Point movies go, it's better than Ford's THE LONG GRAY LINE. With Joan Fontaine still in the ingenue phase of her career (REBECCA was two years away), Richard Carlson, Tom Brown, Alan Curtis, Emma Dunn and Donald Barry.