Join the Marines
Cast & Crew
Ralph Staub
Paul Kelly
June Travis
Purnell Pratt
Reginald Denny
Warren Hymer
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
New York police officer and Olympic javelin thrower Philip H. Donlan is boarding a ship bound for the games in Europe when he runs into Paula Denbrough. Paula uses him as a cover so that the reporters following her will not tell her father, Marine Colonel J. B. Denbrough, that she is eloping with playboy Steve Lodge, whom her father detests. Denbrough prevents the marriage nonetheless, for which innocent Phil receives Paula's ire, and Paula soon has Phil kicked off the Olympic team on a trumped up charge of drinking and brawling. She regrets her actions, however, and on the voyage back to the United States, she and Phil fall in love and decide to marry. Paula is reconciled with Denbrough, but he tells her that unless Phil, who has been fired from the police force because of the scandal, finds a job before Denbrough leaves in two weeks for his new assignment in the South Seas, the couple cannot marry and Paula must accompany Denbrough. Phil's scandalous past prevents him from finding a job, and so on the eve of Denbrough's departure, Phil joins the Marines. Denbrough is delighted, but Paula, who is tired of military life, calls off their engagement. Paula leaves with Denbrough, and a discouraged Phil resolves to be a model Marine so that he will be promoted to lieutenant and can then resign. As the months pass, Phil shines in his duties and is quickly promoted to first sergeant. Needing some special distinction to receive his commission, Phil agrees to be sent overseas and winds up on Maragano Island, where Denbrough is in charge. Paula is at first delighted to see Phil, but still says she will not marry a military man and resolves to leave the island the next night. Before her departure, however, the island is put under quarantine due to an outbreak of bubonic plague. On an expedition to clean up the native village, Phil wins the respect of the suspicious natives, and as the weeks pass, he helps them build a beautiful, clean village. Phil's success impresses Denbrough so much that he hurries along Phil's commission to second lieutenant. Denbrough and Paula are stunned, however, when Phil resigns immediately after receiving the promotion and explains his scheme to them. Paula tells Phil that due to his heroic efforts she has changed her mind about the military, and is therefore disappointed in his decision. Denbrough feels betrayed as well, and sends Phil away. Phil leaves and is awaiting transport to Manila when he hears that the natives on Maragano are rebelling and the troops are in danger. Phil convinces drunken pilot O'Day to fly him back to Maragano, and he talks the natives and Marines into settling their differences peacefully. Denbrough gratefully allows Phil to rescind his resignation, and Paula tells him she will be happy to become a lieutenant's wife.
Director
Ralph Staub
Cast
Paul Kelly
June Travis
Purnell Pratt
Reginald Denny
Warren Hymer
Irving Pichel
Sterling Holloway
Ray Corrigan
John Holland
Carleton Young
John Sheehan
Arthur Hoyt
Richard Beach
Howard Hickman
Val Duran
Landers Stevens
Crew
Karl Brown
Tom Carmen
Olive Cooper
Ron Ferguson
Phil Ford
Harry Grey
Terry Kellum
Joseph Krumgold
Joseph Krumgold
Albert E. Levoy
Ernest Miller
Ernest Nims
Lester Orlebeck
Murray Seldeen
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Actress June Travis was borrowed from Warner Bros. for this film. Hollywood Reporter production charts add the following cast members, although their participation in the completed film has not been confirmed: Frank De Voe, Steve Clemente, Tony Urchel and Lester Dorr. The Motion Picture Herald review noted that the film "has as a part of its plot an incident similar to the well publicized story that resulted in an Olympic team member being barred from participating in the last [1936] Olympiad because of drinking while aboard the vessel carrying the team to the games." Contemporary news items do not confirm reports that any Olympic team members were barred from the games, but do report that some were threatened with dismissal. May 1936 news items in Hollywood Reporter note that Phil Regan was originally slated to play the role of Philip Donlan and that Hamilton MacFadden was assigned to write the story and direct. A July 1936 news item in Variety notes that Owen Francis, Henry von Rhau and Malcolm Stuart Boylan were working on a treatment of the film. Their contribution in the final film has not been confirmed.
