Touchdown, Army

{{Infobox film

| name = Touchdown, Army

| image = 1938 - Midway Theater Ad - 28 Nov MC - Allentown PA.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Newspaper advertisement

| director = Kurt Neumann

| producer = Edward T. Lowe Jr.

| screenplay = Lloyd Corrigan
Erwin S. Gelsey

| starring = John Howard
Mary Carlisle
Robert Cummings
William Frawley
Owen Davis Jr.
Benny Baker

| music = John Leipold

| cinematography = Victor Milner

| editing = Arthur P. Schmidt

| studio = Paramount Pictures

| distributor = Paramount Pictures

| released = {{Film date|1938|10|7}}

| runtime = 70 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Touchdown, Army retitled Generals of Tomorrow in the UK is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Kurt Neumann, written by Lloyd Corrigan and Erwin S. Gelsey, and starring John Howard, Mary Carlisle, Robert Cummings, William Frawley, Owen Davis Jr., and Benny Baker. It was released on October 7, 1938, by Paramount Pictures.{{TCMDb title|93704|Touchdown, Army (1938)}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/114202/Touchdown-Army/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402140851/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/114202/Touchdown-Army/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-04-02 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=The New York Times |author=Hal Erickson |title=Touchdown-Army – Trailer – Cast – Showtimes |author-link=Hal Erickson (author) |date=2015 |access-date=2015-03-29}}{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=1&Movie=6244 |title=Touchdown, Army |publisher=Afi.com |date=1938-10-07 |access-date=2015-03-29}}

Plot

Army University football player, Jimmy Howal, gets a reception far different from what he expected when he enters West Point. His cocky attitude makes everyone opposed to him, especially hot-tempered southerner, Brandon Culpepper, who also sees Howal as a rival for beautiful Toni Denby; daughter of West Point officer Colonel Denby. Howal is failing French prior to the Army-Navy game, and the cadets fear he will be kept from playing because of it. Toni then tutors Howal, but she, unknowingly, uses an old exam which is the basis for the new test. Howal realizes what has happened when he passes the exam with flying colors and suspects Toni of having set out to make a fool of him.

Cast

John Howard as Cadet Brandon Culpepper
Mary Carlisle as Toni Denby
Robert Cummings as Cadet Jimmy Howal
William Frawley as Jack Heffernan
Owen Davis Jr. as Cadet Kirk Reynolds
Benny Baker as Cadet Dick Mycroft
Minor Watson as Col. Denby
Raymond Hatton as Bob Haskins

Production

Lew Ayres was meant to play a lead but Robert Cummings – who was already in the cast – took the part instead, promoted from a more subsidiary role.{{Cite news|title=Elaine Barrymore to Join Husband in Film|author=Schallert, Edwin|date=June 21, 1938|work=Los Angeles Times|page=11}} Filming started June 1938.{{cite news|title=SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD|work=New York Times|date=17 June 1938|page=25}}