What Price Glory is a 1926 film directed by Raoul Walsh.
It's a World War I drama, and a silent film. Sergeants Flagg and Quirt (Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe) are lifers in the Marine Corps. As the film opens Flagg and Quirt are stationed in Peking, guarding the American legation. They are rivals in love and Vitriolic Best Buds who, in the opening scene, come to blows over the affections of a prostitute.
A couple of Time Skips move the action to 1917 France. Flagg has advanced to the officer ranks, and, now a captain, leads his unit at the front. Flagg and the men are billeted in a village near the front lines, where Flagg starts an affair with Charmaine (Dolores del Río), a vivacious innkeeper's daughter.
Wacky soldier hijinks give way when the unit goes to action for the first time. It's a bloodbath, and Capt. Flagg's unit gets a lot of replacements to fill out the ranks. Flagg is unpleasantly surprised to find that one of the replacements is his old rival, Sgt. Quirt. The two men once again find themselves rivals in love, this time for the affections of beautiful Charmaine...but eventually, they must go into action again.
Many sources list the title of this film as What Price Glory?, and the source play definitely had a Questioning Title?, but the opening credits of this movie and most of the advertising lack the question mark.
Tropes:
- And the Adventure Continues: A grim example, as the film ends with the Marines marching off to the front line once again, as Charmaine wonders if they'll come back.
- Blowing a Raspberry: A Running Gag. Pvt. Kiper keeps blowing raspberries at Capt. Flagg when Flagg's back is turned, only for a furious Flagg to turn around and try and figure out who did it. When Kiper finally forgets himself and blows a raspberry with Flagg standing right next to him, Flagg kicks him in the butt.
- Buried Alive: A squad of Marines jumps into a trench, only to be buried alive when a German shell causes the trench to collapse on them, only the tips of their bayonets sticking out. (This is Inspired by… a Real Life incident in which some dead Allied soldiers were found in just this way, with their bayonets sticking up out of the ground.)
- Call-Back: Shanghai Mabel makes an impression on the men in Peking, when she bends over to look through her suitcase and shows off her rear end for the Marines. Later, in France, Capt. Flagg is introduced to Charmaine the same way, walking into the inn while she is bent over scrubbing the floor.
- Canary in a Coal Mine: The Marines carry mice in a cage into the front lines, to alert them to gas attacks. When the mice show distress, the men put their gas masks on, and survive the German gas.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: "Mother's Boy", the innocent young private, dies in Capt. Flagg's arms after he's shot in the gut during the second battle sequence.
- Distant Prologue: The opening scenes show the exploits of Flagg and Quirt as fun-loving Marines in Peking and later the Philippines, before the action moves to 1917 France and the main story.
- The Dying Walk: Pvt. Lewisohn aka "Mother's Boy", shot in the gut, comes staggering into the bunker and says "Captain Flagg, stop the blood!" He collapses, and dies in Flagg's arms moments later.
- Funetik Aksent: Used frequently with Charmaine to render her French accent in a silent movie.Charmaine: You don' take me. I don' wear your geeft.
Charmaine: Where eez ze Mothair's Boy? - Head-Turning Beauty: Shanghai Mabel, the hooker in the opening segment in Peking. When she sashays by, all the men in the regiment—they're relaxing on the steps of a building—turn to watch her go.
- Hypocritical Humor: Capt. Flagg is told that an angry father has shown up and is complaining about how his daughter was "wrecked" by a Marine. Flagg then blusters about how he warned the men to stay away from "those French dolls", only to be unpleasantly surprised when the man turns out to be Cognac Pete, there about Charmaine.
- Leg Focus: Charmaine, as demonstrated in a scene where her nylons are slipping down and Flagg rolls them back up her legs. And again later, when Flagg gets her some garters to hold her nylons up.
- Live-Action Adaptation: Of stage play ''What Price Glory?".
- Love Triangle: Quirt and Flagg are rivals for the affections of Shanghai Mabel the hooker in the opening sequence, then, later and much more seriously, for Charmaine in 1918 France.
- Match Cut: From Sgt. Quirt thumbing his nose at Flagg, to a trumpeter blowing his trumpet, calling the men into line so they can march into combat.
- Milking the Giant Cow: The Shell-Shocked Veteran officer does this a lot as he has his wild-eyed, screaming breakdown.
- Momma's Boy: Played for Drama with "Mother's Boy,", aka Private Lewisohn, who worries about getting letters from his mom and worries about losing his dog tags, because otherwise his mom might not find out if something happens to him. Mother's Boy finally gets his letter from mom, after he's killed in combat, and Charmaine leaves it on his grave.
- Mood Whiplash: The film cuts back and forth between harrowing war sequences and broad comedy, as the men of the Marine Corps drink and chase girls behind the lines.
- New Meat: The replacement troops brought in after Flagg's unit takes heavy casualties in its first action. Capt. Flagg is shocked by how young and green they are. One of them, a smooth-faced lad soon nicknamed "Mother's Boy" because he's worried about getting letters from his mom, might as well have a "Dead Meat" sign on his forehead. Sure enough, he is killed in the second battle sequence.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: A random gag has a Marine saying he's happy to be at war, because his mother-in-law recently moved in. The film then cuts to a brief scene of the man at home, scowling as his finger-wagging mother-in-law yells at him.
- Overly-Nervous Flop Sweat: Cognac Pete's inn seems to be an informal brothel. A Marine is dancing with a woman who appears to be a hooker, his hand on her waist. She deliberately takes his hand and moves it down to her butt. The Marine then mops up the sweat that breaks out on his forehead.
- P.O.V. Cam: A comedy sequence in which a drunk Marine is weaving all over the road while riding a motorcycle.
- Rule of Three: Discussed Trope, mentioned by Charmaine, as the Marines march off into combat for the third time at the end of the film. She says "They came back once—they came back twice—they will not come back three times."
- Semper Fi: The United States Marines. Discussed Trope, as Capt. Flagg explains to Charmaine how he has to go off into combat with the men, as the bugle calls, even though he's just been granted leave.Flagg: Somehow that call always finds the old Marines. Always faithful.
- Shaking the Rump: Shanghai Mabel bends over to go through her suitcase. When she notices the Marines of Flagg's unit watching her, she shakes her behind at them. Of course, she's a hooker, so it's advertising.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: The junior officer in Flagg's regiment who freaks out after the second battle, screaming that he's taking his men out of the mud and blood and that he'll kill Flagg if Flagg tries to stop him. He's overpowered by the others and taken away.
- Spit Take: Flagg, who was drinking a beer, does this when he finds out that Cognac Pete has shown up to complain about a Marine defiling Charmaine.
- Sword Cane: A female variation on this, as Shanghai Mabel has a blade concealed in her fan.
- Title Drop: Delivered by the Shell-Shocked Veteran officer, who shouts that he saw a wounded sniper in a tree "bleeding to death on a cross," and says that he's taking his men out. Then when the officer sees Pvt. "Mother's Boy" among the dead, he loses it completely, screaming "WHAT PRICE GLORY, NOW?"
- What Have We Ear?: Quirt asks for Flagg's cigarette to light his own. Then Quirt, who likes to do magic tricks, irritates Flagg by playing the "what's in your ear" trick with Flagg's cigarette butt.
