Caught in the Draft

Don Bolton is a vain movie star who fears being drafted into the military, and he even has an aversion to loud noises like gunfire on the set. He doubts he could endure basic training. This fear becomes the engine for his schemes throughout the story.

Col. Fairbanks visits the studio as technical consultant on a war film and brings his beautiful daughter Tony along. Don sees an opportunity and admires her from the start. This encounter plants the seed of his plan to win her over.

After meeting Tony, Don plots to marry her to avoid the draft and makes a bold move by proposing. He soon learns that the draft ends at age 31, and since he is 32, he must retract the proposal. Tony accuses him of cowardice, hardening the conflict between them.

A few weeks later, Don realizes he is in love with Tony and wants to win her over. He stages a fake enlistment to seem brave and decisive. The plan backfires, landing him in the Army along with his assistant Bert and manager Steve.

Don, along with his assistant Bert and his manager Steve, finds themselves in actual uniform after the fake enlistment spirals out of control. At training camp, Col. Fairbanks serves as the commanding officer and oversees their daily routines. Army life proves grueling as they cope with discipline and the monotony.

At the camp, Col. Fairbanks, now the commanding officer, hints that a promotion to corporal would secure permission to marry Tony. Don sees the incentive and sets his sights on earning the rank. The challenge of military life becomes a personal test of courage and ambition.

The trio faces a grueling routine and endures heavy KP duties as punishment. The workload strains their nerves and tests their camaraderie. Nevertheless, they press on through the demanding days.

Don and his companions are transferred to a distant base where a camp war game is set up. The stakes rise as the exercise grows more realistic and stressful for the crew. The tension marks a turning point in their military experience.

During the fighting, Bert alters the signposts to help his team, but the changes mislead the opposing side into a live artillery range. The move creates a life threatening situation and tests each man's nerve under fire.

In the crisis, Don overcomes his fear of loud noises to rescue the men caught in the live range. He also saves Tony, who is observing the games from horseback. The rescue demonstrates his newfound bravery and steadies his future prospects.

Following the successful rescue, Don earns a promotion to corporal. With the rank achieved, he is now free to marry Tony and begins planning a future together. The arc closes with his acceptance of his place in life and love.

A 1941 cinema journal describes the air mortar used in the film as an innovative on screen effect. It notes that air blown under pressure through pipes, along with powder and pyrotechnics, created unusual visuals for the battles sequences.