Keep Your Powder Dry

Socialite Val Parks is told she cannot claim her trust fund until she demonstrates responsibility. To prove her maturity, she enrolls in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and heads to a training camp in Des Moines, Iowa, where she hopes a disciplined military path will underscore her seriousness about adulthood.

On the way to camp, she meets two new comrades: Ann Darrison, a housewife whose husband is overseas, and Leigh Rand, the daughter of a long-standing military family. The trio ends up sharing barracks, and a sharp clash erupts between Val and Leigh. Leigh’s bossy, self-assured approach rubs Val the wrong way, setting up an ongoing tension that threads through their early days of training.

Ann tries to play peacemaker, gently stepping between the two to ease their friction. Yet Val’s determination shines through in the classroom and drills as she throws herself into every challenge, pressing past initial stereotypes and proving her mettle. She excels in her courses, pushing the boundaries of what many expect from a socialite turned recruit. The three women begin to see each other in a new light as Val’s work ethic begins to win over Leigh, showing that ambition and discipline can bridge differences rather than widen them.

After basic training, Val, Ann, and Leigh are reassigned to a Motor Transport school within the WAC, where their personalities are tested in a more specialized, hands-on environment. The experience slowly fosters warmth and mutual respect among them, and together they encourage Ann to gain confidence in her own abilities. Their camaraderie deepens as they navigate the additional hurdles of military life, and all three are ultimately accepted into the prestigious Officer’s Candidate School.

Complications arise when a visiting peer of Ann’s husband, Bill Barclay, arrives at the base. Bill takes a liking to Val, which stirs jealousy in Leigh, who finds Bill attractive as well. Leigh tries to manage the situation by plotting to keep Val from pursuing a date, arranging Val’s assignment to a duty shift instead. The delicate balance of affection, ambition, and hierarchy adds a new layer of pressure to the already intense training regime.

Val’s world opens wider when she receives a telegram from her attorney, inviting her to meet at a hotel. There, she encounters two familiar figures from her social circle: Harriet Corwin and a drunken Junior Vanderheusen. Harriet, who lives off Val’s income, urges Val to sign a lease for a Palm Beach home. The confrontation underscores Val’s resolve to remain independent and true to her own path, even as her social circle looks down on her military choices. When Val’s uniform becomes stained with alcohol during the encounter, she seeks help from Leigh, who is staying at the hotel on a weekend pass. Leigh reluctantly agrees to return to the barracks with Val’s bed made up to avoid nightly inspections, a small act that hints at her wavering loyalty.

In the hotel’s elevator, Junior reveals a troubling claim to Leigh—that Val joined the military simply to claim an inheritance. The revelation fuels Leigh’s disillusionment and spurs a smear campaign aimed at undermining Val’s leadership and integrity. This moment crystallizes the tension between Val’s sincere commitment to the WAC and the suspicions of those who view her wealth and social status as a liability rather than an asset.

As graduation looms, Val confronts Leigh, culminating in a confrontation that leaves Leigh facing a stark assessment of her own fitness to lead. Lt. Colonel Spottiswoode, the seasoned commanding officer, informs Leigh that half of the platoon has judged her unfit to lead because she lacks empathy. The news is tempered by another hard truth: Ann learns that her husband has been killed in action, a blow that rattles the trio and deepens their resolve to stand together. Val and Leigh visit Ann in her moment of grief, and the bond among the three women begins to repair the rift that had formed earlier.

With the weight of their experiences weighing on them, Val and Leigh plead to remain in the WAC as enlisted officers, determined not to abandon the path they have chosen. Lt. Colonel Spottiswoode, moved by their remorse and demonstrated growth, grants them the chance to graduate from Officer’s Candidate School alongside Ann, rather than being dismissed or forced to leave. The film closes on a note of hard-won solidarity and professional accomplishment, emphasizing that friendship forged under pressure can endure—even when tested by jealousy, social expectations, and the harsh realities of war.

Last Updated: October 07, 2025 at 08:14