Best Foot Forward

On a lark, Bud Hooper asks his idol, a Hollywood actress, to come to Philadelphia to be his partner at a school dance, and she accepts — for publicity reasons. The celebrity’s arrival at Winsocki Military Academy causes much excitement, and Bud abandons his girlfriend Helen Schlessinger to accompany the star to the ball. Out of jealousy, Helen damages the actress’s sash during the dance, and when other students see a chance to get a celebrity souvenir, chaos ensues. The school regards the incident as a scandal, and Bud faces potential expulsion, but of course all problems are resolved for a happy ending. The score includes the rousing "Buckle Down, Winsocki."

Best Foot Forward opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 1, 1941, starring Maureen Stratton, Rosemary Lane, Gil Stanton, Jr., and Nancy Walker making her Broadway debut as "Blind Date." The show played for 326 performances. In 1963, Best Foot Forward was revived Off-Broadway at Stage 73 Theatre, starring Liza Minnelli and Christopher Walken.