New York intellectual Eugene Morris Jerome starts military service thoughtfully, yet patriotically prepared to part-take in World War II. In boot-camp at Biloxi, Mississippi, he faces the brutally opposed views of other recruits, especially the less-educated. Still they must bind, of not bond, facing the sadistic instructor during their physically ruthless and mentally abusive training, which is heading for tragedy. Meanwhile, their boyish minds wander often to sexual frustrations, from obsession with potency (and 'escaping' virginity) to prejudice against gays.

The second chapter of Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical "Brighton Beach Trilogy", which followed Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986) and is followed by Broadway Bound (1992).

Eugene Morris Jerome:
Carney, you're first. You're gonna be dead. Killed in action. What do you want to do with the last few days of your life?


Carney:
I'd sing at Radio City Music Hall. Five shows a day, my own spot. In the audience are five thousand screaming, gorgeous girls and every one of them wants me. And there's one man, the president of Decca Records, and he wants to give me a big contract, and I have to make a choice.


Selridge:
[whispering] Take the record contract. I would take the record contract.


Carney:
Right. Right, I'd take the record contract.


Selridge:
Ha! Moron! He coulda humped five thousand girls and now he's got a record contract that ain't worth shit!


Carney:
Wrong. 'Cause now I'm a big star and everyone knows that stars get all the girls they want.


Selridge:
Oh, yeah? How? You're dead! Girls don't go out with dead record stars!

Continuity: The closing scene with the steam locomotive is flipped horizontally.

Music by Morgan Lewis
Lyrics by Nancy Hamilton
Performed by Pat Suzuki