The future general's interest in show business began when he played the title role in a student production of Charley's Aunt while at West Point. This was also the start of his lifelong habit of wearing dresses. After graduation, he auditioned for Busby Berkeley, who cast him as the second lead in a production of "Chu Chin Chow." MacArthur received rave reviews for "Shuffle Off to Tokyo," his showstopping pas a deux with Ruby Keeler. This number was frequently reprised during his tenure as head of the American occupation forces in Japan following World War II.
MacArthur's famous tapdance on the flying trapeze while headlining with the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus brought him to the attention of Hollywood. While under contract with RKO, MacArthur was successfully paired with Esther Williams in a series of films, and received an Oscar nomination for his performance in "Drippy When Wet." However, when Louella Parsons threatened to publicize his rumored affairs with Dietrich and Garbo, MacArthur led a commando raid which silenced the gossip columnist. Hedda Hopper promptly made an unconditional surrender.
An appearance with a 1941 USO tour renewed MacArthur's interest in a military career, and, despite a massive letter- writing campaign by his fans, he soon resumed his commission. MacArthur's giving up musical comedy for an Army career has been described as "a turn toward violence the like of which has not been seen since Charles Manson unsuccessfully auditioned to become one of the Monkees." MacArthur was assigned to the Pacific theater of operations, a wise move since he had appeared in "South Pacific" many times. Though originally just a paper- shuffler in Manila, MacArthur distinguished himself in the Philippine campaign and quickly rose through the ranks. However, his memoirs reveal that MacArthur's "I shall return" statement was actually an attempt to drum up ticket sales for his scheduled engagement to play the Palace Theater in Manila after the war. During this period, Harpo Marx became his closest confidante. Despite Marx's Red leanings, the general could trust him not to tell any military secrets.
MacArthur was known in military cirles for his habit of suddenly breaking into song or dance, often during staff meetings. It proved to be infectious; the Joint Chiefs of Staff could often be seen skipping around the halls of the Pentagon, wearing nun's habits and singing "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Korea?"
After the Korean War, MacArthur attempted to revive his movie career. However, disgust with his assignment to a series of saccharine Doris Day films led to his retirement from the screen, commemorated in his legendary "Old hoofers never die, they just fandango away" speech. During the early '60's, his life was turned into the hit Broadway musical "MacA!," whose number of performances surpassed records previously set by "Hello, Dolly" and "A Chorus Line." The play's extensive use of nudity, once considered shocking, is now recognized for its influential role in revolutionizing the American theater.