Keep Your Powder Dry

film by Buzzell [1945]

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July 22, 2026

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The phrase "keep your powder dry" is an old-fashioned idiom meaning to remain calm and prepared for future problems.1

The 1945 film Keep Your Powder Dry, directed by Edward Buzzell, starred Lana Turner, Laraine Day, and Susan Peters as feuding members of the Women's Army Corps (WACs). Buzzell was known for his speed and economy in filmmaking, directing numerous B-movies and musicals throughout his career. He worked with many notable actors and musical acts, including the Marx Brothers and Frank Sinatra. While Keep Your Powder Dry was not particularly well-received, Buzzell also directed other films such as Ship Ahoy and Neptune's Daughter.2

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Edward Buzzell
…Dorsey Orchestra—was well received, while Keep Your Powder Dry (1945), starring Lana Turner, Laraine Day, and Susan Peters as feuding Wacs, was not. In 1946 Buzzell remade the screwball classic Libeled Lady (1936) as Easy to Wed, with a cast that included Van Johnson, Lucille Ball, and Esther Williams
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…Dorsey Orchestra—was well received, while Keep Your Powder Dry (1945), starring Lana Turner, Laraine Day, and Susan Peters as feuding Wacs, was not. In 1946 Buzzell remade the screwball classic Libeled Lady (1936) as Easy to Wed, with a cast that included Van Johnson, Lucille Ball, and Esther Williams
Read More