1h 22min | Comedy, War | 17 February 1950
Director: John Ford
Stars: Dan Dailey, Corinne Calvet, Colleen Townsend, William Demarest.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043129/
Watched online; mediocre print.
Saw DD, saw a lengthy Soundtrack, thought it might be a musical in disguise. It's not.
Could have been made by Preston Sturges with Eddie Bracken in the lead.
I found it very disrespectful of our WW2 Army.
DD is unhappy with his posting in the new Army base in his hometown as a trainer, especially since his friends/parents/acquaintances think he's avoiding combat.
When he finally gets sent to Europe, the plane he's assigned to must ditch, but he's asleep when the pilot gives the command. He bails over occupied France and is given film to take back to the Allies of a Nazi secret weapon. Once back in Allied hands, he gets interrogated about his experience, and deprived of sleep because of the urgency of the film. They finally send him to a hospital to rest, but since his experience was top secret, his is mishandled there, about to be subdued in a straightjacket. He escapes and gets home, still exhausted (then how'd he get there?) The Army arrives on his doorstep and BREAKS DOWN THE DOOR, not to arrest him, but to take him back to DC to get thanked by FDR?
This plot would never have been allowed during the war. I doubt it was that funny 5 years later. It certainly isn't now.
Fox, dir. Ford; 4
