510 - Buck Privates, United States, 1941. Dir. Arthur Lubin.

Friday, May 25, 2018

510 - Buck Privates, United States, 1941.  Dir. Arthur Lubin.

Slicker Smith and Herbie Brown have just joined the Army.

They did not mean to.  They thought they were entering a movie theater.

In order to hide from the police.

But they have now discovered that the movie theater is being used for military recruitment.

Now that the draft has been instated.

It is 1941, and the United States is preparing for defense.

They get assigned to Sergeant Michael Collins.

He does not like them very much.  Or perhaps we should say, He does like pretending that he does not like them very much.

But they are going to thwart him at every turn.  He is their Sergeant Carter to their Gomer Pyle.  No matter how bumbling they are, they come out on top.

Meanwhile, Bob Martin and Randolph Parker III have run into one another.  Over a girl.  And a man's sense of duty.  It seems that Bob does not approve of Randolph's behavior.  In fact, he detests it.

Randolph is rich.

So he tries to use his powerful connections, especially his father, to get himself out of the Army altogether.  But his father refuses to do so.  He knows that his son is spoiled enough already.  And he wants him to stick it out and be a man.

But Parker and Martin are also fighting over a girl.  Judy Grey.  She is a hostess where they are stationed.  Bob Martin treats her with respect.  Randolph Parker treats her with entitlement.  Who will win?  Seriously.

Enter The Andrews Sisters.

Laverne.  Maxene.  And Patty Andrews.

They come to the camp to increase morale while the men are there.  Kind of their own personal, permanently embedded, USO Tour.  Complete with singing and dancing.  And tightly synced choreography.

They say the Army turns boys into men.

Good luck with this group.

They are less than boys.

They are Buck Privates.