No Time for Sergeants (1958)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Mac Hyman (novel)
Ira Levin (play) ...

Release Date:

27 June 1958 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Will Stockdale is a country bumpkin drafted into the Air Force and too dumb to realize he's driving everyone around him crazy -- no one more than Sgt. King.

Plot Keywords:

Hillbilly | U.S. Air Force | Jump From Airplane | Basic Training | Missile

Cast

Andy Griffith	...	Pvt. Will Stockdale
Myron McCormick	...	Sgt. Orville C. King
Nick Adams	...	Pvt. Benjamin B. 'Ben' Whitledge
Murray Hamilton	...	Irving S. Blanchard
Howard Smith	...	Maj. Gen. Eugene Bush
Will Hutchins	...	Lt. George Bridges (pilot)
Sydney Smith	...	Maj. Gen. Vernon Pollard
James Millhollin	...	Maj. Royal B. Demming (psychiatrist)
Don Knotts	...	Cpl. John C. Brown (Dexterity)
Jean Willes	...	WAF captain
Bartlett Robinson	...	Captain
Henry McCann	...	Lt. Cover
Dub Taylor	...	McKinney (draft board man)
William Fawcett	...	Pa Stockdale
Raymond Bailey	...	Base Colonel

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Andy Griffith was nominated for the 1956 Tony Award for Supporting or Features Actor in a Drama for "No Time for Sergeants" as Private Will Stockdale and played the role in the stage, television and movie productions.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The movie has Will and Ben being drafted into the Air Force and seeking transfer into the Army infantry. At the time the movie was made, by law, draftees were automatically assigned to the Army for two years (i.e. Elvis); the Air Force has never had to use the draft since it became a separate branch of the service in 1947. The original novel and play that the movie is based on did have Will drafted into the Army during WW II and seeking to transfer to what was then the Army Air Force.

Quotes:

[after Will has spent all night cleaning the latrine, Sgt. King is amazed at how beautiful it is]
Sergeant King: Wait 'til the Captain sees this. Why he inspects this place like it was an operating room where somebody was gonna cut out his heart. Never in your life have you seen such a guy for stickin' his head right down into things.
[looks at the commodes]
Will Stockdale: You figure he'll like what I done?
Sergeant King: He'll be a new man. Will, uh, how would you like to be Permanent Latrine Orderly?
Will Stockdale: Permanent Latrine Orderly?
Sergeant King: P.L.O.
Will Stockdale: Go-o-o-lee!

Movie Connections:

Remake of "The United States Steel Hour: No Time for Sergeants (#2.14)" (1955)

This movie should give anyone a positive view of hicks.

Before Andy Griffith became a certain wholesome sheriff, he played some interesting roles on film. "No Time for Sergeants" is a prime example. He plays country bumpkin Will Stockdale, who gets drafted into the army. Once in the army, he just can't do things the way that they want. This may be the end of the armed forces as we know them! You'll probably really like the scene where he gets to meet Don Knotts (pre-Barney Fife). Or the whole monologue about the latrines. Okay, so how many movies can there be about some goof-ball entering the army and raising Cain? Maybe more than we want, but this one is a hoot. If you ask me, Andy Griffith works best in these kinds of roles.