The Warner Archive has released the 1964 Civil War comedy Advance to the Rear on DVD. The b&w film would certainly have been destined to the bottom of double bills had it not been for its impressive cast: Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, Melvyn Douglas, Jim Backus and Joan Blondell among them. They must have all seen potential in the script that was not realized on screen. The movie, directed by the usually reliable George Marshall, is a low-budget quickie that has little to recommend aside from its charismatic cast. The story takes place in the early days of the Civil War. Colonel Brackenbury (Melvyn Douglas) is a bumbling martinet, despite having graduated from West Point. He simply wants to sit the war out in as easy a fashion as possible. However, his more assertive second-in-command, Capt. Heath (Glenn Ford), heroically captures some confederate soldiers. This upsets the mutually agreed upon stalemate between both sides and increases the hostilities. An errant horse results in the Union troops going into full retreat (which seems to be a clear inspiration for a plot device seen in the opening credits of the TV series "F Troop".) As punishment, Blackenbury is demoted and is put in charge of a misfit brigade of con men and idiots. The company is sent far away from the war to police a normally quiet Indian reservation. However, they inadvertently become part of a major mission to prevent confederate spies from hijacking a shipment of Union gold that is going through the territory. The bulk of the problem falls to Heath to cope with, as his men are blunderers and his commanding officer is lazy and cowardly.
The film ambles from one slapstick routine to another until the
results are wearying. How many times can one be amused by seeing
cavalrymen terrified of the notion of getting on a horse? Stella Stevens
is present as a confederate spy masquerading as a hooker in the employ
of madam Joan Blondell (who seemed to have a monopoly on the role of
madam in every film made during this period). Stevens has little to do
but inevitably - and predictably- fall in love with the man she is
targeting for information, Capt. Heath. One of the few points of
interest in this bland comedy is the extensive usage of the famed
riverboat that had been a mainstay on the MGM back lot since the film of
Showboat. The boat had been worked into everything the studio
did, from sitcoms to spy series. It's good to see this vintage vessel
given some extensive screen time.
Advance to the Rear does have a rather amusing performance by
Melvyn Douglas, who won the Oscar that year for supporting actor for his
superb work in the previous year's Hud. This movie was sandwiched between that classic and another great comedy, The Americanization of Emily. Thankfully, Advance to the Rear was
all but ignored. The film also benefits from a sterling supporting cast
that includes Andrew Prine, Jim Backus and Alan Hale Jr. (For TV trivia
buffs, the latter two actors would go on to star together in Gilligan's Island.)
However, the uninspired screenplay and cheap production values
undermine the actors at every turn. There is the heartwarming sight of
Stella Stevens prancing about in a bustier, but one can't help ponder what the film would have amounted to if it had a better script. Still, it's good that the Warner Archive is making such low-rung titles available. At a minimum, they afford retro movie fans the opportunity to relish great stars affording them some modest viewing pleasures.
The only bonus is the theatrical trailer.
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