Onionhead

In this 1958 Warner Brothers production, Andy Griffith is both nutty and yet very dramatic; this movie indicates that fact very well. While I was watching this as a boy in 1958, I was expecting a comedy, but, unlike the side-splitting comedy "No Time for Sergeants" it was only humorous occasionally. I learned empirically that if anyone was looking for a comedy in this, don't get your hopes up along that line. But again, it was a well-done production of its kind. Tersely, the story is about a 1941 Oklahoma boy named Alvin "Al" Woods in maybe his twenties who becomes upset one night with his girlfriend because of a lack of commitment on her part, which spurns him to go join the Coast Guard where he is assigned to a ship in Boston and ends up being a cook. Because of his naivete he is sometimes taken advantage of by others on the ship, though many of them do end up respecting him. He becomes very serious and firm when, because of a conflict in the kitchen, he takes a very serious stand. Again, his dramatic powers come through when he not only takes his stand, but when he becomes frustrated as well. The 12/07/1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was well-dramatized. The acting was well-done. The very lovely Felicia Farr lends support as Stella Papparonis, a not-so-nice girl who likes to throw herself at men. Walter Matthau is comical as 'Red' Wildoe, the chief cook. Ray Danton must have wanted people to hate him, for here he plays a cold and very dishonest Ensign Dennis Higgins. Erin O'Brien is a sweet and pretty lady as Josephine "Jo" Hill, Woods' first love interest. James Gregory, though smile-less and a bit on the rough side, portrays well Lt. Cmdr. Fox, a man who becomes a very good-hearted and supportive friend of Woods. Claude Akins is nutty as a buddy of Woods. Everything taken into consideration, it is a well-done dramatic feat.

Early in his acting career, Andy Griffith had two breakout roles that brought him fame. One was starring in the very gritty "A Face in the Crowd", the other starring in the teleplay and movie version of "No Time For Sergeants". Now considering that "Onionhead" is a military film that came out right after "No Time For Sergents", I naturally assumed it was a similar film--a hilarious comedy featuring Griffith as a very likable idiot. Imagine my surprise, then, when despite the silly title and proximity to "No Time For Sergeants", it had almost nothing in common with this film and really wasn't even a comedy. Sure, "Onionhead" had some comedic parts but only scattered about--otherwise, it was a pretty serious film. In addition, Griffith's character was incredibly different this time. Al Woods was certainly no innocent, but instead was headstrong, occasionally unlikable but ultimately decent guy. Just when you think you don't like him, he shows some character--just like a real life person. And, this real life aspect of the film is probably what will disappoint many viewers who are expecting a rollicking military comedy. However, despite failing to meet these expectations and having an uneven script and an occasionally tough to like leading man, it IS worth seeing. Griffith gives a nice performance and the more you watch the film the more you connect with it. So, if you do give it a try, don't assume it's a comedy or the same-old-same-old...and be patient. It's actually pretty good.

I think the other reviewers are mostly giving this movie a harder rap than it deserves, and that the 5.9 rating it gets is too low. I'd give it at least a 7.0. While it is not MISTER ROBERTS, nothing else is either, and not having read the book I can't compare it to that either. Rather, it seems to be not only a perfectly good example of fare in the humor-in-uniform genre (people seem to have forgotten just how many, many movies were made, particularly after the war, in that vein), but I found it more believable and less contrived than most in terms of both situations and acting. The quality of the banter and chaff was overall much better than you see in most such films including even A-list movies with people like John Wayne in them. I also found the adult situations more believably adult than was typical in A-list movies for those days. I could get into details if anybody really wanted to, but the bottom line is that I was glad I happened upon this on TV and wish I could get a DVD copy to add to my collection.

This was one of the main reasons I joined the United States Coast Guard in 1976 and retired in 2006. I was 10 years old when I saw the movie and have been remembering it every day since. I would like to find out how to purchase this for my home collection. As I remember the story, it is close to Mister Rogers plot, except a Coast Guard version instead. Granted, there are a lot of flaws one could develop of the view of the Coast Guard, it is the unsung hero of the United States Armed Forces. Very few people realize the how small the Coast Guard is, when I retired, there were only 35,000. This does not come out in this movie, which I wished it would have. Nor does the movie depict the dangerous jobs the men and women of the Coast Guard do on a daily basis.

I have seen the movie a few times over the years, and usually enjoy it for what it is. Its not a comedy, though it has funny moments, and the characters are interesting even though none of them is really appealing. I suppose it would have to be classified as a drama, though it isn't really dramatic in theme or treatment, and it isn't exactly slice of life, its too scatter-shot to be that. A series of incidents that define the character and development of a man from callow youth through cynical adult to something a bit more compassionate and understanding by the end of the movie. This movie was apparently something of a departure for Andy Griffith, as he rarely returned to this sort of material in his career, seeming to prefer a more slapstick, comedic role, but it does indeed demonstrate his capability of handling material outside that venue.