Advance to the Rear

Comedy is a funny animal. You never know when laughter is going to strike next, and you just never know what you're going to find funny. Recently, I laughed in child-like glee during Walt Disney's "Pinocchio", and all the way through the 1931 French farce "Le Million". I found the 2009 romantic comedy "I Love You, Man" delightful, and I almost had to call 911 I was laughing so hard during "The Sunshine Boys". but Stanley Kramer's laborious, sour, mammoth wannabe laff-fest "It's a Mad (etc.) World" didn't elicit a single chuckle from me. I believe that the harder the film-maker seems to be trying, the less likely it is that he'll succeed. The best comedy, no matter how many hours are spent setting up a gag, must appear as if it happens totally by accident. But one thing for sure - laughter is a gift. I'll take it wherever I can find it.

"Advance to the Rear" is a funny movie. It made me laugh. There you have it. That's my review. Part of me feels that this movie shouldn't work. It's a total contrivance. But it's so feather-light, so airy, so unpretentious, and so good-natured that one just gives in to it. It's as if the film-makers and the actors are saying: "We've put together this little concoction for your amusement, and we hope that you have a good time." It helps that Glenn Ford and Melvyn Douglas are the stars - Ford taking things way too seriously and becoming seriously undone, and Douglas, demoted to Captain, wincing at every mishap and quite beside himself about what his wife will think ("I married well! All my friends are generals!"). Even if you don't think that men running around in their long-johns is funny you might get a hoot out of the injun from West Point, the guy whose scent attracts horses and the ski attack on water barrel rings. As for Stella Stevens - she can be the angel on top of my Christmas tree anytime.

This is one heckuva fun film. Although a pretty descriptive writeup has already been given, I gotta tip the proverbial hat to what seems to be the inspiration for the F-TROOP television series that debuted the following year. And, the use of balladeers, THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS, to help set scenes for the film hearkens unto many a great "tried and true" stories of the period...including the legendary CAT BALLOU with Stubby Kaye & Nat King Cole as the Balladeers in question.

I am going to have to track this down and plant it near THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL (another good comedy set in the same time period) on my viewing shelf.

I saw this movie in the basement movie studio of Ytterboe Hall (my freshman college dorm -- alas now only a memory) when it came out 37 years ago. After I got married and settled down, I started scanning the television listings regularly for it. After 20 years, one of the channels started showing it in the wee hours so I managed to tape it. 'Advance To The Rear' is a rare gem.

This movie was made during the short but glorious window of cultural innocence (between R & B and the Rolling Stones) when folk music was as popular as rock. The music is by Randy Sparks and sung by his New Christy Minstrals. The song 'Today' is from this movie.

Stella Stevens, as the Confederate spy, is gorgeous beyond description. Glen Ford plays the bemused hero trying to do things by the book admidst a collection of misfits ('We're a company of cowards and we've come to save the day.'). Jim Backus ('Gilligan's Island' and the voice of Mr. Magoo) leads a familiar cast of veteran supporting actors and actresses of the era. Did I mention that Stella Stevens is good looking?

'Advance To The Rear' is a B-movie masterpiece. One of those rare examples of everything coming together perfectly. For those of us who remember the era, it is also very evocative -- perhaps more so than any other movie of its time. It would be nice if whoever has the rights would release it, my VHS tape is getting a little flaky. By the way, they made an LP of the sound track. Now that be a major garage sale find.

This film was shown on Turner Classic Movies and in the absence of other reviews, this review is for the film itself, only. It's also known as "Advance In Reverse".

It's not hard to fall into liking this easy-going and ramshackle comedy, which switches easily from knockabout physical humour (with 'assorted' sound effects) to silly dialogue and a general feel that the assorted misfits of this Union regiment just aren't taking their roles that seriously. The story, for what it is has the regiment being sent out of reach of action but still manage to capture a rebel spy, played by Stella Stevens and they all end up in a heap of trouble. A $2 million gold bullion gets in the mix as do some rather "friendly" Indians.

Glenn Ford is easily the most recognisable as the captain and Melvyn Douglas as the Colonel "in charge" and these two string it all together and he's not bad at comic timing or deadpan delivery. He has a romantic fling with Stevens, as all the regiment do (in their dreams!) Destry Rides Again director George Stevens' film is in widescreen and (here) an attractively dark-greened tinged black & white and which runs for 96mins.

The comedy is gentle and clever rather than broad, or crude and the targets are fairly obvious but as it's all fairly sweet it's all a nicely pleasurable watch rather than anything classic or downright hilarious - though the scene where they storm the camp, dressed in long-johns, with boards on their feet down the dry grass slopes, to the soundtrack of a WW2 fighter plane battle is actually really rather humorous!

Advance to the Rear is the last of a string of films that Glenn Ford made with director George Marshall. As an actor/director combination, they don't rate as high as John Wayne/John Ford or Robert DeNiro/Martin Scorsese, but they did turn out a succession of very funny films.

Back at the beginning of Ford's career, Marshall directed him in Texas along with another young star Bill Holden. Than it was almost a decade until they worked together again in one of Ford's best and probably funniest film, The Sheepman.

Ford had not done that much comedy up till then. Marshall took great advantage of Glenn Ford's really great gift for deadpanning some fabulous lines. They did five more films after that and Ford used him in his television series Cade's County. A good director/actor team turning out some great product.

I think George Marshall's not been given his due. He was best at comedy, but could also turn out good westerns. His most noted film, Destry Rides Again is a great blend of both.

Ford is a newly assigned lieutenant in a company that bears a striking resemblance to F Troop. Possibly this film was the inspiration for same. After a major snafu, they are assigned out in the west where it is hoped they cannot do too much damage to the Union cause.

And then it's discovered they are to be protecting a major gold shipment that Confederate guerrilla James Griffith is out to steal. Ford has an additional complication in that he's fallen for Confederate spy Stella Stevens.

You'll have a lot of laughs along the way in seeing if and how all these situations are dealt with. Another performance of note here is Melvyn Douglas as the commanding officer of the company. Douglas, two years past his Oscar for Hud, gets a real change of pace and he looks like he's having a ball playing the bumbling and pompous Colonel Brackenby.

Watch this one and you're in for good afternoon's share of laughs.