We've Never Been Licked

There was a time when everyone in the United States was truly "united" following the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was no doubt about what had to be done, and the military might of the U.S. was there to do the job. In the wake of 9-11, there was another groundswell of patriotic feeling, but over time we have forgotten how priceless are our freedoms and how they have been protected over the years. This film reminds the history student (or anyone who has listened to their ancestors) of how real a threat can be. Cadet Craig, for reasons of nobility and integrity, sacrificed himself and his reputation for his country, his family and his alma mater. Who would do such a thing today? Maybe the first responders on 9-11; the threat in 1942 was real, the threat in the 21st century is real. This film reminds us of heroes, and duty, and country. It is well worth your time. Not the best acting, or the best story or the best filmography, but you are free to choose.

I worked for years with Aggie Cinema and we used to show this movie to the incoming freshman at our outdoor theater, the Grove. Aggie Cinema is defunct, along with the Grove so I'm not sure if the freshman get to see this gem any more.

The interesting bit of trivia was that we were constantly trying to get decent copies of this film to show in the days long before movie restoration. We kept coming up empty handed. We later found out that Robert Mitchum had bought up most of the copies and burned them because he hated his performance. It was not a bad performance. This could have been a lost piece of film lore! Also, note the "mountains" in the scenes of College Station's countryside, which is rolling coastal plain.

Richard Quine is an army brat who grew up in the Far East. Now he's journeyed halfway around the world to attend Texas A&M, his father's alma mater. He hopes to be an Aggie, and bring modern farming techniques to the Philippines. But he's not used to the strange and onerous discipline of the school, despite his friendship with his room mate, Noah Beery Jr., his respect for professor Harry Davenport, and his love for Davenport's daughter, Anne Gwynne. His understanding of the Japanese language and people make him the butt of the growing evidence of Japanese savagery in China. Certainly, upperclassman Robert Mitchum won't let him be.

Walter Wanger produced this 100+ minute propaganda film for Universal. Sometimes it seems a bit long-winded about the college. I checked and was surprised that Wanger did not go to Texas A&M. He started out in vaudeville as a child, then went into the movies as an actor. He switched over to directing in the late 1940s, and specialized in light comedies, often, at first, with scripts by Blake Edwards. He died in 1989 at the age of 68.

One of the reviewers comments that this film is "corney[sic]...(and) if you're not an Aggie, would probably won't like it." Well, I'm not a [Texas] Aggie but I saw this film at the old Kern theater in Bakersfield when I was a kid. I thought it was a true story and went on believing it until I saw it again one night on the late night show on TV. Corny? Well, that may be a bit harsh but in the context of WWII and the times, it doesn't seem so. The fact is, it's dated. Created for US feel-good propaganda during the war, its anti-Japanese message comes across as racist and hate-mongering. But, isn't that what propaganda is all about? As a serious student of the Pacific War, this story shows a horrible lack of understanding of Japanese culture. But, bridging differences and fostering understanding was not the order of the day in 1943. It was "kill Japs," and sadly, this is what this film portends. I hope we don't believe that way now.

The first half of the film concerns the awesomeness of Texas A&M University as we see cocky new student Brad (Richard Quine) arrive on campus and immediately alienate everyone with his terrible personality. Even his roommate Cyanide Jenkins (Noah Beery Jr.) has trouble putting up with Brad until the newcomer is taught some humility. Brad and Cyanide are also both in love with the same girl, professor's daughter Nina (Anne Gwynne). The second half of the movie gets even sillier as Brad deals with evil Japanese agents on campus.

This is a cheesy military school drama that hits most of the usual marks in that kind of story. The second half involving various espionage shenanigans is more entertaining but no less ridiculous. Quine is just terrible, unlikable and irritating. Mitchum's role as a hardcase upperclassman is larger than many he was getting at the time. Cliff Robertson appears in his film debut.