Advance to the Rear

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.

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!

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.

Advance to the Rear (1964) I love quirky romantic comedies, westerns (some with humor when it works), and fun action-adventure, but I can't stand anything about the Civil War. I DVR'd (if that's not a word, I'm making it one) this movie for two reasons. 1.) I have a newfound crush on Glenn Ford after seeing him in Dear Heart. 2.) A poster on the Dear Heart board said a good Glenn Ford comedy was coming on TCM this spring. So, when I saw this film was a Glenn Ford comedy, I just naturally assumed I'd stumbled across her recommendation and DVR'd it. All things happen for a reason. I was meant to discover a quirky romantic comedy action adventure western war movie all in one. That doesn't happen often. I'm not sure it can happen again.

Regardless, I was sort of ho-hum about the Civil War part, but I thought I'd cheer up my poor husband who was sick with food poisoning (duck from a nice restaurant, not my cooking). I was already pretty interested after Robert Osborne's introduction before the first scene played. The setup before the credits was a good teaser, and by the time the credits rolled I was hopeful. I knew I was hooked the minute Glenn Ford was taunting the rebs with talk of fried chicken. Then I was absolutely rolling when Ford and Douglas had their first scene and the first of many disagreements. They played off of each other so well. Douglas had his leading man days in his younger years, but some of my favorite roles are supporting ones. He sparred superbly with Cary Grant in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.

By now I'd made up my mind that this was in no way going to be a dreary Civil War film. The next test was Stella Stevens. I saw her in a cute Dean Martin film and was just so thankful she didn't have on a buxom bikini and a Swedish accent and ended up liking the movie. To my delight, she's a beautiful rebel spy that appears to still have her virtue. That's hard to find in movies now, but it really makes for a clean, fun classic film which is what I enjoy the most. Through a series of preposterous events, Ford becomes involved with Stevens and their chemistry was just perfect and their banter adorable.

The supporting cast included Joan Blondell, Alan Hale (Jr.), Jim Backus, and a lot of other familiar faces from my days of watching great TV and movies on rainy days long ago. The stunts were very creative, the horse scenes were humorous, the crazy Company Q was comprised of the most perfectly matched bunch of misfits. The only one remotely sane was Ford, the suave and charming straight man. Finally, the film actually had a plausible plot that ended up making sense and everyone happy. Other than a few over the top slapstick scenes, I enjoyed this silly treasure. It even got a few chuckles out of my sick husband before he fell back asleep.

What a great Sunday afternoon treat and one I'll want to see again! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fun classic but totally unique quirky romantic comedy action adventure western war movies all in one.

As others are who have studied the long and estimable body of his work, I am a great admirer of George Marshall. The versatile director had an ability to tell a story with a camera that was legendary; in "Advance to the Rear" he found, I suggest, one of his richest hoards of cinematic possibilities. The story-line of this rare historical comedy takes the viewer back to the final days of the Civil War is winding to an inevitable close; so the commander of one contingent of union soldiers has made a separate truce with his Confederate counterpart. At a prearranged time, a single cannon round, fired to miss, is set off by each side. And that is their daily war. Period. This life-preserving but odd arrangement works quite well, until a youthful officer, recently posted to the "Company of Cowards", the name in the original novel from which the narrative was extracted, sallies forth and captures some of "the Rebs". This precipitate action of course obliges their equally reluctant "enemies" to do something else, that starts to look like an act of war. "What have you done?" the union Colonel bellows at him, "Take them back! How many times have I instructed you not to show initiative?" The company depicted obviously bears a striking resemblance to "F Troop"; this film was undoubtedly the model for that enjoyable TV series.. After a major mess ensues, the group are dispatched to the West where it is hoped they cannot do too much damage to the Union cause. And then the viewer learns these misfits will have to protect a large gold shipment that Confederate guerrillas will really be trying to make away with.. The young officer has another thorn in his side; the complication is that he has fallen head-over-heels for a gung-ho and gorgeous female Confederate spy. What happens next has to be seen to be howled at. The actors in this colorful comedy-and adventure and romance are under-appreciated Glenn Ford, the ultra-skilled award-level Melvyn Douglas as the Union colonel in question, Stella Stevens as the well-constructed spy, and a large number of very good supporting actors including Jim Backus, Joan Blondell, Whit Bissell, Andrew Prine, Jesse Pearson, Michael Pate, Alan Hale, Jr., James Griffith, and many more in smaller roles. The writers credited with this hilarious screenplay, probably also an inspiration for "Hogan's Heroes" included veteran screenwriter William Bowers, Robert Carson, Samuel A. Peeples and Jack Schaefer. The music was provided by Randy Sparks, the vivid cinematography by the talented Milton Krasner. The very fine art direction was done by George W. Davis and George Imazu, with set decoration by Budd Friend and tasteful Henry Grace, with costumes by Walter Plunkett, makeup by the legendary William Tuttle and hairstyles by Sydney Guilaroff. This is a film which has everything I suggest that a comedy could ask for--a strong central character, a clear set of goals, well- developed characters, humor born out of situation, character and reaction, and a first-rate production in the hands of a director who gives every moment its due but never slows down the pace. Please watch this feature the next time it is presented; I believe you will appreciate its classic comedy mood as much as I do. I suggest it is a one-of-kind comedy although very often imitated.