Jane Wyman Title and Navigation bar
You're in the Army Now
1941 Jump to Synopsis and Details
 
You're in the Army Now #1
Click graphic to enlarge
You're in the Army Now #3
Click graphic to enlarge
You're in the Army Now #2
Click graphic to enlarge
Description

Jimmy Durante goes to town on the clowning, slapstick and other means of comedy, but while he's busy as a bee, many others contribute importantly to the numerous laugh-producing sequences. Among these is Phil Silvers.

Durante and Silvers, trying to interest a recruiting officer in a vacuum cleaner, accidentally get themselves enlisted. As buck privates, they become guardhouse regulars as result of getting themselves into one jam after another.

The story job by Paul Gerard Smith, an old hand at the vaudeville-writing game, and George Beatty is excellent and, if some of the gag situations are stretched a little too far or the slapstick gets out of hand, it may be the fault of the director, Lewis Seiler. Dialog is surefire all the way.

Synopsis

Vacuum-cleaner salesmen Homer "Jeeter" Smith and "Breezy" Jones are accidentally inducted into the army, and "Jeeter", who can sell anything, immediately begins to try and convince, Colonel Dobson, their cavalry officer of the Old School — from the "nothing can replace a horse in a battle" school — that the age of mechanization has arrived and "Jeeter" has a deal for him on some tanks. This also helps further the romance between the colonels' daughter, Bliss (named after the fort in El Paso), and Captain Joe Radcliffe, a mechanical engineer with the tank corps. Along the way, at an U. S. O show (featuring the Navy Blues Sextette from the film "Navy Blues"), "Jeeper" does an Apache Dance, spikes the lemonade with alum, and sings "I'm Glad My Number Was Called." Written by Les Adams

Review from NY Times

Published: December 26, 1941

Jimmy Durante is back on the screen—at the Strand, to be specific—and that should be good news for those who can enjoy unrefined comedy. This corner can. But, though, one may be an easy mark for the old "schnozzola's" mugging and clowning, the line must be drawn when considering "You're in the Army Now," for seldom has there been such a conglomerate slapstick mess. The Warners should not be encouraged to carry this type of painfully embarrassing nonsense any farther.

The only thing missing in this antic about a couple of vacuum cleaner salesmen who become unwitting soldiers in Uncle Sam's draftee army is the custard pies that Mr. Sennett used to toss about. But wait! doesn't Mr. Durante find convenient substitutes in the pile of lemons he has to squeeze for the camp social? Indeed, and they splatter over Sergeant Joe Sawyer almost as effectively as a custard filling would. No, the Warners haven't overlooked any of the old tricks—Mr. Durante even flounders about in a mud hole with the colonel after a wild ride in a runaway tank. That tank ride is, however, crazy enough to be reasonably funny.

Most of the gags are as obvious as they are corny, but Mr. Durante and Phil Silvers are not to be denied altogether and do manage to eke out a few mild laughs strictly on their own.

Cast

Jimmy Durante as Homer 'Jeeper' Smith

Phil Silvers as Breezy Jones

Jane Wyman as Bliss Dobson

Regis Toomey as Capt. Joe Radcliffe

Donald MacBride as Colonel Dobson

Joe Sawyer as Sgt. Madden

Clarence Kolb as Brig. Gen. Damon P. Winthrop

Paul Harvey as Gen. Philpot

George Meeker as Capt. Austin

Paul Stanton as Lt. Col Rogers

William Haade as Sgt. Thorpe

John Maxwell as Army doctor

Etta McDaniel as Della

Kay Aldridge as Navy Blues Sextette member

Peggy Diggins as Navy Blues Sextette member

Marguerite Chapman as Navy Blues Sextette member

Georgia Carroll as Navy Blues Sextette member

Leslie Brooks as Navy Blues Sextette member

Alix Talton as Navy Blues Sextette member

Matty Malneck as Matty Malneck (bandleader)

Navy Blues Sextette as Singers

Armando & Lita as Dance Team

Bill Erwin

Murray Alper as Supply Man: Hats

Anthony Caruso as Apache Dancer

Charles Drake as Private

Roland Drew as Captain

Fern Emmett as Mary, the Farmer's Wife

Dick French as Capt. Blake

Arthur Gardner as Man

Jack Gardner as Officer with Lemonade

Weldon Heyburn as Sergeant of the Guard

William Hopper as Supply Man: Gas Masks

Olin Howland as Pa, The Farmer

Victor Kilian as Soldier

Harry Lewis as Recruit

Sally Loomis as Drum Majorette

Matt McHugh as House Mover

Patrick McVey as Supply Man - Union Suits

David Newell as Staff Sergeant

Frank Sully as Hog Caller

Dick Wessel as Supply Man: Shoes

Gig Young as Soldier

  
 

Directed by
Lewis Seiler

Writing credits
George Bentley and Paul Girard Smith (story & screenplay)

Produced by
Benjamin Stoloff - associate producer

Original Music by
Howard Jackson

Cinematography by
Arthur L. Todd

Film Editing by
Frank Magee

Art Direction by
Stanley Fleischer

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson (gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore - makeup artist

Sound Department
Stanley Jones - sound

Special Effects by
Edwin B. DuPar - special effects
Willard Van Enger - special effects

Other crew
Matty King - dance director

 


 
Now You Can Stop Your Break Up, Divorce, Or Lovers Rejection...Even If Your Situation Seems Hopeless!

| Home | Biography | Filmography | Photographs | Posters | Video | Obituary | Testimonials | Contact Us / Share |
© 2007 - Present jane-wyman.com. All Rights Reserved.
Website designed and maintained by Oliver Del Signore