''No Time for Sergeants'' is a 1958 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

based on a play by

Ira Levin Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels '' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1953), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1967), '' The Stepford Wives'' (1972), ''This Perfe ...

inspired by the original novel. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his character ...

and featuring

Myron McCormick Myron McCormick (February 8, 1908 – July 30, 1962) was an American actor of stage, radio and film. Early life and education Born in Albany, Indiana, in 1908, Walter Myron McCormick was the middle child of Walter P. and Bessie M. McCormick ...

, Don Knotts and most of the original

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

cast, joined by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

contract player Nick Adams and Murray Hamilton.

Plot

Will Stockdale (Griffith) is a backwoods rube from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, with super strength and a weak mind, who is drafted into the United States Air Force. Other draftees being transported to basic training include the dim Ben Whitledge ( Nick Adams) and obnoxious bully Irving S. Blanchard ( Murray Hamilton). The unhappy Whitledge wants to be assigned to the infantry where his six brothers served. At boot camp, Stockdale proceeds to make life miserable for the man in charge, Master Sergeant Orville C. King (

), a career hack who likes his barracks to be routine, quiet and calm. In exasperation, the sergeant places Stockdale on full-time

latrine A latrine is a toilet or an even simpler facility that is used as a toilet within a sanitation system. For example, it can be a communal trench in the earth in a camp to be used as emergency sanitation, a hole in the ground ( pit latrine), or ...

duty. Stockdale believes his new position of "P.L.O." (Permanent Latrine Orderly) to be a promotion. A company inspection takes a surprising turn when Stockdale's immaculately clean latrine impresses King's company commander. King gets into hot water, however, when Stockdale reveals that the sergeant kept him on permanent bathroom duty while neglecting to have the recruit complete all the required military exams. The company commander orders King to help Stockdale through his training in one week, or else he will be demoted and made "P. L. O." himself. Rushing him through testing, King bribes Stockdale by promising to give him his wristwatch if he can pass. Stockdale takes a manual dexterity test from Corporal John C. Brown ( Don Knotts), a psychiatric test from Maj. Royal B. Demming (

James Millhollin Arthur James Millhollin (August 23, 1915 – May 23, 1993) was an American character actor. Early years Millhollin was born in Peoria, Illinois. He grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, performing in many school plays, graduated from Thomas Jeffers ...

), and an eye exam. Stockdale manages to pass despite driving all of the examiners crazy and gets the wristwatch as a reward. Blanchard convinces King to get Stockdale drunk so that he will fail the next day's inspection. Stockdale, used to strong homemade moonshine, stays sober while King and Blanchard get drunk. They begin a barroom brawl with equally drunk infantrymen, but Stockdale leaves and returns to the base, avoiding the M.P.s. Blanchard is arrested and King is missing when the colonel and captain inspect the latrine and barracks the next day. Stockdale has mechanically rigged all the toilet seats to open simultaneously in a "salute". A filthy King is found after he sneaks into the latrine and sets off the toilet lids. He is summarily reduced to private rank and sent to gunnery school along with Stockdale and Whitledge. As King goes back to his office dejected, he admits to Stockdale that he has grown to like him. Stockdale gives the watch back to King. At gunnery school, Stockdale is at the bottom of the class and Whitledge is next to the bottom. King graduates as the top man and is assigned to the staff of General Eugene Bush ( Howard Smith) at his former rank. On their first flight, Stockdale and Whitledge fly to Denver in an obsolete B-25 bomber. Stockdale's assignment is tail gunner. After putting the plane on autopilot, the pilots fall asleep, and the airplane becomes lost at night over the atomic bomb test site at

Yucca Flats Yucca Flat is a closed desert drainage basin, one of four major nuclear test regions within the Nevada Test Site (NTS), and is divided into nine test sections: Areas 1 through 4 and 6 through 10. Yucca Flat is located at the eastern edge of NTS, ...

, Nevada. The radio operator was left behind at the base, so Stockdale and Whitledge must radio to obtain their position. Military radiomen on the ground, confused by Stockdale's folksy, clownish speech, have the commander of the atomic bomb test rouse General Bush to confirm that Stockdale is not a prankster. Bush reassures Stockdale that he is not a foreign agent, as King tells Bush to remind Stockdale of the watch. Following detonation of an atom bomb, a fire breaks out in the aft of the plane. Stockdale and Whitledge bail out and travel for days to get back to the base. They are declared dead by King, but the officers survive and are to be decorated. During the air medal ceremony, Stockdale and Whitledge reappear, so the Air Force has to cover up the story to avoid an international

public humiliation Public humiliation or public shaming is a form of punishment whose main feature is dishonoring or disgracing a person, usually an offender or a prisoner, especially in a public place. It was regularly used as a form of judicially sanctioned puni ...

. Stockdale suggests both he and Whitledge be transferred to the infantry. General Bush heartily approves and has King transferred with them.

Cast

as Pvt. Will Stockdale *

as M/Sgt. Orville C. King * Nick Adams as Pvt. Benjamin B. Whitledge * Murray Hamilton as Irving S. Blanchard * Howard Smith as Maj. Gen. Eugene Bush, U.S. Air Force *

Will Hutchins Will Hutchins (born Marshall Lowell Hutchason; May 5, 1930) is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster, in the Western television series ''Sugarfoot'', which aired on ABC from 1957 to 1961 for ...

as Lt. George Bridges (B-25 pilot) * Sydney Smith as Maj. Gen. Vernon Pollard, U.S. Army *

as Maj. Royal B. Demming (psychiatrist) * Don Knotts as Cpl. John C. Brown (dexterity tester) *

Jean Willes Jean Willes (born Jean Donahue; April 15, 1923 – January 3, 1989) was an American film and television actress. She appeared in approximately 65 films in her 38-year career. Early years Willes was born Jean Donahue In Los Angeles. She spent pa ...

as WAF Captain * Bartlett Robinson as Captain * Henry McCann as Lt. Cover *

Dub Taylor Walter Clarence "Dub" Taylor Jr. (February 26, 1907 – October 3, 1994),Dub Taylor, 87, Actor in Westerns, The New York Times, October 5, 1994, Section B, Page 12 was an American character actor who from the 1940s into the 1990s worked extens ...

as McKinney (draft board man) *

William Fawcett William or Bill Fawcett or ''variation'', may refer to: People * William Fawcett (actor) (1894–1974), American actor who was awarded the ''Légion d'honneur'' * William Fawcett (author) (1902–1941), English journalist and writer on horses, hun ...

as Pa Stockdale *

Raymond Bailey Raymond Thomas Bailey (May 6, 1904 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor, and comedian on the Broadway stage, films, and television. He is best known for his role as greedy banker Milburn Drysdale in the television series ''The Beverly Hill ...

as Base Colonel *

Jamie Farr Jamie Farr (born Jameel Joseph Farah; July 1, 1934) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing the cross-dressing Corporal turned Sergeant Maxwell Q. Klinger in the CBS television sitcom ''M*A*S*H''. He was inducted to ...

as Lt. Gardella B-25 (co-pilot) *

as an MP

Reception

The film was a major hit, and was largely responsible for launching the careers of Griffith, Adams and Knotts.

Comic book adaptation

* Dell Four Color #914 (July 1958)

References

External links