Private Buckaroo

This really doesn't try to amount to much but a World War II entertainment vehicle. The Andrews Sisters, Dick Foran, Huntz Hall, and Shemp from the Three Stooges (Yes!) all are here, the main story is about a singer wanting to get into combat service but can't because of flat feet, and there's some other minor needer-natters going on too, but there's nothing earth-shattering divulged here. No, you'll be getting a dozen or so songs, most of them heavily patriotic, most of them hardly known today (I actually recognized Rinky-Dinky-Parlez-Vous only because I've heard it recently). This movie IS fun, actually. The Andrews Sisters know how to entertain (watch them!) and are supported nicely by a wide range of entertainers. Foran is a great trumpeter, and Shemp does his whole Three Stooges routine without a Curly or Moe around. A little gem.

At just over an hour, this film does not exceed its welcome, despite the acquired taste of the Andrews Sisters. Patti, Laverne and Maxene were perky and certainly had good voices, but their screen personalities are either OTT (Patti) or dull (the others). To carry a film, it just doesn't work.

Elsewhere there's Harry James and his Music Makers; Harry gets drafted and the band go with him (even the one with a flat foot), and that's about all the plot is.

There's a funny restaurant sketch, and some nice songs and music, and the film passes the time without making the viewer cringe. It is a typical flagwaver, a patriotic morale-booster.

Oh, and it has a 16-year old Donald O'Connor, showing a flash of promise of what would come later, along with Peggy Ryan.

This is one of those movies which usually gets dismissed as ephemeral junk (look at the ratings in all those "Movies for TV" type books). But so far this year I have seen it twice, and have enjoyed it immensely both times round. This is certainly not due to the plot, which is your standard guy joins armed forces..guy has attitude problem...guy learns the error of his ways type plot which seemed to be recycled endlessly by Universal at around this time in their Abbott and Costello pictures. Fortunately the plot doesn't intrude too much into this movie, and in fact apart from its patriotic fervor, which is understandable in the context of the time, one of the joys of this picture is that it doesn't take itself in the slightest bit seriously.

What this picture does have going for it is a great cast, and a veteran comedy director. While the cast may not be big name stars, for anyone out there familiar with the entertainment world of this period, almost everyone in it has a recognizable persona. It also has some great music, and some really off the wall humour. The opening sequence with Shemp Howard and Mary Wickes is an absolute delight, and the surreal nature of the humour continues throughout (especially the bit with Ernest Treux), even into the musical numbers. The Andrews Sister's "apple tree" effort has to be one of the most bizarre (and entertaining) musical numbers I've ever seen. Finally, watching this picture reminded me of what a personable performer, and of what an under-appreciated singer Dick Foran was. I give it 8 out of 10. No accounting for taste, is there?

The cardboard comedy and the pencilled-in plot scarcely have a moment to bore you before the next musical number comes along. Some numbers are better than others-- unfortunately, the title song has not aged well-- but the Andrews Sisters make the movie worthwhile. And Harry James reminds us that he wasn't *only* Betty Grable's husband...

This is like a Abbott & Costello movie without Abbott & Costello. It's a service comedy only a year removed from "Buck Privates", and features the Andrews Sisters who co-starred with A&C in "Buck Privates", "In the Navy" and "Hold That Ghost". The male lead is Dick Foran, who co-starred in "In the navy", "Ride 'Em Cowboy" and "Keep 'Em Flying". Mark Wickes had a memorable role with Costello in "Hold That Ghost". Shemp Howard played supporting comic lead in a number of A&C pictures including "Who Done It?", "Africa Screams", "In the Navy", "Ride 'em Cowboy" and more, while Jennifer Holt can be seen in "pardon My Sarong" and Peggy Ryan in "Here Come the Co-eds". All that aside, this is a entertaining and fun film to watch. You just have the feeling somebody cut out all of Bud and Lou's scenes!