Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!
Harry Bannerman, a Connecticut suburbanite, becomes involved in various shenanigans when his wife Grace leads a protest movement against a secret army plan to set up a missile base in their community.
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- Cast：
- Paul Newman , Joanne Woodward , Joan Collins , Jack Carson , Dwayne Hickman , Tuesday Weld , Gale Gordon
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Reviews
Very well executed
As Good As It Gets
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Except for Joan Collins, who looked GORGEOUS, and Joanne Woodward, who was just adorable, this movie is really not worth the time.It is terribly disappointing, first because the book was by the great Max Shulman and was therefore, by definition, funny, and, second, because the superlative cast was so badly used by a barely mediocre script, and, third, because we expect so very much more from Leo McCarey, whose directing was not up to his standards and who also must take at least part of the blame for the script.Paul Newman, who gave credible performances probably more often than not, was just not up to his par, either. Jack Carson, obviously in decline, was still pretty watchable.Tuesday Weld was a little overdone, and didn't really look the part, at least not to those of us who've read the book.There was another major error, one I see too, too often in Hollywood movies faking an auto trip on a sound stage: As the Collins character is driving the Newman character home, she spends much more time turned to look at him than at the road. And every time I see this particular bit of stupidity in Hollywood movies, I wonder "Why do directors and editors and even the actors allow this?"If you're desperately bored, you might want to watch. If there is something better on, you'll skip this, which I watched On Demand. Now, having seen it, I can't understand anyone demanding to see this.
when she realizes she likes boys, she just doesn't like Dwayne Hickman, it's sheer truth and delight! the rest of the cast is forced...Joanne Woodward is strident. Paul Newman is slumming, Joan Collins is adequate. Jack Carson is Carson. Dwayne Hickman deserves Weld's scorn. bad comedy, except for Weld's self-recognition. these 50's films try to be smart, but aren't. once in a while a performer can rise above the material. here it's only a young, precocious teenager who mesmerizes.Weld was given praise by none other than Pauline Kael. in her review of Weld's classic '68, "Pretty Poison", she suggested Weld didn't have the career she deserved, "and maybe it isn't just her unlucky name...maybe she's the kind of actress who doesn't let you know she's acting, like Geraldine Page or Estelle Parsons do. how else can an actress give the kind of performances Tuesday Weld has given in "Rally 'round the Flag, Boys!", "Soldier in the Rain", "The Cincinatti Kid", and "Lord Love a Duck", and still not being taken seriously?"
"Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!" may be a movie that you never get to see. As far as I know, it's not available on video or DVD; I saw it on TV one night. But anyway, here's the story: Harry Bannerman (Paul Newman) and Grace Oglethorpe (Joanne Woodward) are a typical (or not so typical) suburban couple in an idealistic 1950's small town in Connecticut. Then, when the army announces plans to build a secretive base near the town, Harry is hired to promote it, while Grace does everything possible to oppose it. In the process of everything, the townspeople begin to see things that they've never seen before - namely, when Grace catches Harry...well, I won't spoil it for you (don't worry, it's not (particularly) dirty). The whole thing ends in one wacky climax.Anyway, this is one of those interesting movies from the late '50s starring A-list stars, that for some reason doesn't seem to be very well remembered today. Good support comes from Tuesday Weld and Dwayne Hickman as local teenagers.
Opie, Tom Gilson,was my brother,so I went to see the movie and I never looked at it again in all these years. Sorry! it was bad. I'm told I have to write 10 lines so I'll put a little trivia in. Tom and Tuesday Weld were to be " introduced " in this picture and Tom was told to take Tuesday to the premiere but Tom said no he was going with Joan Collins, and he did and because he did only Tuesday Weld was Introduced. I found this very funny back then and still do. The movie, while the concept was a funny one, and the actors in it were impressive but some how it just did'nt come out funny.The continuity was abstract, at best,it was like I was watching 2 different movies at the same time,each running into the other. Sorry, Bob Gilson
