Such a frustrating disappointment

Best movie ever!

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

There isn't much to say about this. When Jim Nabors played Gomer Pyle in the Marine Corps, every plot was the same. He did something to upset the Sergeant. Here it is one thing after another with hayseed Andy Griffith causing great pain to another sergeant. No matter how bad it gets, he always lands on his feet. As a matter of fact he actually innovates, making things run smoother. He, of course, has no knowledge of how the military is supposed to work, so it's often just an accident. Griffith is really pretty funny and carries the whole show on his back. His long suffering sergeant does a pretty good slow burn as things fall apart.

Several days ago, I watched Andy Griffith in his film debut in the drama Face in the Crowd. Now I just watched on Netflix disc this, his second film recreating his Broadway/TV role as Will Stockdale in the quite funny comedy No Time for Sergeants. His naive characterization is quite a change from his cynical "Lonesome" Rhodes in FITC but wasn't too different from his initial fame as a comic storyteller when he spun something called "What It Was, Was Football" and it led to his long-lasting fame as Sheriff Andy Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" on which that character was also quite more humorous initially before becoming more of a straight man to deputy Don Knotts. Knotts, also repeating his Broadway role here, was quite hilarious in his brief part as one of the officers having to deal with Stockdale's way of doing things. So was Myron McCormick as the sergeant wanting to rid of Will and his pal who's played by Nick Adams. Since this was made during peacetime, that fact that the superior military officers don't get dignified treatment here isn't much of a surprise which is refreshing. So on that note, I highly recommend No Time for Sergeants. P.S. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Jamie Farr appear as a pilot here, about more than a decade before playing the cross-dressing Cpl. Klinger on the TV show M*A*S*H.

The movie's a generally hilarious parody of a country bumpkin's life in the Air Force. Griffith is tailor made for the hillbilly Stockdale who seems to take every adversity in alligator-grinning stride. Ditto, McCormick as sour-faced Sergeant King who just can't seem to escape the plague of his hillbilly underling. Then too, those saluting toilet seats may be the first on-screen view of a commode, even military style. As I recall, the gimmick brought tremendous guffaws from surprised audiences back in '58.Now the movie's humor comes from Stockdale's inability to adapt to military ways. Instead, he insists on a kind of good-humored simplicity that's infectious. A lot of reviewers claim his inability is because he's dumber than a dirt pile. However, that's not my interpretation. I take him to be as smart as anyone else. Rather the problem lies in the distance between sophisticated military rules and country boy Stockdale's unsophisticated background. It's not that he's too dumb to adapt. Instead, he's used to personal relationships and not the impersonality of military rules and hierarchy. Thus he tries to reduce every rule application to a personal encounter—he thinks the sergeant is his friend, while he gets familiar with officers regardless of rank. It's not that he's stupid, he just comes from a less rigid, rule-bound environment.Anyhow, it's hard to say enough for Griffith's utterly winning performance. In my book, it's Oscar worthy, as if Hollywood ever rewarded such goofy comedic roles. However, I do think the movie is flawed. The airplane sequence followed by an A-bomb blast and then the bleak wind- up in the woods is not only not very funny, but undercuts the prevailing style and mood. I don't know about the original play, but this last part strikes me as sheer Hollywood. In short, it's a misguided studio effort at lengthening the film and working in some action and suspense. Nonetheless, I think this last part hurts more than it helps.All in all and despite the flaw, the movie ranks among the funniest of the many service comedies of the post-war period. That is, until the fracas in Vietnam brought this peace-time view of military life to a jarring close.

Before Andy Griffith the movie star/ TV actor, there was Andy Griffith the stand up comic. Doing the naive hick routine was part of his comical act. One notable bit was entitled "What It Was, Was Football." In this bit he was very much like Will Stockdale explaining football . Naturally he was perfect for "No Time For Sargents." This movie showcased what a comic genius Griffith really was,and was also notable for being Don Knott's first movie. Later they would star opposite each other on the extremely popular "Andy Griffith Show." This is a very well done comedy about military life and I would highly recommend it for all ages. Co-starring Nick Adams.