MovieChat Forums > No Time for Sergeants (1958) Discussion > A classic...to a point

A classic...to a point

posted 13 years ago by Anscules
13 replies | jump to latest

This film is quite good - funny due to the sharp writing and performances - if somewhat stagey (once on the MEPS-like base, it begins to look and feel like a filmed play or TV show). But: it's still got a kind of creaky charm that was really working on me.

Then, it crashes and burns. Suffering from the same fate of so many other films that begin in the rudimentary stages of military service, this one has nowhere to go once the preliminaries are accomplished. Have Griffith graduate bootcamp wasn't enough - they had to put him and his sidekick in actual service (still in the domain of a school, albeit), and the movie falls off the charts. Almost nothing is funny once the team moves off to Gunnery School, despite all the volume being (in the wretched style of low-brow comedy of the era) turned up to 11 - everybody's yelling shrilly about assorted improbable wackiness. The movie even steals one of the ace moments of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and fumbles the ball there, too, confining all the "action" to a conference room with a radio. Everyone yells louder to make up for it. It falls for the same issues crippling Stripes, Full Metal Jacket, Heartbreak Ridge (which is a bad movie, regardless), and many others: once the movie leaves basic, it dies. This film is a textbook case.

In the words of Neil Schweiber in Freaks & Geeks: "You couldn't tell me what happens in the second half of Stripes."

First 2 acts of No Time for Sergeants: 8/10
Act 3 of No Time for Sergeants: 4/10
Final grade: 6/10

"Rampart: Squad 51."

[–] artistathome 12 years ago

You're nuts. I thought the funniest part was in the plane. Spitting into the radio and the radioman not knowing what it was.

Andy Griffith is simply priceless in movies like this. However on The Andy Griffith Show he was more effective not being a rube but letting Barney be the funny one and Andy is the smart one.

They once said that they realized early on that Barney had to be the rube and get the funny lines, and Andy had to take the back seat and be the straight man.
Andy said that Barney constantly cracked him up offscreen.

[–] pt100 11 years ago

This film was probably funnier to late '50s audiences than to today's. I thought the humor was awfully broad. It started off mildly amusing and then went downhill into protracted goofiness. I'm wondering if the audience for this film is similar to the audience for "Hee Haw."

[–] toldyousew 11 years ago

by Anscules (Sun Aug 7 2011 15:41:08) Ignore this User | Report Abuse

UPDATED Sun Aug 7 2011 15:42:18

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This film is quite good - This means about an 8.5/10

funny due to the sharp writing and performances -
if somewhat stagey (once on the MEPS-like base, it begins to look and feel
like a filmed play or TV show). But: it's still got a kind of creaky charm
that was really working on me.

Then, it crashes and burns. Suffering from the same fate of so many other
films that begin in the rudimentary stages of military service, this one
has nowhere to go once the preliminaries are accomplished. Have Griffith graduate bootcamp wasn't enough - they had to put him and his sidekick in actual service (still in the domain of a school, albeit), and the movie
falls off the charts. Almost nothing is funny once the team moves off to Gunnery School, despite all the volume being (in the wretched style of
low-brow comedy of the era) turned up to 11 - everybody's yelling shrilly
about assorted improbable wackiness. The movie even steals one of the ace moments of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and fumbles the ball there, too, confining all the "action" to a conference room with a radio. Everyone
yells louder to make up for it. It falls for the same issues crippling
Stripes, Full Metal Jacket,
Heartbreak Ridge (which is a bad movie, regardless), no support for this comment

and many others: once the movie leaves basic, it dies.
This film is a textbook case.

In the words of Neil Schweiber in Freaks & Geeks: "You couldn't tell
me what happens in the second half of Stripes." It's *not* in
the second half of "Stripes," it's more like the last third of
that movie.

First 2 acts of No Time for Sergeants: 8/10
Act 3 of No Time for Sergeants: 4/10
Final grade: 6/10 Not only is this grade not "quite good," as you
mention
in your first sentence, but it was figured out wrong. Here's how to
weight the grade: 2(8) + 4 = 20
20/3 (acts) rounds to 6.7/10, not 6/10.
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Country + RAP = CRAP

Country + ROCK = CROCK

[–] pt100 11 years ago

I guess we need to remember that the imdb star ratings are probably heavily influenced by those who like this sort of movie, not the ones who dislike it. The former are probably more likely to visit the movie's page and forum and give it high marks.

I still think it appeals more to the "Hee Haw" set than to the "Seinfeld" set.

[–] musicbytes 11 years ago

Well hee haw is better than seinfeld even though I am not a fan of hee haw but detest seinfeld

[–] pt100 11 years ago

I think you just made my point about who is more likely to come here. And you're the first person I've run into who likes "Hee Haw" more than "Seinfeld".

[–] TANSD76 11 years ago

I have to say this film won me over. I prefer wit and fast dialogue but if you give in to the complete absurdity No Time For Sergeants is a pleasant watch. Andy Griffith just plays it so straight. But I do agree that the film fails at raising the stakes once they finish their training. There were still a few chuckles but they kind of lost the plot.

[–] musicbytes 11 years ago

I do not prefer hee haw but would watch it instead of seinfeld any day, seinfeld is one of the lamest most overrated shows in tv history, Chuck was a trillion times better !

[–] pt100 10 years ago

And you are still the only person I've met who likes "Hee Haw" more than "Seinfeld". I doubt we'll see many folks here agreeing with you, even though I'd think they might be here.

It is better to be kind than to be clever or good looking. -- Derek

[–] rwsmith29456 10 years ago

It's pretty stupid to classify people according to your tastes in what you consider to be good comedy in movies.

[–] mikedscott 9 years ago

Agree with OP completely

[–] nocomputer1962 8 years ago

I agree with the op, as well. Once Murray Hamilton's character is out of the picture, this film goes from hysterically funny to Grade B Jerry Lewis-style schtick, although I'll admit I laughed at the drive-in movie being mistaken for a landing strip.

And, btw, I don't like "Seinfeld" either.

[–] dannieboy20906 8 years ago

When I was flying on aircrew those of us in the "back end" were required to monitor ship's interphone so that we could hear the pilot and co-pilot conversing. That way, we would follow the conversation and be aware if an emergency was developing.

I never heard a drive-in movie mistaken for a runway, but once when the co was in control and lining us up for landing I heard the pilot say to him, "No, no, that's not the runway. You're lined up on Highway 58 (the main highway in Okinawa that runs perpendicular to the Kadena runways).

Lot's of things, especially if they are straight lines and well lighted look like other things, especially if they are also straight lines and well lighted. It helps if the pilot has time to consult compass headings.

The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.