Rookies in Burma (1943)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Leslie Goodwins

Writer:

Edward James (original screenplay)

Release Date:

December 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Plot Keywords:

U.S. Army | Bombing | WWII | Gunfire | Tank

Cast

Wally Brown	...	Jerry Miles
Alan Carney	...	Mike Strager
Erford Gage	...	Sergeant Burke
Joan Barclay	...	Janie - the Brunette
Claire Carleton	...	Connie - the Blonde
Ted Hecht	...	Captain Tomura

Runtime:

62 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9568) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Quotes:

Jerry Miles: [after jumping into a foxhole to take cover from a Japanese machine gunner during a raging battle] Boy, what a scrap!
Mike Strager: Yeah, it's just like when Brooklyn plays the Giants.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Adventures of a Rookie (1943)

Soundtrack:

You're In the Army Now

Their Best Comedy -- Don't Cry If You Miss It

Carney and Brown were two minor supporting comedians whom RKO teamed, hoping for the same chemistry -- and profits! -- that Universal was getting out of Abbott and Costello. But whereas A&C were two guys who had spent twelve years honing their act and timing, this pair had to move on their acting ability, which was decent, and their chemistry -- which, alas, was non-existent.

Strangely enough, this, their cheapest feature -- no supporting acts, no songs -- is, I think, their best. I credit Leslie Goodwins, the director, who usually spent his time in the shorts department directing Leon Erroll and Edgar Kennedy shorts. There are some very funny gags scattered about.

A surprising amount of comic energy is supplied by Erford Gage, who plays their sergeant in this and ADVENTURES OF A ROOKIE. He also gets to pull the best gag in the movie, something you'd expect to see in a Merrie Melody.

So this movie is not a waste of time. But it does make you appreciate Abbott and Costello all the more.