The Private War of Major Benson (1955)

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

Joe Connelly (story)
Bob Mosher (story)

Release Date:

2 December 1955 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

They're out to bust the Major

Plot:

A Major noted for advancing with his mouth before thinking is given a choice: to be drummed out of the Army...

Plot Keywords:

Catholic School | Convent School | Military School | Catholic Priest | Nun

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Maj. Bernard R. 'Barney' Benson
Julie Adams	...	Dr. Kay Lambert
William Demarest	...	John
Tim Hovey	...	Cadet Thomas 'Tiger' Flaherty
Nana Bryant	...	Mother Redempta
Tim Considine	...	Cadet Lt. Gerald Hibler
Sal Mineo	...	Cadet Col. Sylvester Dusik
Milburn Stone	...	Maj. Gen. Wilton J. Ramsey
Mary Field	...	Sister Mary Theresa
Joey D. Vieira	...	Cadet Cpl. Scawalski (as Donald Keeler)
Gary Pagett	...	Cadet Lt. Molony
Mickey Little	...	Cadet Lt. Hanratty
Don Haggerty	...	Harold Hibler
David Janssen	...	Young Lieutenant
Richard H. Cutting	...	Monsignor Collins

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S

Filming Locations:

St. Catherine's Military School - 215 N. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

This movie was loosely remade in 1995 as the Damon Wayans movie, "Major Payne."

Quotes:

Mother Redempta: Heaven moves in mysterious ways Major... Heaven and General Ramsey

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Colgate Comedy Hour: (#5.38)" (1955)

Soundtrack:

Toy Tiger

Charlton Heston vs. the kids

If there's one characteristic that Charlton Heston portrays well on the screen it's resolve. Whether he's Moses, Judah Ben-Hur or Major Barney Benson, he takes on an assignment and he sees it through.

Somebody at Universal got the bright idea to borrow Heston from Paramount for The Private War of Major Benson in which a professional soldier now assigned to beef up the Reserve Officer Training program at a Catholic military academy. Seems as though the Mother Superior Nana Bryant has some pull with the Pentagon as her brother Milburn Stone is a general and Heston's commanding officer.

And Heston's quite a problem for Stone. Seems as though an eager reporter got a real good sound bite from Heston while he was training troops. Stone figures this request from his sister, the Sister comes at an appropriate time to solve two problems.

Of course Heston and the kids don't really get along. The leadership skills you need to cross the Red Sea and race a chariot are a bit different than heading a boy's military school. Especially when these kids are not even into puberty as most of them aren't. Ironically he gets along best with Sal Mineo who's just entering puberty and offers him some facts of life points of view about the opposite sex. Heston has his eye on school doctor Julie Adams and is embarking on his own quest there.

It's a cute and funny movie and it ought to be since the it was written by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the folks who brought you Leave It to Beaver. Think of Wally and the Beaver at military school with Charlton Heston as the commander. It's not half bad.