The Private War of Major Benson (1955)

A Major noted for advancing with his mouth before thinking is given a choice: to be drummed out of the Army, or take command of and shape up the ROTC program at Sheridan Academy before it ... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

Joe Connelly (story), Bob Mosher (story),

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Julie Adams, William Demarest

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A Major noted for advancing with his mouth before thinking is given a choice: to be drummed out of the Army, or take command of and shape up the ROTC program at Sheridan Academy before it fails its next inspection. At Sheridan he encounters three hundred pre-teen cadets who range from rascally to adorable, and a female doctor who has just the right prescription for him.

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Plot Keywords:

female doctor | cadet | major | rotc | catholic school | 

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Taglines:

They're out to bust the Major

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 December 1955 (Finland)

Also Known As:

A Guerra Privada do Major Benson

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher who co-wrote the screenplay, are best known as the creators of the long running TV show "Leave it to Beaver".

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Quotes

John: Are you the new soldier fella?
Maj. Bernard 'Barney' Benson: Yeah.
John: You got a lot of ribbons, what do they stand for?
Maj. Bernard 'Barney' Benson: Good conduct.

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Connections

Remade as Major Payne (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Toy Tiger"

User Reviews

Excellent comedy, even after superannuation!

The first of Heston's two comedies (The Pigeon That Took Rome followed in 1962) and the best of the pair.

Understanding his gift perfectly, Heston chased a comedy role that didn't actually require him to be funny. The pay-off is this little film that has no room for self-indulgence or ego.

The success of Benson led to Heston doing The Pigeon That Took Rome. That one isn't bad (and way ahead of some of the "comedies" that get greenlit today), but this one doesn't hit an off-key note.

Far, FAR superior to the truly dire remake (Major Payne) with Damon Wayans.