Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958)

All about the citizens of Putnam's Landing and their reactions to an army missile base in their back yard.

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Claude Binyon (screenplay), Leo McCarey (screenplay),

Stars:

Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Joan Collins

4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Paul Newman	...	Harry Bannerman
Joanne Woodward	...	Grace Oglethorpe Bannerman
Joan Collins	...	Angela Hoffa
Jack Carson	...	Capt. Hoxie
Dwayne Hickman	...	Grady Metcalf, Comfort's suitor
Tuesday Weld	...	Comfort Goodpasture
Gale Gordon	...	Brig. Gen. W.A. Thorwald
Tom Gilson	...	Corporal Opie
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Isaac Goodpasture, Comfort's Father

Storyline

Harry Bannerman, a Connecticut suburbanite who becomes involved in various shenanigans with his wife Grace Oglethorpe, leads a protest movement against a secret army plan to set up a missile base in their community.

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Plot Keywords:

army | protest | conscription | drinking | voice over narration | 

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Taglines:

20th Century-Fox hilariously declares a national laugh holiday...as the cast of the year brings the # 1 fun best-seller howlingly alive!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Leo McCarey's Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Boojum' is a term coined by Lewis Carroll, and first appears in his poem, "The Hunting of the Snark". The 'Snark' (SM-62) was a surface-to-air missile used by the US military. Given the presence of a missile base in the film, it is likely that the term, 'Boojum', was used to make the connection with the real missile.

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Goofs

During long shots of the mock-up of the Mayflower approaching the Fourth of July pageant by ocean, the ship is clearly far out at sea. But in close-ups, foliage from nearby land can be seen just a few feet away.

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Connections

Referenced in My World and Welcome to It: Rally Round the Flag (1969)

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Soundtracks

"You're My Boojoo"
(uncredited)
Sung by soldier

User Reviews

Newman's weakest of '58 still an interesting comic effort

In other of Paul Newman's movie years, this one might have fared better, but alongside the Southern masterpieces Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Long Hot Summer, and the flawed but interesting Billy The Kid take The Left-Handed Gun, this sometimes amusing fluff just can't hold up. Good to see him paired with Woodward and taking a stab at screen comedy for the first time, but he never truly excelled at it until later in his career. Still, some nice bits and decent work survive. It's just impossible to see and compare these days, rarely if ever broadcast and unreleased to video to this day.