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Soldier in the Rain (1963)
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Overview
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Director:
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Release Date:
27 November 1963 (USA)
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Tagline:
A grand pair - add a brand new curve to AN OLD ARMY GAME! more
Plot:
The bond of friendship between a worldly-wise Army Master Sergeant and his naive worshiper. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
Warner Archive Releases "Soldier In The Rain" Starring Steve McQueen And Jackie Gleason
(From CinemaRetro. 19 May 2009, 4:18 AM, PDT)
(From CinemaRetro. 19 May 2009, 4:18 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A Gleason Feast!
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Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Jackie Gleason | ... | MSgt. Maxwell Slaughter |
 | Steve McQueen | ... | Sgt. Eustis Clay |
 | Tuesday Weld | ... | Bobby Jo Pepperdine |
| Tony Bill | ... | Pfc. Jerry Meltzer |
 | Tom Poston | ... | Lt. Magee |
| Ed Nelson | ... | MP Sgt. James Priest |
| Lew Gallo | ... | Sgt. Fred Lenahan |
| Rockne Tarkington | ... | Sgt. William Booth |
| Paul Hartman | ... | Chief of Police |
| John Hubbard | ... | Battalion Major |
 | Chris Noel | ... | Frances McCoy |
| Sam Flint | ... | Old Man |
| Lewis Charles | ... | Sgt. Tozzi |
 | Adam West | ... | Captain (inspecting) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
88 min
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Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Jackie Gleason released a version of the title music as a single on Capitol in early 1964, with another Henry Mancini composition, Bird Brain, as the b-side. This puts Soldier in the Rain (1963) in the same category as Thunder Road (1958) and Because They're Young (1960): movies which had a version of the theme song performed by a member of the cast and released as a single, while that version wasn't the one used in the movie.
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Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Master Sergeant Slaughter wears six hash marks on his left sleeve to denote that he had completed 18 years of service. On his right sleeve the five overseas bars indicate two and a half years in a foreign "hostile fire area". The patch on his right shoulder indicates prior war time service in the 24th Infantry Division which fought in the Pacific in World War II and also fought in Korea, so quite possibly Sergeant Slaughter's character was a veteran of both wars. The possible goof is that in the closing scene Eustis is in dress uniform wearing the Combat Infantry Badge but has no divisional patch on his right shoulder.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt (2003) (TV)
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While this scantily plotted 1963 comedy-drama is nothing to brag about in itself, what makes the film memorable (at least for me) is Jackie Gleason's superlative performance as Army MSgt Maxwell Slaughter. It seems the role of aging, overweight and fairly complacent career NCOIC was tailor-made for Gleason. OTOH, Steve McQueen overacts in his role as a young supply Sgt. Eustis Clay, who idolizes Slaughter and attempts to get him to quit the service and go into a business venture with him. It has been said that McQueen instinctively realized that Gleason was stealing the show and over-reacted, making himself look foolish in his comedic attempts. Tuesday Weld also delivers a fine performance in another tailor- made role as the pouty teenager, Bobby Jo Pepperdine, whom Gleason dates and inevitably forms a paternal attitude towards. Great chemistry between Gleason and her in their mutual scenes. Tom Poston and pre-Batman Adam West play small supporting roles as Army superior officers. Not much drama, but it is fascinating to watch Gleason actually bodyslam an adversary in a bar brawl! Besides the Gleason-Weld scenes, the most memorable ones involve the wistful monologues Gleason gives while standing before a full-length mirror in his office, as they reveal poignant insights into his character. As I've said, the film meanders, not really going anywhere, so the truncated ending is much of a surprise. If you don't care for Gleason too much, then you probably won't like "Soldier In The Rain" all that much either. However, if you are a Gleason fan, this film will be a delectable feast!