Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970)

A rivalry is brewing between the soldiers at an otherwise tranquil Army base and the civilians of a nearby Southern town... See full synopsis »

Director:

Hy Averback

Writers:

Hal Captain, Don McGuire

Stars:

Brian Keith, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine

Cast

Credited cast:
Brian Keith	...	Officer Michael M. Nace
Tony Curtis	...	Shannon Gambroni
Ernest Borgnine	...	Sheriff Harve
Ivan Dixon	...	Sgt. Jones
Suzanne Pleshette	...	Ramona
Tom Ewell	...	Joe Davis
Bradford Dillman	...	Capt. Myerson
Arthur O'Connell	...	Mr. Kruft
John Fiedler	...	Maj. Purvis
Don Ameche	...	Col. Flanders
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Argyle	...	Mrs. Calhoun
John James Bannon	...	1st MP
Stan Barrett	...	Green Beret Soldier
Jeanne Bates	...	Mrs. Flanders
William Bramley	...	Deputy Henry

Storyline

A rivalry is brewing between the soldiers at an otherwise tranquil Army base and the civilians of a nearby Southern town... See full synopsis »

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Plot Keywords:

soldier | small town | dance | dark comedy | militia | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 March 1971 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

War Games

Filming Locations:

Fort Huachuca, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fourth film from distributor Cinerama in just two years to be titled with a question mark, alongside How Do I Love Thee?, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?; Where Does It Hurt? would soon follow.

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Quotes

Shannon Gambroni: Machines are like broads, built to be had.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Rocketship X-M (1990)

User Reviews

Frequently surprising and well written

This comedy could easily have slipped into a Kelly's Heroes-style parody of the US military, and it's climactic chase scene teeters on the edge at times. But there's no discounting the intelligence at work here: the screenplay is unusually well written, making subtle points about the Vietnam War, racism, and sexism without alienating the audience with dogma. There are especially fine performances by Brian Keith and Ivan Dixon here, a restrained turn from Tony Curtis, and a reminder of the untapped talents of Suzanne Pleshette. A pleasant surprise.