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*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Andy Griffith made a name for himself in the play NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS on Broadway. It, combined with his devilishly good performance as the anti-hero in A FACE IN THE CROWD established him as a star. And like Lonesome Roads, he turns to television for stardom - soon to crystallize in THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. But he also did this television version of NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS in 1955, a few years before his movie version with Myron McCormick and Nick Adams. It was shown on television about ten years ago with some other long unseen television dramas, such as the original REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT with Jack Palance, and THE COMIC with Mickey Rooney and Edmund O'Brien. The productions were doubly interesting, not only for the performances of the actors but for the changes in the films from the television versions.The movie version of NO TIME gave more freedom of movement than the restrictions of the sound stage Griffith and the other actors had, but this was overcome by having frequent use of light effects darkening sections of the set when the action was completed. It sort of helps the production as Will Stockdale is telling the story (Will is also something of a narrator in the film as well). Thus as he completes one incident or adventure the darkening of the stage seems like the close of a memory.The actors are quite different. Harry Clark, the actor in the role of Sergeant King (Myron McCormick's part) is more down to earth, if still confused - McCormick seemed high strung at times). Clark gave a very good performance, but he died in 1956, so his career in television or movies never got far. The role of the trouble making Lucky (the character had a different regular name in the movie, but was played by Murray Hamilton) is played here by Bob Hastings, who would later be on Lt. Carpenter in MCHALE'S NAVY. Hastings gave a good performance, but the arrogance that Hamilton brought to the part is missing. Somehow Nick Adams made Ben Whitledge a nervous recruit who was somewhat more intelligent (in normal ways) than Will, but unable to restrain his attacks of panic. Eddie Leroy was capable in the part, but nothing as special as Adams.But there is one interesting variation, and with the one actor in the television production who is well recalled besides Griffith. In the film James Mulhollin had been a psychiatrist who gave a Will a psychiatric test that blew up (quite memorably) in his face. Not only did Will come across as normal, but Mulhollin's doctor turned out to be unintentionally neurotic. In the television version, Will's confrontation is with Adnia Rice as a WAF Captain whom Will (with his southern upbringing) can't think of as an air force officer, and this brings him to the attention of the camp shrink played by Robert Emhardt. He has as little success with Will as Mulhollin does in the movie version, and finally chases Will out of his office. A moment later it turns out (when the spot on the set where Emhardt's office is located) we see the rotund, bald actor, having a moment of stolen passion with the WAF CAPTAIN.The film ends with Will and Ben leaving the camp, not going through the section about the nuclear test and the erroneous award ceremony. However, Sgt. King does end up stuck with the two men just as he does when the film ends - but not looking as stunned as McCormick does - just unhappy. It is an amusing version, and one hopes if the film is put on DVD they include this for comparison.
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