Credited cast: | |||
Red Skelton | ... | Aubrey Filmore | |
Brian Donlevy | ... | Kurt Devlynn | |
Arlene Dahl | ... | Sallyann Weatharby | |
George Coulouris | ... | Maj. Jack Drumman aka The Grey Spider | |
Lloyd Gough | ... | Capt. Steve Lorford | |
John Ireland | ... | Capt. Jed Calbern | |
Minor Watson | ... | Gen. Watkins | |
Charles Dingle | ... | Col. Weatherby | |
Art Baker | ... | Col. Clifford M. Baker | |
Reed Hadley | ... | Fred Munsey | |
Arthur Space | ... | Mark Haskins | |
Joyce Compton | ... | Hortense Dobson | |
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Byron Foulger | ... | Mr. Duncan (scenes deleted) | |
Edward Gargan | ... | Male Nurse (scenes deleted) | |
Bert Moorhouse | ... | Capt. Jeffreys (scenes deleted) |
Aubrey Filmore (Red Skelton) is a bumbling bellboy in a Missouri town who pesters the Union officers there; he desperately wants to be a spy for the North in the American Civil War. When Filmore accidentally waylays an infamous Confederate spy known as "The Grey Spider" and is mistaken for him by the Rebels, the Union brass see it as an opportunity for real espionage - and though Filmore is a coward as well as a fool, his real motivation for derring-do is a sweet Southern girl named Sallyann, whom he will see again behind Southern lines. Written by Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>
Skelton fans should get a laugh-fest out of this nifty slice of slapstick. Seems Red's a Union-loving bellboy in the Civil War South. Through typical Skelton mishaps, he's mistaken for the South's best spy, The Grey Spider. Only instead of spying for the South, he's persuaded to do same for the Yankees. Except as a spy, he keeps switching uniforms from one side to the other. Naturally, this leads to a rollicking series of mishaps, with Red scoring more mugs and pratfalls per minute than a road racer's RPM's. But that's got nothing on the uniform changes that are faster than a hooker in a rain storm. My guess is the scripters must have gone home in a permanent daze. But don't feel bad for our hero. He does get to romance the South's most delectable magnolia, Arlene Dahl, and right away I'm wondering where I can join up on her side.
All in all, it's a fine vehicle for Red's brand of comedy. Just one thing—I always thought the War was fought on the East Coast. But now I know it was really fought inside greater LA's scrublands. Thanks MGM for setting the history books straight.