Imitation General (1958)

Sergeant Murphy Savage impersonates a dead general in order to inspire the demoralized troops in fighting their way out of Nazi encirclement.

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

William Bowers (screen play by), William Chamberlain (story)

Stars:

Glenn Ford, Red Buttons, Taina Elg

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Glenn Ford	...	MSgt. Murphy Savage
Red Buttons	...	Cpl. Chan Derby
Taina Elg	...	Simone
Dean Jones	...	Cpl. Terry Sellers
Kent Smith	...	Brig. Gen. Charles Lane
Tige Andrews	...	Pvt. Orville Hutchmeyer
John Wilder	...	Lt. Jeff Clayton
Ralph Votrian	...	American Pfc.

Storyline

Master Sgt. "Murph" Savage impersonates a fallen general in the hope of inspiring his fellow soldiers to bravely fight their way out of a Nazi ensnarement. He might succeed if he can avoid the one soldier who knows his true identity.

---

Plot Keywords:

world war two | morale | military | based on short story | impersonation | 

---

Taglines:

THE WILDEST SNAFU the Army ever knew!

---

Genres:

Comedy | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

NBC originally scheduled this film for broadcast on November 23, 1963. However it was canceled due to coverage of the death of President John F. Kennedy, and it wasn't broadcast until January 11, 1964.

---

Goofs

The tanks have been falsely Id'ed as M26 Pershings when in fact, the German tanks are M41 Walker Bulldogs and the American tanks are M47 Patton tanks. Easy to see on close examination.

---

Connections

Referenced in L'imitation du cinéma (1960)

User Reviews

Claustrophobia sets in by reel two...

Frightfully dull, colorless comedy-drama about an Army sergeant in WWII France who hopes to preserve combat morale by impersonating the recently-killed General Officer. One-idea script is shot just like a play, with unimaginative camera set-ups and a stodgy, static direction. In the leading role, Glenn Ford is amiable as always--though, once again, hardly spectacular; supporting work from Dean Jones, Red Buttons and Taina Elg is underwhelming. A thankfully forgotten relic of 1950s cinema, and what exactly possessed these talented actors to take part in such banal material is a question which may never get answered. * from ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

29 August 1958 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Imitation General

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$944,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound) 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1