The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961)

Two Air Force friends have fun during their enlistment.

Director:

Jack Webb

Writer:

William Bowers

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, Jack Webb, Martha Hyer

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Mitchum	...	Archie Hall
Jack Webb	...	William 'Bill' Bowers
Martha Hyer	...	Peggy Kramer
France Nuyen	...	Cindy Hamilton
Louis Nye	...	Pvt. Sam Beacham
Joe Flynn	...	Pvt. Russell Drexler
Del Moore	...	Pvt. Frank Ostrow
Jimmy Lydon	...	Pvt. Billy Simpson (as James Lydon)
Richard Arlen	...	Col. Edwin Martin
Don Knotts	...	Capt. Harry Little
Robert Strauss	...	MSgt. Stanley Erlenheim
Harvey Lembeck	...	Duty Sgt. Malcolm Greenbriar
Claudia Barrett	...	Lola
Theona Bryant	...	Daphne
Elaine Devry	...	Carole (as Elaine Davis)

Storyline

Two Air Force friends have fun during their enlistment.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | male female relationship | soldier | service | military | 

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Taglines:

He's the Private With a Private Jeep...a Private Stock of Girls...and a Private Joke on the Whole U.S. Army!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The main character is based on Arch Hall Sr., director and star of films such as Eegah (1962) and Wild Guitar (1962), and was an Army buddy of the film's writer. Hall was indeed a pilot, as is his son, Arch Hall Jr. Hall was aware his friend Bowers was writing the script and was flattered and pleased. Once the film was completed and in release, Hall sued the producers of this movie for invasion of privacy. The suit was apparently dropped or settled out of court. Bowers, writing later about his friend and the incident, not only bore Hall no malice, he thought Hall's actions were consistently in character for the sharpie with whom he'd served in uniform.

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Goofs

At about 38:00 Hall and Bowers run into a Lieutenant in the chow line at the enlisted men's club. Officers would not be allowed in the EM club, just as enlisted men would not be allowed in the officer's club.

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Quotes

Archie Hall: [Opening a door in her face] Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Willoughby. Did I hurt you?
Miss Willoughby: ...Yes, you did.

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Connections

References The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954)

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Soundtracks

Angel Face
(uncredited)
Music by Herman S. Saunders (as Herm Saunders)
Lyrics by William Bowers

User Reviews

Those happy carefree days in the Army Air Corps

No one will ever rate The Last Time I Saw Archie as one of Robert Mitchum's greatest films. But it does and Mitchum does have a certain droll quality that makes it passably amusing, at least to me.

This is believe it or not a true story based on the memoir of screenwriter William Bowers played here by Jack Webb who produced and directed the film, on another film person, one Arch Hall, Sr. In real life Hall spent several years trying to make his son Arch Hall, Jr. a film star. He in my opinion topped Ed Wood in the making of bad films that starred his son. If what I saw in the film was any indication of what he was in real life, the senior Hall had to be one of the greatest conmen that ever lived to have wheedled out money from people to produce what he did. Such classics as Eegah and The Choppers are on his list of film credits.

Mitchum plays Hall and from the day he and Webb join the Army Air Corps, Mitchum displays a genius for conning everybody around. People do need at least one confidante in life and Webb kind of falls into the role. Around the same time there was a British film called On The Fiddle which starred a pre-James Bond Sean Connery and there is a lot of similarity.

Any film that has such funny people as Don Knotts, Joe Flynn, Harvey Lembeck,Robert Strauss and Louis Nye is definitely worth a look. None of these guys do their best work in The Last Time I Saw Archie, but still they help moves this film along, especially Lembeck and Strauss as a couple of dimwitted sergeants who are the chief victims of Mitchum's roguish ways. France Nuyen and Martha Hyer nicely decorate the film in the two female roles of size.

Production values were lacking, according to Lee Server's definitive book on Robert Mitchum it only had a four week shooting schedule and it looked like it was mostly shot on a television sound stage. Still it does give us a few chuckles.

But now after seeing this again for the first time in about 35 years and after seeing some of Arch Hall's work on screen I think there definitely is an Oscar winning film here. Johnny Depp, I hope you read this review.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1961 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Der Held der Etappe

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Manzanita Productions, Mark VII Ltd., Talbot Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White