Every military archetype is present in this pre-Pearl Harbor training drama that prepared the future "boys over there" just in case. Of course, just in case was can obvious foregone conclusion, so it was just a matter of time and circumstances. Reminding me of the later Pine-Thomas programmers that covered every part of military life without giving away military secrets. These war pictures were important for the parents of the young men going off to an unknown future, not just propaganda but important morale boosters as well.
The four young men going into the parachute battalion are as different as different can be. Cocky Robert Preston is the pompous joker of the bunch, while Edmund O'Brien is a commanders son who is a recovering alcoholic. Sweet faced Richard Carlson is a secret coward whose inner tension builds up to being revealed in the film's key scene. Future Jed Clampett Buddy Ebsen is playing a younger version of his hillbilly character, making him the comic relief. Aboard the train to training camp, they meet pretty Nancy Kelly and her gruff father (an excellent Harry Carey), unaware of O'Brien's struggles, but preferring him over the obnoxious Preston who takes an instant dislike to him as well. Is it any real surprise that Carey ends up being their trainer?
Mixing the description of parachute battalion training (through stock footage, training films and newly photographed sequences) and romantic complications, this is not bad, but oh so familiar. Of the four young men, O'Brien and Cromwell play the more well defined characters, while Preston and Ebsen are simply "types" and not really given story. Preston does lead a drill much like he would years later lead the boys band in "The Music Man", and Ebsen shows off his rubber legged dancing in one brief sequence as well. It all culminates in a faked battle sequence for training where Ebsen confronts the other soldier he has been searching for ever since the film began for seemingly ridiculous reasons. Absolutely worth catching, but definitely leaves the viewer wanting something a little more substantial once it is all over.
The four young men going into the parachute battalion are as different as different can be. Cocky Robert Preston is the pompous joker of the bunch, while Edmund O'Brien is a commanders son who is a recovering alcoholic. Sweet faced Richard Carlson is a secret coward whose inner tension builds up to being revealed in the film's key scene. Future Jed Clampett Buddy Ebsen is playing a younger version of his hillbilly character, making him the comic relief. Aboard the train to training camp, they meet pretty Nancy Kelly and her gruff father (an excellent Harry Carey), unaware of O'Brien's struggles, but preferring him over the obnoxious Preston who takes an instant dislike to him as well. Is it any real surprise that Carey ends up being their trainer?
Mixing the description of parachute battalion training (through stock footage, training films and newly photographed sequences) and romantic complications, this is not bad, but oh so familiar. Of the four young men, O'Brien and Cromwell play the more well defined characters, while Preston and Ebsen are simply "types" and not really given story. Preston does lead a drill much like he would years later lead the boys band in "The Music Man", and Ebsen shows off his rubber legged dancing in one brief sequence as well. It all culminates in a faked battle sequence for training where Ebsen confronts the other soldier he has been searching for ever since the film began for seemingly ridiculous reasons. Absolutely worth catching, but definitely leaves the viewer wanting something a little more substantial once it is all over.