Operation Mad Ball (1957)

You won't be disappointed!

Nice effects though.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

It's post World War II France, and sergeant Hogan (Jack Lemmon) is threatened with court martial by Captain Ernie Kovacs with every antic even though the commanding colonel (Arthur O'Connell) stands up for him. Who's running the hospital here, anyway? There's lots of silly pranks and antics in Lemmon's effort to throw the maddest military ball to end all military balls, all the while complaining of an ulcer he gets assistance from pretty nurse Kathryn Crosby for.Only moderately amusing, this has a good cast and the benefit of future comedy legend Blake Edwards as one of its four writers. But if it looked funny on paper, something has been left off the screen, perhaps thanks to director Richard Quine who directed a few military comedies (a few with songs starring Mickey Rooney), all pretty forgettable. Rooney appears here too, but his participation seemingly something of an afterthought and no real addition to the script. "Bewitched" fans will appreciate Dick York in a major supporting role. This just ends up being nothing but another one of many anti-military comedy where they are made to seem like buffoons.

I noticed that one reviewer described this film as being like combining "M*A*S*H" and "McHale's Navy"---and this is a very accurate observation...though I might also add a touch of "Operation Petticoat". It's one of those quirky comedies that they were able to make AFTER WWII was finished--as the war, especially at the time, wasn't very funny! Now, over a decade later, folks were able to look at some of the absurdities and funny moments in the military the war--and it's easier here because it's set just a few months after the war--time to laugh and have fun."Operation Mad Ball" is set in an army hospital in France in September, 1945. You see early on that there is a Captain (Ernie Kovacs) who is a total jerk and an enlisted man (Jack Lemmon) who is always outsmarting him. Because the war is over and the men are longing to blow off some steam, Lemmon plans for a giant party--one where the enlisted men can fraternize, off the record, with the nurses. But since this is clearly against regulations and the annoying Captain is looking for an excuse to bust Lemmon, they need to tread very, very lightly. Along the way, there are tons of complications (I liked the one involving the body) and whether or not this insane ball will take place is constantly in doubt.The film is a nice little comedy with lots of nice twists and interesting characters. My favorite was the Captain--Kovacs played a guy you love to hate. THere were also a lot of nice quirky characters as well. The script was quite clever and the film a nice, light comedy--on part with or perhaps a little better than "Operation Petticoat".

Operation Mad Ball is a peculiar combination of MASH and McHale's Navy, taking some of the best elements of both tried and true military service comedies. Jack Lemmon and Ernie Kovacs are a pair of beautifully matched antagonists.It's France after VE Day and our army is just an army of occupation now and awaiting orders either for home or may be the Pacific Theater. Jack Lemmon would like to throw a big blowout for everyone before they all separate. But the killjoy of the proceedings is Ernie Kovacs who is a petty martinet and constantly getting in the way of all Lemmon's schemes the way Captain Binghamton used to do with Lieutenant Commander McHale. And sad to say he doesn't have an island at his disposal where he could ship McHale off to the way Joe Flynn exiled Ernie Borgnine and the rest of his PT Crew.There's a little bit of Frank Burns on Kovacs's character as well as he tries to do things the military way while the commanding officer Arthur O'Connell is a doctor who just wants to run a hospital. See what happens at the beginning when Kovacs tries to court martial Lemmon and how O'Connell just gets out of it.But the main problem is getting the party together without Kovacs finding out about it. Lemmon is nothing if not resourceful and his main problems is getting women for the party. What's a party without them, but the only women available are the nurses and the army's seen fit to commission them bringing in that pesky no fraternization rule. That in fact is what almost got Lemmon that court martial as Kovacs thought he was getting to familiar with Kathryn Grant. After all that was territory he had staked out and no enlisted man was going to move in on him.Look for a nice performance by Mickey Rooney in the small role of a human encyclopedia running a port facility, a key guy in Lemmon's plans. And you haven't lived until you've heard an extremely bad version of In The Mood done on harmonica and ocarina. Good thing Glenn Miller had died before listening to this.Operation Mad Ball sad to say is too little seen these days. It's a great introduction to those who want to study the comedic art of Jack Lemmon. Try not to miss it when broadcast.

At a U.S. Army Medic Outpost in 1945 France, the wily Captain is outwitted by the ringleader of the private recruits. Arthur Carter, adapting his own play with support from Jed Harris and--of all people--Blake Edwards, starts things off brightly, but soon becomes mired in juvenile hijinks and sex-minded mischief. The privates hope to renovate a rundown French hotel in time for a secret dance between the soldiers and the nurses, all the while keeping Captain Ernie Kovacs in the dark. Kovacs does a great job at acting the buffoon, though his character, written without any dimensions, is all on one-note. We've seen these military tricks before (and since). Still, Kovacs manages a handful of bright moments in the first half-hour, easily upstaging Jack Lemmon and a well-chosen supporting cast. Richard Quine directed...and also co-wrote the theme song (!). *1/2 from ****