No Time for Sergeants (1958)

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The start was one of the first early television specials. It was then produced as a successful Broadway play after which it was recycled as a hit movie comedy.Its second try following the Hollywood movie as a television situation comedy hit paydirt as The Andy Griffith show. It has more famous people in front of and behind the set than most and as well more movie buffs yearning to know why so many of media fame made a point of being personally committed to it and why it was so successful in so many media formats. Its still available DVD print has flat, dull visuals, slow, boring audio and a general feeling of being so dated those not hoping to continuously academically research it might be better off ignoring it.

No Time For Sergeants is not a movie that comes to mind initially when one thinks of the great classic comedies, but it probably should. There is a 20 minute or so stretch, as Andy Griffith's country bumpkin character creates confusion, panic and frustration among an air crew and assorted Air Force generals and commanders when he takes control of a bomber flight's radio, that is flat out hilarious. The film, that has been funny enough to that point, takes off into rarefied comedic air and soars through the next few scenes as one of the funniest films of the 1950's. Griffith is perfect as the Forrest Gump like Will Stockdale, who frustrates and exasperates everyone he comes in contact with in the military with the exception of his buddy Ben, played by Nick Adams.Funny movie which deserves more notice than it normally has received down through the years.

This is an extremely humorous movie but it isn't even close to reality. Andy Griffith is very good as the hick from the sticks (Will Stockdale). He barely reads, thinks rather slow, strong as an ox even though he isn't built like it, (it is almost a fantasy movie after all), and always seems to look on the bright side of any situation. He passes the tests in his own way. Twisting metal rings together, reading the eye chart as words not letters, out shrinking the shrink, etc. Murray Hamilton plays Irving, a recruit like all the others except put in charge because of some ROTC time. Irving rides the hick until he crosses the line and insults his dad. Stockdale then beats up on four out of five while Nick Adams jumps on the fifth. You see many up and coming actors and some good character actors too. Nick Adams, Jamie Farr, Will Hutchins, Dub Taylor, and the first appearance of Barney Fife, Don Knotts. Some how Will even passes gunnery school although he is at the bottom. After getting sent to an obsolete air base they end up getting involved in a nuke test, jumping out of the plane with Adams using one chute, assumed dead, they show up ten days later just as they are getting posthumous Air Medals. Since generals don't like getting shown up or getting made fun of two of them finagle a transfer to the Army infantry and it all gets swept under the proverbial rug.

This is an excellent movie. Andy Griffith in the lead role as easy-going, always well- meaning Will Stockdale is a joy to behold. Having played this part on Broadway, Griffith had a long time to hone his performance. His performance is delightful. Nick Adams, who did not have the benefit of a long Broadway run to develop his performance, is well able to keep pace with Griffith, exhibiting a fine sense of comedic timing that was rarely utilized in his future choice of roles (unfortunately). Myron McCormick, another veteran of the Broadway production, delivers an equally deft comedic performance. In fact, the entire cast, down to the smallest role, delivers high-quality performances that make this film entertaining to watch over and over again. I highly recommend this well-made film as an example of the happy result of the collaboration of talented professionals.