That doesn't do Dan Dailey a bit of good as a normally friendly dog attacks him and his own father (William Demarest) complains to mother (Evelyn Varden) about him being around so much. You see, Dailey was the first in his small town to enlist to fight in World War II. After a grand send-off proclaiming him as a hero, he goes off to boot camp, is trained as a fighter pilot, then is sent to a camp right near his hometown to train other fighter pilots who are going off to combat, something Dailey himself craves. People who patted him on the back before now turn their faces away from him when they see him coming. He becomes the town joke. When he is suddenly chosen for a secret mission in Europe and goes home to say goodbye to his parents and girlfriend (Colleen Townsend), they don't believe him. He could have marched out of there and mama would have put a plate for him out at dinner time. He heads to France and is back so fast it appears that he just went to the mountains for the weekend. Nobody believes him and think he's AWOL until the government arrives.
When this film is utilizing its comic plot of Dailey's inactivity, it is very funny. But once it goes to France where we meet pretty Corinne Calvet and the French Resistance, it seems to fall flat. What was exciting in espionage thrillers of this era just isn't as interesting here, no matter how well intended it is. Dailey's narration is only slightly amusing, but doesn't work here as well as it does as in other films. Apparently a true story, to be told in the first person by the actor playing the part rather than the actual person seems to deflate the impact. There are some obligatory musical numbers for song and dance man Dailey which seem out of place in a John Ford film. Dailey is always very likable, and overall, the film is enjoyable, but changes in tone make the film uneven.
Oh, just a thought----if he actually got all those good conduct medals he was promised, he would have twice as many of those as FDR did presidential terms.
When this film is utilizing its comic plot of Dailey's inactivity, it is very funny. But once it goes to France where we meet pretty Corinne Calvet and the French Resistance, it seems to fall flat. What was exciting in espionage thrillers of this era just isn't as interesting here, no matter how well intended it is. Dailey's narration is only slightly amusing, but doesn't work here as well as it does as in other films. Apparently a true story, to be told in the first person by the actor playing the part rather than the actual person seems to deflate the impact. There are some obligatory musical numbers for song and dance man Dailey which seem out of place in a John Ford film. Dailey is always very likable, and overall, the film is enjoyable, but changes in tone make the film uneven.
Oh, just a thought----if he actually got all those good conduct medals he was promised, he would have twice as many of those as FDR did presidential terms.