Buck Privates *** (1941, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lee Bowman, Alan Curtis, Jane Frazee) – Classic Movie Review 9442

Director Arthur Lubin’s 1941 wartime services comedy Buck Privates [Rookies] stars Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in their first starring madcap nonsense, in which they play sidewalk salesmen Slicker Smith and Herbie Brown, who enlist in the army to escape jail, and are stuck in a World War Two army-enlisting centre and recruited as GIs into boot camp for basic training. Their drill instructor is the very cop who tried to jail them.

It was nominated for two Oscars: Best Original Song for ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B’ (Hugh Prince music and Don Raye lyrics) and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture (Charles Previn).

Buck Privates was a huge hit, with the comics at their best in a rush of routines, including Costello’s classic rifle drill. Lee Bowman and Alan Curtis are amiable as fellow new recruits Randolph Parker III and Bob Martin chasing after pretty Judy Gray (Jane Frazee).

The Andrews Sisters (as WAACS) provide happy welcome respite from Bud and Lou in their all-time great songs ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B’ (Oscar-nominated), ‘Bounce Me Brother with a Solid Four’ (both Hugh Prince music and Don Raye lyrics) and the 1935 ‘I’ll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time’ (Neville Fleeson, Albert von Tilzer). But the film’s other songs ‘When Private Brown Becomes a Captain’, ‘You’re a Lucky Fellow Mr Smith’ and ‘I Wish You Were Here’ aren’t in this league.

Also in the cast are Nat Pendleton, Samuel S Hinds, Harry Strang, Nella Walker, Leonard Elliott, Shemp Howard, Mike Frankovitch, Dora Clemen and Don Raye.

Buck Privates [Rookies] is directed by Arthur Lubin, runs 82 minutes, is made and released by Universal, is written by Arthur T Horman (original screenplay) and John Grant (special material for Abbott and Costello), is shot in black and white by Milton Krasner, is produced by Alex Gottlieb and is scored by Charles Previn.

A sequel followed in 1946: Buck Privates Come Home [Rookies Come Home] directed by Charles T Barton.

Laverne Andrews, Maxene Andrews and Patty Andrews are The Andrews Sisters.

Its success prompted Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy to make Great Guns (1941). Stan Laurel’s daughter Lois said that during the filming of Buck Privates, Costello came to Stan several times to ask his advice on comedy matters.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9442

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