Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys! ** (1958, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Joan Collins, Jack Carson, Dwayne Hickman, Tuesday Weld, Gale Gordon) – Classic Movie Review 7307

Co-writer/ producer/ director Leo McCarey’s unruly 1958 comedy stars Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward together as Harry and Grace Bannerman, a married couple threatened by their sexy young sexy neighbour Angela Hoffa (Joan Collins) because Grace (Woodward) is too busy trying to stop her New York commuters’ town of Putnam’s Landing from having a missile site built nearby.

The Newmans and veteran director McCarey strain to find the light comic touch with a script by Claude Binyon and Leo McCarey that has blunted much of the humour in Max Shulman’s best-seller source novel.

But serious points about some questionable aspects of the American way of life of the day hit home and of course the stars are always watchable even if comedy is not really their forte.

Also in the cast are Jack Carson, Dwayne Hickman, Tuesday Weld (as Comfort Goodpasture!!), Gale Gordon, Murvyn Vye, Tom Gilson, O Z Whitehead, Stanley Livingston, Jon Lormer and Ralph Osborn III.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7307

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