Soldier in the Rain * (1963, Steve McQueen, Jackie Gleason, Tuesday Weld, Tony Bill) – Classic Movie Review 6459

Despite starring four notable players Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen, Tuesday Weld and Tony Bill in their prime, director Ralph Nelson’s 1963 film is a really tedious, overheated wartime romantic comedy drama

Army master-sergeant Maxwell Slaughter (Gleason)’s friendship with his young sergeant protégé Eustis Clay (McQueen) is challenged when the master-sarge falls for dizzy local blonde teenager named Bobby Jo Pepperdine (Weld), angering another sergeant Fred Lenahan (Lew Gallo) who is after Bobby Jo. Tony Bill co-stars as Private First Class Jerry Meltzer, McQueen’s bumbling sidekick.

Gleason, McQueen and Weld are ill at ease throughout and this is further brought down with flashes of fake sentiment and forced comedy.

Blake Edwards and Maurice Richlin’s screenplay is based on a novel by William Goldman. It is shot by Philip H Lathrop, produced by Martin Jurow and Blake Edwards, scored by Henry Mancini, and designed by Philip Barber.

Also in the cast are Tony Bill, Tom Poston, Ed Nelson, Adam West, John Hubbard, Rockne Tarkington, Paul Hartman, Chris Noel, Sam Flint and Lewis Charles.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6459

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