Never Wave at a WAC
Tags: romantic

Plot synopsis:
A divorced socialite and daughter - Jo McBain (Rosalind Russell) - of a United States senator - Andrew McBain (Paul Douglas) - would like to join her boyfriend, who just left for Paris, where he has been transferred, with two other military comrades. After speaking with her father, he has the idea of her joining the army and getting her an officer's commission in the Women's Army Corps, so that she can be near her officer boyfriend and thereby be transferred to Paris. He sells her this idea, telling her that she would start as a general. Her wealthy and spoiled manners are crushed immediately, when arriving at basic training camp she is told that she would have to start at the bottom. Her father is involved in the telephone chain of people making the decision. Her ex-husband is working as an Army uniforms designer, and he uses his position to disrupt her romantic plans by making her join a group of girls who are testing polar equipment. After she has had enough of her ex-husband's silly pranks, she blows up at her commanding officers and is to be dismissed from the Army. Her contrite ex-husband admit his faults to the disciplinary hearing, but Jo confesses that she was faking being a good soldier so she could go to Paris and be with her boyfriend. She leaves the Army, but she made a lifelong friend in Clara, who tells Jo she will ask her boyfriend to marry her. When she leaves the Army, Jo watches as new recruits are brough in. She realizes that she's still in love with her ex-husband (and he with her). She decides to enroll back into the Army, a genuine attempt at being a good soldier this time, willing to do what the Army ask her to do. She says that later, after her graduation, she may be stationed near Andrew, her ex-husband.

Review: Amusing lark.
I stumbled across this movie one sleepness night and rarely have I ever enjoyed insomnia so much.
It has to be the inspiration for Goldie Hawn's "Private Benjamin" and the innocence of the era in which this movie was made (1952) seems to add to the enjoyment.The film quality and overall production seems to hint at a low budget affair but again this only adds to the charm.
The actors work well together and you can tell that the players enjoyed working together.
Rosalind Russell, as Jo McBain comes through as a real sport by allowing her character to be put through several hilarious and humbling situations.
And most of those situations are created by the doings of Paul Douglas who plays Ms. Russell's likable ex-husband Andrew.
And of course there is the "third wheel" in the story, a love interest of Jo McBain's, Lt. Colonel Schuyler Fairchild who is played solidly by William Ching.
Andrw McBain's actions are driven by a desire to keep his ex-wife Jo and Colonel Fairchild apart.Adding to the pippiness is a cameo by World War II hero General Omar Bradley playing himself.
Old movie buffs who have not seen this work will most certainly enjoy and appreciate it..
The plot of this movie is more than a little similar to "Private Benjamin." It's fun to see Rosalind Russell as a sort of WASP version of Goldie Hawn, indignant at the treatment she's being given in the WACs. The first half of this film is nearly a laugh a minute, but it bogs down in the second half when it does duty as a propaganda film and tries to put a button on the story line.I found a DVD copy of this included on one of those discs that cram several movies on to one disc and cost very little.
The title of the disc is "Comedy Classics" and includes (along with "Never Wave At a WAC") "New Faces," "Hazel Flagg," "The Smallest Show on Earth," and five others.This movie is well worth the effort to locate, if only to see the scene in the doctor's office, Miss Russell with cigarette in hand..
Ex-soldier's civilian job (improving uniforms) requires him to continue co-ordinating with the military.
His socialite ex-wife's boyfriend is a Colonel, ordered to Paris.
To be near the officer, the spoiled gal (Rosalind Russell) joins the WACS, expecting her elbow-rubbing father to smoothen her ride, but dad sees service as a means of tightening the reigns on her, so, she "starts from the bottom." To make matters worse, ex-hubby crosses paths with - and makes life more difficult for - her, although he eventually mellows toward her.
Companion plot follows showgirl-turned-WAC's romance with Sergeant.
But viewers of this film will discover whether Roz seeks boyfriend's or former husband's next stop.
Not terribly deep but not a waste, either..
Not terribly deep but not a waste, either..
Decent Light Entertainment.
This light comedy has some entertaining characters and a few good scenes that make up for a rather slim plot.
The story itself is rather silly - Rosalind Russell stars as a divorced socialite who joins the Army solely in order to be closer to her officer boyfriend.
She quickly finds out that the Army plans to do a little more with her than simply give her passes whenever she wants to see him.
Meanwhile, her scientific ex-husband (Paul Douglas) is working for the Army, and requests her for his project so that he can disrupt her planned romantic meetings.
Since there's not a whole lot to work with, it starts to run out of steam after a while, but remains mostly pleasant to watch.
While it's nothing to take seriously, it's just meant as light-hearted entertainment, and as such most of it works pretty well..
silly but fun.
If you are a fan of Ms. Russell's, then this is one you must see.
If you are looking for a nice little comedy to feel good with, then watch this.
If you are a comedy snob, forget it pal.This is a silly but fun film.
It starts out that Roz is the daughter of a Washington big wig.
She is in love with this major in the army and he has to go overseas for a time.
No way is she going to let him leave without her to fend off the chicks, so she enlist into the Army.
Thinking her Dad can pull some strings in Washington, she thinks she will get a big rank and fly off with her love, but nooooooo.
Her Dad wants to teach her a thing or two.
He feels she is too big for her britches.
So she ends up becoming just a private and staying in the US of A.
She runs into her ex (Paul Douglas) who is working with the Army with some experiments.
Trouble ensues....Throw in Marie Wilson (a Marilyn copy) and get set for a little fun.
For a Roz Russell film it rates a 6 of 10..
This comparatively little known film, with the extremely unlikely storyline is, nevertheless a joy to watch.
It is pure escapism with more than a hint of nostalgia for those of us of a certain age.
The script is good with some nice one-liners, but because the plot itself is obviously rather weak things become a little laboured.
I doubt it would come over as successfully as it does, where it not for the one and only Rosalind Russell - ever able to combine excellent dramatic and comedic acting with the epitome of Hollywood glamour.
And where oh where would it have been without that stalwart, always believable, and I think much underrated actor, Paul Douglas as Russell's long suffering ex husband.If you feel like some light hearted 1950s entertainment you could do a lot worse..
Roz Joins The Army.
Never Wave At A WAC is the apparently weird combination of Buck Privates and Woman of the Year.
The odd thing about it is that it actually works and still will get a few laughs from today's audience.
This might have been a script offered to Katharine Hepburn, but Hepburn never really got as physical in her comedy films as Rosalind Russell does here.
Still the part of socialite daughter of a United States Senator would normally have been something Hepburn might have done.
Yet Russell makes the part all her own.Russell's a bit of a snob and her father Charles Dingle well knows it.
During a party where her ex-husband, Paul Douglas, crashes she meets another socialite friend who has just got a commission in the Woman's Army Corps.
Russell's current boyfriend is another commissioned officer from public relations, William Ching, borrowed from an Ad agency.
Of course dear old dad will pull some strings and make her an officer and a lady.
Except Charles Dingle doesn't want to do it.
He says let her in as a buck private and it takes a bit of getting used to before Russell realizes she's not a VIP on the base.
And when Douglas who is a scientist doing work for the army arrives on her base the fun really starts.Roz has some good physical scenes, check out the one where she and other WACS are part of a Douglas experiment in arctic conditions.
They're not as physical as the ones in Private Benjamin, still Russell gets ample opportunity to display her comic timing.There's also a nice subplot involving Marie Wilson, a stripper who joins the WACs and falls for Sergeant Leif Erickson.
Charles Dingle is always one of my favorite character actors and it was really nice to see him as a good guy for a change.
He's neither in this film, just a nice down to earth man who happens to be a United States Senator and not pleased with the snobbish ways of his daughter.Obviously because he believed in getting more women in the Armed Services, the then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Omar N.
Bradley made a guest appearance as himself.
He has a moment when calls about Russell's status reach his ears and he refers them to his good friend Senator Dingle who's on a fishing trip.Never Wave At A WAC though eclipsed somewhat for the current past two generations by Private Benjamin still has a lot of laughs.
And it's a great introduction to one of the best and most versatile stars from the age of studio Hollywood, Rosalind Russell..
Private Rosalind.
Private Rosalind.
Snobby Washington socialite Rosalind Russell (as Josephine "Jo" McBain) joins the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in order to keep an eye on young boyfriend William Ching (as Schuyler "Sky" Fairchild).
Ms. Russell, who temptingly asks, "Can you tell me where to go?" on arrival, isn't prepared for either the rigors of basic training or the interference of ex-husband Paul Douglas (as Andrew "Andy" McBain).
Russell displays some good comic timing, but this re-make of her CBS-TV "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (1951) is stretched far too thin.
Moreover, parts of the situation are simply embarrassing, like seeing a towel-clad Russell smoking a cigarette ("inhale, exhale") during her physical.
Bosomy blonde Marie Wilson (as Danger O'Dowd) is an arousing companion.*** Never Wave at a WAC (1/28/53) Norman Z.
McLeod ~ Rosalind Russell, Paul Douglas, Marie Wilson, William Ching.
Mild Comedy.
Certainly can't blame the sparkling Russell if the last part of the comedic hijinks seems labored.
The first part shines, especially the fancy ball where Jo (Russell) flits around like the proverbial social butterfly, while divorced husband (Andy) tries to rescue his dog without anybody noticing.
Too bad Douglas is largely forgotten.
He had about a ten-year period where he played the likable grouch to perfection.It's interesting to compare this film with its male counterpart No Time for Sergeants (1958).
Here Jo is a sheltered socialite who thinks joining the WACS will be a lark, plus put her closer to her colonel boyfriend (Ching).
In No Time, Andy Griffith is Jo's opposite, a naïve hillbilly who gets drafted, has similarly rude adjustment problems, except his are from the other end of the social spectrum.
Both movies get a load of laughs from sticking unmilitary types into training camp, strict military style.But frankly, I thought the slapstick of putting Jo through the rigors of testing new equipment came across as labored and not very funny.
Nonetheless, rolling around the mud does symbolically rid Jo of her social pretensions, and make it so she and Andy can get back together on a more honest plain.
So at least the testing works on a plot level.Anyway, the film's an okay comedy, produced by Russell's husband and independently distributed, at a time when the studios were unfortunately breaking apart..
I watched this movie not so much for Rosalind Russel, but for Regis Toomey ("The Big Sleep" and "Guys and Dolls").
I barely made my way through this film.
It was painful to watch.
And like a train wreck, I could not stop watching, hoping it would get better.Jo McBain is an incredibly stuck-up blue-blood aristocratic ..um..
She spends most of the movie with her nose high in the air, all but sh*tting on her black servants.
I so wanted to smack her hard several times in the film.I would think that if a recruit showed that much insolence and insubordination that she showed the WAC NCOs and officers, she'd be thrown in the brig until her attitude got adjusted.And don't get me started on Clara Schneiderman and Sgt. Norbert Jackson!
She was insufferable, and he desperately needed a knee in the groin every time he said or did something patently offensive.Yes, I know the movie is a product of its time and reflects the then-mainstream sensibilities.
I've seen other old (read: black and white) films that were not nearly as offensive and painful to watch.
This film needs to be watched with more than just a grain of salt, you need an entire container of Morton's..
Average But Amusing Piece of Fluff and Army Propaganda.
Rosalind Russell became a star at 33 with "His Girl Friday" in 1940.
Before that, she did mostly small parts.
There's a big gap of nearly 20 years in her career before we see her is some of her best later career movies, like "Auntie Mame," "Gypsy," and the "Trouble with Angels" It is nice to see her in a mid-career piece like this from 1953.
I watched it on 100 comedy classics from Mill Creek video.This is a reasonably funny piece about an aristocratic woman who joins the army expecting to be made an officer immediately because of her high social standing in society.
She learns that the army is a democratic institution and goes through normal training as a WAC.Russell is reasonably delightful.
She's given good support by Marie Wilson as a dizzy blond who wants to have a career in intelligence.
Paul Douglas plays her husband, perhaps a little too somber and solemn for a piece like this.
He's usually better in dramas and film noir.For those who have seen Abbott and Costello's "Buck Privates" or "Private Benjamin" or "Stripes," or other army comedies, there won't be too many surprises.
Still, its a solidly amusing piece of work most of the time.
It proves again that joining the army is just like going to summer camp, only with guns..
Russell gets the "Private Benjamin" treatment in wacky comedy....
When ROSALIND RUSSELL wasn't doing heavy emoting in films like MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA, she was doing wacky comedies like NEVER WAVE AT A WAC and proving that she had comic flair even in sub-standard material.This is a forerunner of the "Private Benjamin" type of service story--or the "See Here Private Hargrove" type of thing, where a disgruntled serviceman (or woman) finds life in the Army rough going when given some deliberately hectic chores to do.
MARIE Wilson is another unlikely recruit who's fighting off advances from an overeager sergeant, LEIF ERICKSON.The gags are fast and furious but not too original as Russell is given some challenging assignments by PAUL DOUGLAS, as the man who eventually wins her heart.
None of it is very convincing and Russell certainly had better opportunities in other smarter comedies during the '30s and '40s.Passes the time, but not really worth watching unless you're a Russell fan..
Could have been better.
Rosalind Russell is a talented comedienne, but "Never Wave At A WAC" is a mediocre vehicle for her.
I think it could have been improved by focusing more on the day-to-day struggle with, and gradual acceptance of, military life by Russell's character, and by drastically reducing the role of Paul Douglas, the vengeful but still loving ex-husband.
Douglas not only looks too old for his role (hard to believe he was actually the same age as Russell!), but his character does some humiliating things to Russell's character that are more mean-spirited than funny.
Although he's supposed, at least at the start, to be the "sensible" one while Russell is supposed to be the "spoiled" one, she is easily the more likable character of the two.
And why waste Hillary Brooke in such a small part (she appears only in the opening party sequence)?
She's the hostess with the mostest on the base....
Seemingly influenced by Ethel Merman's success on Broadway spoofing D.C. hostess Pearl Mesta in "Call Me Madam", Rosalind Russell takes on a part that obviously spoofed Goldie Hawn in "Private Benjamin".
She's another pushy broad acting like a brigadier general when she's only a recruit.
No wonder her obviously flustered husband Paul Douglas divorced her!
As a senator's daughter, Russell is totally imperious from the start, desperately in need of a take-down, nor as a woman, but as a human being who is over-wrought with extreme self importance and pretension, especially when she adds President Truman to her list of character witnesses.
While it is amusing to watch her make an absolute fool out of herself, I find the military response to her quite unrealistic.On the opposite end of the spectrum is Marie Wilson ("My Friend Irma"), a dizzy striptease artist who needs more than a little help fitting in.
These two outcasts manage to change in different ways while going through basic training and eventually finding their footing.
Russell's done much better comedy then this, and the story was much better done more than 25 years later..
Silly and light-weight but still kind of fun.
This is a very silly film with a very silly plot and some very silly and impossible to believe characters.
Yet, despite all this, if you can suspend judgment, there is still a decent film there to enjoy--making this a bit of a guilty pleasure.Rosalind Russell and Paul Douglas just divorced and Roz is planning on getting remarried to a stuffy colonel.
However, Paul wants her back and with Roz's father's conniving, a plan is hatched.
Dad convinces Roz that it would be "fun" for her to join the WACs and that with all their political connections (after all, he is a senator and she knows EVERYBODY in Washington who is somebody), she'll be commissioned a colonel herself.
Well, based on this pep talk, she rushes to the recruiting office (despite being 45 and WAAY too old to join).
However, he tricked her as she does NOT get a commission and is a lowly recruit.The problem is not just how contrived all this is as well as Roz's age but how they wrote her character.
She walks around the base and acts like it's the Hilton Hotel.
While having her play a spoiled rich brat was cool, no one is THAT obnoxious and stupid to think that they'd get the army to cater to their every whim!
This could have sunk the film had it not been for the fact that they played it all for comedy--never taking itself too seriously.Cute writing and dialog managed to make this film harmless fun and a very good time-passer.
Sophisticated entertainment?
No way--but still cute and enjoyable.