Buck Privates (1941)

This (Bud) Abbott & (Lou) Costello classic was released before the United States involvement in World War II. This comedy featuring the famous duo in one of their first films portrays them as a couple of street salesman who accidentally enlist for one year of service and details their experiences in boot camp. Nat Pendleton plays a police officer that was somewhat responsible for their fate who becomes their Sergeant. Lee Bowman plays a rich playboy that’s drafted and then waits for his wealthy father to bail him out; Alan Curtis plays a former servant of Bowman’s character who’s happy to be on equal footing with his former employer. Jane Frazee plays an Army girl that both pursue; she and the Andrew Sisters assist with recruitment handing out chewing gum & cigarettes and sing songs like the Oscar nominated “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”; Charles Previn’s (One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937)) Score was also nominated. Samuel Hinds plays the head Army Officer; Shemp Howard (of “The Three Stooges”) plays the training camp’s chef.

Lots of funny routines including: Costello innocently winning money from Abbott playing craps for (supposedly) the first time; Abbott getting his money back by (initially) asking Costello for a $10 loan; the classic drill routine with Abbott putting Costello through the paces; various gags with Pendleton’s character; and Costello’s boxing match. There’s also an early rap like song that Costello does called “When Private Brown becomes a Captain”; and don’t miss the Andrews Sisters’ “You’re a Lucky Man Mr. Smith”. The Bowman Curtis Frazee “love triangle” storyline provides the filler.

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